Older adults with sudden onset of hand numbness should be alerted to the possibility of stroke. The likelihood of stroke is higher in elderly people with hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, smoking and alcohol consumption, which are risk factors for cerebrovascular disease. After excluding cerebral hemorrhage, MRI of the skull can be improved to clarify whether there is new cerebral ischemia and the location and size of cerebral ischemia. If hand numbness occurs gradually in the elderly and is accompanied by a history of diabetes, the possibility of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is higher at this time, and under the premise of excluding acute cerebrovascular disease, nerve-nourishing drugs and blood sugar control drugs can be applied.