Swelling of the fingers or hands develops due to the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in these areas. If such a deviation is observed very rarely, it is only necessary to limit the intake of liquid and salt in order to establish a water-salt metabolism. But experiencing this problem regularly, you should thoroughly check your body for the presence of diseases that manifest themselves precisely by swelling of the fingers.
The cause of this condition can be various pathological conditions and serious diseases. Only a doctor can determine why the finger swelling on the arm can, but for some signs it can be done long before his visit. The first thing to do is evaluate your overall health. You can do this according to your own feelings and well-being during the day. Most often, serious diseases are not limited to only one symptom in the form of swollen fingers. That is why, having noticed this problem, you need to make an appointment with the doctor faster, and then try to find out what other symptoms bring concern.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
They manifest themselves in violations of blood conduction in the veins and capillaries. Swelling on the fingers occurs when the right side of the heart is disturbed, which is responsible for pumping blood from veins to other vessels, and also provides gas exchange in the blood. When the heart muscle becomes unable to overtake the required amount of blood in the veins, it accumulates too much, which can cause swelling in the hands. This pathological condition is heart failure. Thinking about why the fingers swell on the left hand or only on the right, you need to consider possible heart diseases.
They can cause disturbances in the internal or external tissue of the heart muscle. Quite often they appear after a heart attack, food or chemical poisoning, in the presence of heart disease or a pathology such as myocarditis. Also, heart failure can develop due to other diseases that are directly related to the muscle composition of the tissue of the affected organ.
The disease is accompanied by uniform, but increasing swelling of both upper limbs and fingers. Swollen places always have a dense structure, while the hands are cold, and after pressing with a finger on the skin a hole appears, which disappears in a few seconds. The dilated veins on the swollen arms are dark blue.
The primary stage of heart failure is manifested by swelling of the fingers and hands, then the legs, face and neck swell. Other symptoms of this pathology are: shortness of breath, severe fatigue, pain in the heart.
Lymph congestion
The reason explaining why the joints of the fingers and toes swell can be a phenomenon such as stagnation of lymph. The lymphatic system is essential for the functioning of the metabolic process. It helps to get rid of excess interstitial fluid and maintains normal water-salt balance. Violation of the lymph flow due to pathological processes in the vessels provokes the appearance of excess pressure in them. As a result, intercellular fluid enters the lymphatic flow, and then stagnates in the fingers. This is what contributes to the appearance of swelling. In this case, figuring out, for example, why the finger swelling on the arm, it should be taken into account that lymph congestion most often occurs:
- When the body is infected with parasites. At the same time, the inflammatory process begins, which causes ossification in the walls of the lymphatic ducts.
- As a side effect after a mastectomy, if during it the lymph nodes under the armpits are removed.
- In case of impaired lymphatic conduction due to surgical operations on the hands.
- With narrowed and shortened lymphatic vessels of congenital genesis.
- If the skin has inflammatory formations of a bacterial form. They constrict the lymphatic ducts in the area of the hands.
- Various injuries on the hands and fingers of mechanical origin. Often, they become the provocateur of swelling of the phalanges.
In some cases, the cause of swelling of the hands and fingers may be a chronic disease. Then problems with lymphatic flow arise and appear during the period of its relapse or decreased immunity.
Joint diseases
Inflammation in the joints of the fingers and deposits of salts in these places often provoke a disease such as gout. In addition to these symptoms, the disease is always accompanied by a crunch and stiffness in the fingers. This disease always begins to develop with a slight swelling of the phalanges. After this, severe pain, discomfort and redness of the skin of the hands appear. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, dense and painful blisters begin to form under the skin.
Gout is a serious disease that is very important to diagnose on time. Therefore, if you detect the first suspicious signs, you should immediately seek medical help.
Unhealthy lifestyle effects
Thinking about why fingers are swelling, you should remember that this can be one of the symptoms of an unhealthy lifestyle. This applies to the lack of physical activity, the use of unhealthy foods, the lack of nutrients, and alcohol abuse. Therefore, you need to make sure that the general condition of the body is normal. Only then can this reason be ruled out.
Knowing why hands and fingers swell so as not to provoke fluid stagnation, it is very important to monitor how much and what you drink in the evening and just before bedtime. When identifying the described problem, you need to stop eating salty foods, and drink only clean water without gas from drinks. Most of it should be drunk in the morning. You should also exercise more often and do exercises. All this will help eliminate swelling if any pathological processes do not develop in the body.
It is understandable why fingers swell in the hands of those who are constantly engaged in manual labor. In some cases, the phalanges may swell due to intense physical activity. This applies to long-term manual washing, monotonous work behind the keyboard of a laptop or computer, as well as when fingers are held in a twisted state for a long time.
Allergic reaction of the body
The reason why fingers in the hands swell in the evening may be allergic to household products used during the day. In this case, the brushes may swell due to the ingress of substances into the blood that cause an increase in the production of immune agents.
With allergies, edema can appear not only in the fingers, but also on the neck, in the decollete, on the face, as well as on the stomach and under the arms. They are formed due to the fact that the permeability of blood vessels increases significantly, and this provokes the release of their contents into the phalanx tissue. In an allergic reaction, the fingers swell unevenly, look uneven, and can have different sizes. Quite often, swelling is accompanied by a rash.
Premenstrual syndrome
The female body experiences a number of changes on the eve of the renewal of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, a week before the alleged menstruation, various reactions begin to manifest themselves, which are poorly reflected both in appearance and in health. This fact must be taken into account when thinking about why fingers swell in the morning. One of the many symptoms of premenstrual syndrome is uneven swelling of the hands and feet. She does not hurt, but brings a lot of inconvenience to a woman.
In some cases, swelling may be accompanied by slight reddening of the skin. Such swelling disappears in a few days or on the first day of the onset of menstruation. Therefore, you should not worry and consult a doctor with a question about why fingers on your hands swell. This phenomenon is considered the norm, as it occurs due to a sharp decrease in the hormone progesterone in the blood. It is he who is responsible for regulating the water exchange of the organs of the excretory system.
Other possible causes of swelling
In addition to the above reasons, swelling on the fingers can occur due to health problems, which include:
- Reducing the amount of protein in the blood due to diseases of the liver, kidneys, small intestine, protein deficiency in the diet.
- Parkhon's Syndrome. This disease is manifested by the release of a large amount of the hormone vasopressin into the blood.
- Syndrome of the superior vena cava.
- An oncological neoplasm called a Pancost tumor.
- Gestosis in pregnant women.
- Myxedema.
- Arthritis, rheumatism and other joint inflammations.
Only a doctor can accurately diagnose why fingers on the hands swell. The same applies to the choice of treatment. The independent purchase and use of serious medicines can only harm the state of health.
Finger swelling treatment
Having determined the true cause of the edema, the doctor may recommend different methods of treatment. Let's consider each in more detail.
Drug treatment. Depending on the type of disease, the following drugs may be needed:
- Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects (with inflammation or bacterial infection).
- With antihistamine effect (with an allergic reaction).
- Anticoagulants to normalize blood composition.
- Means with a diuretic effect.
- Antihypertensive drugs designed to lower high blood pressure.
- Drugs that block vasopressin receptors.
- Hormonal drugs.
Physiotherapeutic treatment. It includes the following procedures:
- Electrophoresis
- Magnetic resonance therapy with low frequencies.
- Medium wave irradiation.
- Ultra high frequency treatment.
Surgery. Surgical interventions are performed in the detection of cardiac pathologies, as well as in diseases such as the superior vena cava syndrome and Pankost cancer.
The above treatment methods quickly relieve edema and their concomitant disease. When identifying oncology, chemotherapy is used, as well as irradiation with waves. These methods help stop the development of the tumor, as well as remove the symptoms that it provokes.
Thinking about why the fingers swell in the morning, it is very important to correctly determine the cause of this condition. If the swelling is caused not by pathological processes in the body, but by other, more harmless factors, the doctor will give recommendations about maintaining the right lifestyle. He can recommend the following troubleshooting methods:
- Switch to a diet sparing for the body that excludes salt intake.
- Stop drinking alcohol completely.
- Most often engage in your favorite sport or physical education.
- Do not forget about daily morning exercises.
- Reduce monotonous physical exertion on the hands.
- Eliminate all possible allergens and external irritants that can cause swelling of the fingers. Stop using makeup products and aggressive detergents.
If the disease has not taken possession of the body, then these recommendations will help to quickly eliminate swelling on the fingers and many other symptoms.
To quickly get rid of the unpleasant phenomenon in the form of edema, you can use special methods to eliminate them. However, it is important to remember that they will bring benefits only in the absence of any disease associated with swelling. Therefore, thinking about why fingers swell at night, you can not self-medicate and try to fix the problem without consulting a doctor. It is important!
Fingers warm up
To remove puffiness, it is necessary to properly massage the swollen fingers. To do this, you first need to move the phalanges so that the remaining fluid begins to move back towards the heart. Such movements will contribute to intensive blood flow, which will positively affect blood pressure, which is necessary to normalize fluid outflow.
Very often, hands and fingers swell after sleep. Why this happens, it is necessary to find out, based on the general state of health. If everything is in order with him, then most likely a similar phenomenon occurs due to stagnation of the liquid. In this case, stretching your arms would be a great idea.
As a warm-up of fingers, you can work with them on the keyboard, bend and unbend them, or do household chores. Any finger movements will be helpful and help relieve swelling.
If there is not enough time to perform the warm-up, you can consider the option of walking in the fresh air. Just 15-20 minutes on the street at a fast pace will help stimulate blood circulation and accelerate the blood circulation in the body. When walking, you need to actively gesticulate with your hands, move them to the beat of your legs.
In people suffering from obesity, edema appears more often than in others. This is due to the fact that their lymphatic system functions much worse due to excess weight. In such a situation, one may not ask once again why the fingers swell on the right hand or on the left. You need to understand that obesity is often accompanied by more serious consequences.
In order not to suffer from edema, more time should be devoted to physical activity. It will also be useful to review the diet and include more fruits, herbs, vegetables, proteins and clean water. You need to drink it as much as possible in order to accelerate the outflow of lymph. If you adhere to these recommendations, the question of why the fingers and toes swell, you will not be disturbed. However, any actions are best negotiated with the doctor.
Raise your hands up
This simple, but very useful tip will help get rid of edema with poor blood circulation or stagnation in the hands. When the arms are raised up, the accumulated blood will begin to flow back. If your fingers are very swollen, raise your hands for at least 30 minutes. All this time they should be above the level of the heart. The procedure can be repeated up to 4 times a day. During sleep, it is also recommended to raise your hands with the help of pillows.
If your fingers are only slightly swollen, but nevertheless bring discomfort, you can lift them above your head, bring your fingers into the lock and move them behind your head. Then you should tilt your head back and put a little pressure on her hands. It is enough to stay in this position for 1 minute, and then disengage the hands and shake them properly. The process must be repeated several times a day.
Massage for swelling
The reason why the fingers are numb and swollen can be poor circulation. In this case, massage will be very effective. However, it must be done according to a special scheme, so as not to worsen the condition of the hands. Swollen finger skin should be massaged only in the direction of the heart area. The movements should be quite intense and confident. Massage will help stimulate muscle tissue and blood circulation in the fingers, which will help pump out excess fluid.
You can also go for a massage to a specialist. He will not be able to determine the exact reason why fingers on his hands swell and hurt, but he will make a quality massage of his hands and feet, which also swell very often. If there is no opportunity to make an appointment with a masseur, you need to learn how to do this procedure yourself. Fortunately, there is nothing complicated in it. Finger massage is done as follows:
- Using the thumb and forefinger of one hand, hold the other.
- Then they should walk along the arm starting from the base of the palm and completing the massage at the tip of the finger.
- Thus, you need to process each finger.
After completing the massage, you need to change hands and do the same. At night, you can wear compression gloves that exert moderate pressure on the hands and phalanges, which prevents excess fluid from accumulating.
Such simple but effective techniques will help eliminate an unpleasant phenomenon in the form of swollen fingers and hands. However, if the problem begins to bother regularly, it is necessary to seek medical help, since edema can be only the first symptom of any serious illness. First of all, you need to go to a consultation with a therapist. The specialist will evaluate the general condition of the body, and also prescribe tests that will determine the exact cause of edema.