Is it normal to have one arm/hand bigger than the other?

[Gerri23]

Please someone, add some rational thoughts... As usual with stressful situations, Health Anxiety is once again rearing its ugly head. (I am taking meds but not in therapy currently - trying to fix this as soon as the world possibly allows.)

I have noticed being hypervigilant again, as it usually goes. Have managed to rationalise some symptoms, but now for some reason am obsessed with my hands. :unsure:

So, I am right handed and my right hand is bigger than my left hand. I am convinced there is some swelling on the forearm near wrist. Logic would say: it's normal to have non-symmetrical body and the swelling could be from having worked on the couch with a laptop for many days, where the wrist has not been in an ergonomic position, but flexed backwards. Maybe its some sort of tendon problem even. Health anxiety brain says: you have lymphedema. I am not diagnosed with breast cancer or anything, but since it's my biggest fear at the moment, I am convinced my right arm is bigger than my left because I have lymphedema and tumour is pressing on my lymph nodes or something.

I hate HA so much. I remember from the past that I also have noticed before the difference in hand size, but for some reason, that is not making it through my logic right now. Also, how big of a difference is normal?? I am also overweight. Does that mean my limbs can have more difference in size since fat is distributed unevenly or something? The difference is maybe 2 cm maximum on upper arms, I am not even sure if I managed to measure it correctly or not :S

Also I have never heard or read with someone's first symptom of breast cancer being lymphedema, but everything is possible in a HA brain I guess...

Has anyone else had weird fixation with sizes of their body parts?

Help :(

[Scass]

I have never heard of the disease you are worrying about, but I’ve just checked and I also have one hand bigger than the other.

There is some free cbt on this site that you can look at.

[BrokenGirl]

I'm not sure how you're linking having a bigger hand to breast cancer!!

It's perfectly normal for one to be bigger - especially if it's your right one is bigger and you're right handed.
My right hand is bigger than my left, and my left leg is bigger than my right.
We're asymmetrical. I've been where you are before and believe me it's not worth it.

Just accept that's the way you are and focus on something else (not health related - reading a book, baking a cake, doing some exercise, binging a Netflix series - just anything you're into really)

[Gerri23]

Thanks guys! That was exactly what I needed to hear.

Scass - thanks for the tip, I am looking into the cbt!

BrokenGirl - I know very well that we are asymmetrical. I am in a better place now. Did a lot in the weekend that took me out of the house, and been having long walks. All helps to stay sane. Kind of proud for avoiding the spiralling! (Been there many times before...) I have also made an appointment with my psychiatrist to be able to get compensation for therapy.

Thanks again :hugs:

[Hijikata]

Bro you would be surprised what you find out about yourself when you begin analysing every inch of yourself. I found out I have a massive dent in my right hand, freaked out about atrophy until I found a picture five years prior with the exact same dent. I thought my nose looked a little off Centre and again found a picture of years prior and realised my nose had always been a little crooked. I thought the tendons of my feet were showing through a lot and that the muscles in my foot must have wasted until, surprise, I found a picture of my feet from seven years ago looking exactly the same. Point is is never noticed any of this shit until I started over analysing my entire body and checking it constantly.