Swelling of the hands is an alarming symptom. The fluid retention in the tissues indicates a serious trouble in the body. The etiology of this condition may be different. Most often, edema speaks of problems with the heart or with the kidneys. However, there are many other diseases that are accompanied by fluid accumulation. Next, we will consider in detail the causes and treatment of swelling of the hands. In this case, it is very important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. After all, it is she who can indicate a possible disease.
Heart diseases
Edema is one of the symptoms of heart failure. Swelling of the lower extremities is more often noted. However, as the work of the heart worsens, the patient develops swelling on the hands, face and body.
Swelling is noted on both limbs and is moderate. A characteristic sign of heart failure is blue skin of the hands (cyanosis). Swollen areas are cold to the touch. This indicates a violation of the blood supply.
Edema usually occurs in the evening. In the daytime, swelling of the extremities is not observed. This is due to the fact that by the evening the heart is tired and begins to pump blood worse. As a result, stagnation occurs in the veins, which leads to swelling on the legs and hands.
Heart failure is not a separate disease. This is a syndrome that occurs with various pathologies: heart defects, coronary disease, myocarditis. Swelling is accompanied by chest pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath.
Vascular disorders
Swelling of the hands can be associated with impaired blood flow and decreased vascular tone. Let us consider in more detail such pathologies.
Upper vena cava syndrome is a consequence of diseases of the chest organs: tumors or lung cysts, thymus neoplasms, inflammation of the mediastinum. As a result of compression of the superior vena cava, stagnation of blood and lymph occurs in the arms, neck and shoulders. This leads to the formation of edema.
With this pathology, a swelling occurs not only in both hands, but also in the entire upper body. Patients are worried about severe cough with shortness of breath, weakness, rapid fatigue. The skin becomes bluish due to a violation of blood supply.
Subclavian vein thrombosis can cause swelling in one arm. This disease is also called Paget-Schrötter syndrome. In the subclavian vein, blood flows from the hands into the superior vena cava. When a vessel is clogged with a thrombus, stagnation in the upper limbs occurs. As a result, edema is formed due to the accumulation of interstitial fluid.
The cause of this disease is hard physical work. Due to the heavy load on the shoulder girdle, muscles injure the subclavian vein. This leads to blood clots. Edema usually forms on the arm that is more exposed to stress. Not only a swelling of the hand, but also of the upper limb is noted. The skin becomes cyanotic, patients complain of aching pain in the damaged arm.
Swelling of the hands can be a sign of Steinbroker syndrome. This condition is a consequence of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Due to a violation of innervation, the tone of the vessels of the hands is disturbed. With this pathology, a slight swelling of the hands occurs. Patients complain of severe pain in the hands and shoulder girdle, which is not stopped by taking analgesics. The skin of the fingers looks pale and smooth, sometimes the limbs turn blue. Numbness of the hands is often noted.
Decreased Albumin in the Blood
Brushes may swell due to lower levels of albumin in the blood. These protein substances are responsible for retaining fluid within the vessels. If the production of albumin is reduced, then the water goes out and accumulates in the tissues. This leads to the appearance of edema.
A decrease in albumin levels is a sign of the following diseases and conditions:
- Pathology of the liver (hepatitis, cirrhosis, cancer). Albumin is formed in hepatocytes. These cells are destroyed by hepatic pathologies, as a result, protein production is reduced.
- Kidney disease. Normally, albumin should not enter the urine, since it cannot pass through the kidney filter. With pathologies of the excretory organs, renal filtration is impaired. As a result, the protein enters the urine. In this case, the body loses a large amount of albumin.
- Protein deficiency in food. A lack of protein in the body can result from starvation or an overly strict diet. Protein deficiency in food leads to decreased albumin production by the liver.
- Gastrointestinal diseases. Pathologies of the small intestine often lead to inflammation and impaired permeability of its wall. Because of this, proteins from food are poorly absorbed into the blood. This leads to a decrease in the amount of albumin.
Endocrine pathology
Swelling of the hands observed in some diseases of the endocrine organs. This may be one of the symptoms of myxedema. The disease is characterized by a sharp decrease in thyroid function. The blood levels of hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These substances are responsible for the metabolism of proteins. With a deficiency of thyroid hormones, the level of proteins in the blood drops. As a result, proteins accumulate in the tissues, this leads to fluid retention and the appearance of swelling.
Myxedema's hands are swollen most often. The skin in the affected areas is cold to the touch and dry, often covered with cracks. In areas of edema, hair falls out. The condition of nails worsens, they become brittle and thinned.
Myxedema is accompanied by bradycardia, low blood pressure, lethargy and drowsiness. Women develop infertility, while men develop impotence. In patients, body weight increases, frequent headaches and dyspeptic symptoms (constipation, nausea, lack of appetite) occur.
Another endocrine cause of edema can be Parhon syndrome. With this pathology, the hypothalamus produces vasopressin in increased quantities. This hormone is responsible for diuresis. Excessive amounts of vasopressin lead to a sharp decrease in urination. In this case, an excess of fluid is formed in the body, which leads to edema.
With Parkhon's syndrome, swelling appears on the hands, face, and legs. The skin has a pink tint. Seizures, headache, nausea, and vomiting are observed.
Lymph outflow disorders
Lymph congestion is a common cause of edema. In the lymphatic vessels, the interstitial fluid leaves the organs and tissues. If these vessels become clogged, then the lymph accumulates, and swelling of the hands and other parts of the body occur.
Violation of the outflow of lymph is observed with the following pathologies:
- Brush injuries. With bruises of the hands , lymphatic vessels are often damaged, which leads to their obstruction.
- Erysipelas. With infectious inflammation of the skin, narrowing and overgrowth of the lumen of the lymphatic vessels sometimes occurs. This leads to stagnation of interstitial fluid.
- Parasitic diseases. Some parasites (filarias) circulate in the lymphatic system. As a result, the lymphatic vessels are clogged with clusters of helminths, which leads to fluid stagnation.
- Condition after surgery. During surgical interventions (especially for fractures), lymphatic vessels are accidentally damaged. This leads to a violation of their patency.
Allergic reactions
Allergies can also cause swelling. After contact with an irritating substance, swelling may appear in different parts of the body, and only on the hands.
With allergies, subcutaneous vessels dilate. Their wall becomes permeable and fluid escapes into the tissue. This is the cause of puffiness.
Oncological diseases
Swelling of the hands is most often formed with a malignant tumor of the lungs (Pancost cancer). The neoplasm is located under the pleura. When the tumor grows, it compresses the subclavian vein, which leads to a violation of the outflow of blood from the lower extremities.
With this disease, swelling occurs only on one arm. Not only the brush swells, but the entire limb from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers. In severe cases, the face and neck may swell. Swollen skin has a bluish tint, dilated veins are visible under it.
A tumor compresses not only blood vessels, but also nerves. Because of this, severe pain and numbness in the swollen arm occurs. The disease is accompanied by a deterioration in well-being: headache, fever, weakness and weight loss.
Among women
Why do swollen hands in women? Swelling can be caused by the above pathologies. However, there are times when the hands swell in healthy women. This may be due to premenstrual syndrome. On the days before menstruation, the level of the hormone progesterone in the body drops. This substance removes fluid from the body. With a decrease in progesterone, water is retained in the tissues. Premenstrual syndrome is accompanied by mood swings, tachycardia, weakness, dizziness.
Swelling of the hands can occur during pregnancy. This is not always a sign of pathology. During the bearing of the fetus, serious changes occur in the woman’s body. The patient decreases the level of albumin and decreases the ability of blood to retain fluid. Excessive intake of salt and fluid may also be the cause of edema.
However, swelling in the hands during pregnancy can be a manifestation of a serious pathology - gestosis. Most often, swelling is noted on the fingers and toes. This is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, convulsions, vomiting, headache. A large amount of protein is detected in the urine.
Swelling on one arm can occur in women who have undergone breast removal surgery. During surgery, the doctor excises the axillary lymph nodes, since a large number of malignant cells accumulate in them. Often this leads to stagnation of the lymph in the upper limbs.
In the morning
Why do swollen hands in the morning? The causes of this phenomenon are not always associated with pathology. This may be due to excessive consumption of salty foods and liquids at night. In addition, during sleep, lymph outflow and fluid excretion do not occur as intensely as during the day.
However, swelling of the hands in the morning can also be caused by pathologies associated with a worsening of the outflow of interstitial fluid through the lymphatic vessels and veins:
- superior vena cava syndrome;
- subclavian vein thrombosis;
- filariasis;
- surgical removal of lymph nodes.
For heart failure, morning swelling is not characteristic. Swelling of the hands and feet is more often observed in the evening.
The cause of swelling of the hands in the morning may be an allergy. Often people apply creams and other cosmetics at night. They can act on the body as allergens. Under their influence, the permeability of the vascular walls increases, and the fluid escapes into the tissues. As a result, a person wakes up in the morning with swollen hands.
Swelling of the hand in the morning usually does not hold for a long time. During the day they disappear. To determine their cause, it is necessary to pay attention to the concomitant symptoms.
Swelling right hand
Swelling of the right hand is often associated with subclavian vein thrombosis. This disease occurs due to the high physical load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and lower extremities. Most people are right-handed and use their right hand to a greater extent.
Also, swelling of the right hand can be the result of injuries. Swelling is noted after bruises, sprains, dislocations and fractures. Swelling occurs in inflammatory diseases that affect only one limb: erysipelas, osteomyelitis, myositis.
Swelling and pain
Often patients complain of pain and swelling in the hands. If swelling is accompanied by pain, then it is most often associated with inflammation of the muscles, ligaments, nerves or joints.
The inflammatory process often develops due to stagnation of venous blood in the hands. At the same time, toxic substances accumulate in the tissues of the upper extremities. They damage the nerves, which leads to pain. Such pathological manifestations are observed with the following diseases:
- heart failure;
- superior vena cava syndrome;
- subclavian vein thrombosis.
Pain can also be noted with constricted arteries. Such a symptom is observed with a lung tumor and hand injuries. There is oxygen starvation, which leads to the death of tissues. This process is accompanied by inflammation and pain.
Decreased vascular tone in violation of their innervation (Steinbroker syndrome) is also accompanied by painful sensations. After all, this condition is a consequence of osteochondrosis. With this pathology, the nerves from the spine to the extremities are compressed. This can cause pain in the hands.
Swollen fingers and joints
Swelling of the fingers and hands is often observed in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus. This is usually accompanied by severe pain due to joint inflammation.
Other causes of such swelling may be hormonal disorders. With hypothyroidism and premenstrual syndrome, the fingers swell mainly.
Pain and swelling of the joints of the hands can be a sign of arthritis, synovitis and gout. With these diseases, inflammation occurs in the periarticular and articular tissues. Hyperemia of the affected areas is noted.
Sometimes swelling of the joint of the hand appears with tunnel syndrome. This condition occurs with frequent monotonous brush movements (for example, during long work on the computer). It is accompanied by severe pain and numbness of the fingers. This pathology is not associated with bone damage, it is caused by a pinched nerve. Swelling occurs due to an inflammatory reaction in the compressed nerve tissue.
Diagnostics
Suppose a person has a swollen hand. What to do in this case? We found that there can be many causes of puffiness. It is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo a diagnostic study.
Before the appointment of tests, the doctor will examine and question the patient. It is necessary to tell the specialist about all concomitant symptoms. This will help determine what research is needed in this case.
The doctor may prescribe the following examinations:
- ECG;
- general analysis of urine and a sample according to Nechiporenko;
- blood test for hormones;
- Ultrasound of the liver and kidneys;
- dopplerography of blood vessels;
- biochemical blood test;
- radiography of the lungs;
- rheumatoid factor analysis;
- tests with allergens.
The choice of the necessary tests will depend on the symptoms and the results of the examination.
Treatment methods
Treatment of swelling of the hands is most often carried out by conservative methods. To remove fluid from the body, diuretics are prescribed:
- Furosemide.
- Lasix.
- Veroshpiron.
- Ezidrex.
With edema in pregnant women, synthetic drugs are contraindicated. In this case, herbal remedies should be used: Kanefron or Fitolizin.
However, it must be remembered that the appointment of diuretics is symptomatic therapy. It is very important to treat the underlying disease, which led to the occurrence of swelling. The choice of drug will depend on the type of pathology. Usually, doctors prescribe the following groups of drugs:
- fibrinolytics and anticoagulants (to eliminate blood clots);
- cardiac glycosides (with heart failure);
- hormones and iodine preparations (with myxedema);
- venotonics (with stagnation of lymph);
- antihistamines (for allergies);
- antihypertensive drugs (for gestosis and heart disease);
- antibiotics (for inflammation);
- analgesics (with pain);
- vasopressin receptor blockers (with Parkhon syndrome).
In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed: electrophoresis with drugs, UHF, magnetotherapy.
If the outflow of lymph is impaired, tight bandaging is used. A tight elastic bandage is applied to the swollen area. This method of therapy is a form of compression treatment of swelling of the hands. Instead of a bandage, you can use special gloves or sleeves, which can be purchased in pharmacy chains.
The essence of the compression method is to compress the swollen areas. Accumulated lymph can not overcome the resistance of elastic tissue and goes into the vessels.
Surgical treatment is rarely used. However, in some cases it is impossible to do without surgery. For example, if the vessels are squeezed by a tumor, it is necessary to remove the obstruction and restore the normal outflow of lymph.
Elimination and prevention of edema at home
How to remove swelling from the hands of folk remedies? At home, you can only try to remove fluid from the body. After all, the cause of puffiness is usually complex diseases that cannot be cured by folk recipes.
However, if swelling is not caused by serious pathologies, then you can try to use the following tools:
- If the brush is swollen from a bruise, then you can wrap ice in a towel and attach it to a sore spot. This will relieve pain and swelling. However, before this, you need to visit a traumatologist and make sure that there is no fracture or dislocation.
- For edema caused by excessive fluid intake, compresses from infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort or nettle will help.
- You can make diuretic tea from lingonberry leaf. You need to take 4 dessert spoons of chopped dried leaves, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for about 20 minutes. This tool is useful for edema during pregnancy or with premenstrual syndrome.
- A decoction of pine buds also has diuretic properties. You need to take 1 teaspoon of kidneys and boil in a glass of water. The composition is insisted for 2 hours and drunk during the day.
If swelling of the hands occur frequently, but are not associated with any pathologies, then you should pay attention to your diet and drinking regimen. It is necessary to limit the use of salty foods. Do not drink plenty of fluids at night. It is useful to take a contrast shower several times a week. These measures will help prevent swelling of the hands.