Pinched nerve in wrist? or am I having a stroke?

I do smoke about a half-pack a day, but I also play acoustic fingerstyle/jazz guitar and not in a great position at times, slumped on couch, wrist cocked at 90 degrees, stretching hand hard...
i also work on the computer for 8-9 hours a day...

common sense tells me it's carpal tunnel/crappy guitar posture but my insatiable paranoia level makes me certain it's the worst case scenario

the "tingling, numbness" they say is associated with stroke is, like, a temporary thing and not something that would last for days on end, right?

this pain has been ongoing and I even seem to have gotten an internal bruising on my wrist, could a ganglion cyst cause bruising like that?

You may have carpal tunnel syndrome. I doubt you are having a stroke. You need to decrease hand use for 1-2 wks,use ice around wrist,take advil per label.Buy a wrist splint to sleep in..and if not better in 2-3 wks see a provider.
http://www.carpal-tunnel-symptoms.com

a stroke would cause symptoms like blurred vision, slurred speech, confusion, losing balance etc.

a heart attack would cause numbness / tingling & pain in the arm/neck/chest.

i would say your first instinct is right - carpal tunnel syndrome.

I think it's more likely] carpal tunnel. I am on the computer a lot also and have had strokes. You would have a lot more symptoms if you was having a stroke.

Go to
www.webmd.com