Hand swelling can be caused by infections, injuries, hormonal imbalances, and other underlying conditions. Swelling that lasts longer than a day or two should be evaluated by a doctor. Treatment may include rest, ice, compression, and elevation, but a correct diagnosis usually requires blood tests.
There can be several causes of hand swelling, but infections and injuries to the fingers, hand or forearm tend to be among the most common. Inflammation of tendons and ligaments can also play a role; tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome are just two examples in this category. Hormonal imbalances can also contribute, and pregnant and menstruating women are among the most commonly affected by temporary swelling of both the hands and feet. It could also be the case that the swelling is a symptom of a larger, often more serious problem. Some examples are liver or kidney conditions, malnutrition, and heart failure. Swelling that lasts longer than a day or two is usually a cause for alarm, although an accurate diagnosis usually cannot be made without a thorough medical investigation. Anyone concerned about their symptoms is usually encouraged to see a professional as soon as possible.
Localized infection or injury
Swelling is a very common response to injury. When bones break, tissue becomes injured, and muscles tear or tear, the blood vessels rushing to the scene often swell as they try to reach the damaged area. They can also take on extra water and nutrients to bring to the injury, and the tissues surrounding the site typically also enlarge as a means of protecting the tissues as they heal. All of this can lead to external swelling and distortion of the shape and color of the hand.
Infections can have a similar effect. A person who has infected tissue in their wrist or hand may see swelling as the body begins to fight back. Sometimes infected tissue is evident, as is often the case when a cut or gash allows bacteria to enter from the outside, but some infections are strictly internal. Imbalances in blood and lymphatic tissue are two examples.
Inflammation
Inflammatory swelling can have a variety of causes and can be chronic or acute in nature, sometimes presenting as redness, pain, local fever, or impaired function of affected organs. In the hands, inflammation-related swellings usually occur in response to a specific injury or stress on a muscle group. Carpal tunnel syndrome, for example, which is a wearing down of the ligaments in the wrist, can sometimes lead to swelling; tendinitis, an unnatural separation of muscle from the bone it’s attached to, is another possibility. Arthritis-related inflammation in the joints of your fingers or wrists can also lead to swelling.
Superficial responses to external stimulation
Sometimes skin irritations can also make your hands appear swollen. Some common causes of skin swelling include skin infections, allergic reactions, insect bites, hives, cellulitis, and eczema. Most of the time, the swelling subsides as the irritation subsides and is usually limited to the skin; larger tissues and muscle and bone structures are usually not affected.
Hormonal imbalance
Hormones are mainly involved in regulating chemicals in the body, but when they are out of balance swelling in the extremities can be a consequence. Pregnancy is one of the most common examples, and pregnant women often experience intermittent swelling of both the hands and feet as their hormone levels fluctuate. This also often happens in the days and weeks leading up to menstruation, a phenomenon known as ‘premenstrual syndrome’. Sometimes thyroid imbalances in both women and men can produce similar bulges.
As a symptom of a larger condition
Not all hand swelling is actually related to the hands. Sometimes, problems elsewhere in the body can cause swelling as a side effect. This is most often the case in situations of severe organ failure or disease, when the blood becomes thick with toxins. Normally, blood flows continuously from the heart, down the arms and out to the fingers and back & mash; but when there are problems, things can get more or less “stuck” in the hands and sometimes even the feet, which can lead to swelling and pain. Edema, an abnormal accumulation of fluid under the skin, is another common cause of general swelling in the extremities of the body and is typically caused by higher than normal volumes of tissue fluid in the blood.
Treatment and diagnosis
To relieve swelling, doctors often recommend emergency room treatment including rest, ice, compression, and elevation — a routine commonly known by the acronym RICE — as a short-term solution. To ice an area, bagged ice cubes or cold packs are usually placed on the swollen skin, and an elastic bandage or towel can be used to compress the ice. The person with hand swelling should rest and elevate while the area is frozen and compressed to minimize healing time if injured and to relieve swelling as much as possible until medical attention can be sought. However, this treatment should not be used as a cure, and unless the cause is clear, any indicators of swelling of the hands or general swelling of the body should usually be evaluated by a doctor. Correct diagnosis usually requires blood tests to check levels of chemicals, toxins and hormones.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
