What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Hi. I am 56 year old female and all my life I have worked as a dactylographer. I have read something about possible fingers diseases that can affect this type of workers but, luckily, I have never had any kind of problems.
Now, I'm retired for over that 7 years and just the other day, I have felt some strange itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers.
I have also felt some serious decreased grip strength.
I don’t know what could cause this but one friend of mine told me that some syndrome called carpal tunnel syndrome could cause this.
What should I know about this?

I believe we are thinking on the same thing but, disease that we are talking about doesn’t have anything to do with your previous employment.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist.
The carpal tunnel - a narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand houses the median nerve and tendons.
Sometimes, at most people- at night, thickening from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed.
There are several very different symptoms of this disease, from fingers tingling to swelling of your whole hand.
Initial treatment involves resting the hand and wrist for at least 2 weeks, avoiding activities that may make symptoms worse, and immobilizing the wrist. After a month, your symptoms will disappear.

Try this easy exercise to stretch the tendons and ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
1. Extend your wrists and fingers outward, ahead of your body, positioning your hands and fingers toward the ceiling, like you are signaling someone to "stop".

2. Wait five seconds in this position, then relax and straighten both wrists in front of the torso.

3. Keeping the arms straight out front, clench both hands in a fist.

4. Rotate the wrists down to the floor while maintaining a fist and then hold for five seconds.

5. Relax and straighten both wrists and hands into their normal position and repeat the above steps for as many as five to seven more times.