Why swollen hands: causes, diagnosis and treatment

When a person’s hands are swollen, this can indicate serious diseases of internal organs such as the liver, heart, and kidneys. As soon as this symptom has been identified, you should immediately consult a doctor for qualified help. Swelling can occur at any time of the day, but most often it is morning. The fact is that the liquid that a person drinks during the day does not have time to leave the body and remains in the soft tissues, and also negatively affects the work of internal organs. In fact, there are many reasons why this symptom may appear, so each of them should be considered separately. After identifying the disease and diagnosing, a treatment is required that will help get rid of puffiness and, of course, improve the general condition and health of a sick person.

How to recognize swelling of the hands?

The main symptom of swelling of the hands is an increase in the size of the fingers. sometimes it is possible to notice such changes with the naked eye, it is enough just to compare your hand with the hand of another person. To check how swollen the hands are, you can lightly press a finger on the swollen tissue where the hand is located, and when the finger is removed, there will be a recess that will not pass quickly.

It also happens that edema occurs temporarily and passes quickly after sleep, without affecting human health, but even in this case, to rule out serious illness, you should consult your doctor. Everything is much more complicated if the swelling does not go away from morning to evening, as this indicates that the internal organs are not doing their job. If the work of internal organs is not carried out correctly, then the hands swell from morning to evening.

Causes of swelling of the hands

There are actually many reasons for swollen hands, but in any case, this indicates that there are problems with human health. If a person drinks plenty of fluids before going to bed, then in the morning he may have swelling of his hands. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. For example, if a person consumes a lot of salty food or alcohol, then this affects the work of internal organs. In this case, swelling may pass several hours after sleep. It happens that when the hands are swollen, the reason lies in the serious abnormalities that occur in the body. A “persistent symptom” of swollen hands indicates that a person has a serious illness or that an exacerbation of an illness that was identified earlier begins. Consider each cause of puffiness separately:

1. Often, swelling of the hands occurs in women in the position, especially when the third trimester occurs, and before childbirth. The fact is that the body of the future mother may be too weak, and even through a small wound various microbes and bacteria penetrate, which affect the upper layer of the skin. In addition to swelling of the hands, body temperature can rise and the head ache. In this case, puffiness is a dangerous symptom, so a woman should take care of her child’s health and herself.
2. Another reason why the hands swell is a bruise of the hand or its injury. In this case, the inflammatory process in the soft tissues is easily explained.
3. When the hands are swollen, the cause may be hiding in an allergy, which a person had not known about before. For example, often an allergic reaction occurs to various detergents. In this case, you should identify the irritant as soon as possible and eliminate it. If it is not possible not to use drugs that cause an allergic reaction, then you need to work with them in a respirator and in rubber gloves.
4. Swelling of the hands appears if a person has problems with blood circulation, for example, there is a blockage of blood vessels.
5. If the hand and fingers on the left are swollen, and the tumor does not go away for a long time, then you should consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination of such organs as the kidneys, liver and heart.
6. Changes in the shape of the fingers and hand may indicate a thyroid disease. In this case, it is worth contacting the endocrinologist and conducting an examination of the body.
7. Another most common factor that causes swelling of the hands is continuous work in a sitting position. The main recommendation, how to avoid edema in this case, will be a review of the mode of operation.
   
8. Edema occurs if a person works physically for a long time.

It is almost impossible to list all the causes of swelling of the hands, since there are many of them, and each person can have individual ones. In no case is it worth solving the problem yourself; it will be most correct to turn to a specialist for help.

Why do swollen hands in the morning?

If the hands are very swollen in the morning after sleep, then, most likely, the causes can be associated with a bruise or wound to the hand. In the case when the injury was received in the evening, then the result can only be seen in the morning. Also, a person who takes medications at night may notice swelling of the hands in the morning. Many medications have side effects, so before you take it, you should carefully read the instructions, and if swelling occurs, consult your doctor. A specialist can replace one medicine with another, similar.

When in the morning not only the fingers and hands, but also the eyelids swell, then most likely a person has serious liver problems. The fact is that damaged liver cells cope poorly with their functions in removing harmful toxins from the body, which results in swelling of soft tissues and skin cells. The cause of swelling in the morning can be a problem with the kidneys, then the swelling can be seen not only on the hands, but also under the eyes.

A person with a heart condition in the morning can see that his hands are swollen and reddened, but during the day the swelling in the upper limbs passes and moves to the lower. Often, swelling is accompanied by severe soreness, in which case it is worth consulting a doctor to exclude the possibility of developing rheumatism and arthritis. It is these diseases that are accompanied by severe swelling, which does not go away for a long time. Sometimes a person can be in this state for more than two months. Lung diseases can also be accompanied by swelling of the upper limbs, in parallel, lymph nodes in the armpits can still increase.

Other causes that are accompanied by swelling of the hands should not be ruled out, for example, it can be obesity, frequent stress, and chronic fatigue.

Why does swelling of the hands appear at night?

For the most part, the hands swell precisely at night. The fact is that while a person is sleeping, his body continues to work. During this period of time, excess fluid begins to accumulate in the soft tissues, in the morning it should be excreted naturally, but if this does not happen due to diseases in the internal organs, then edema appears. If the swelling does not go away in the morning after waking up within half an hour, then you need to go to the hospital, since, most likely, there are pathologies in the work of internal organs.

When swelling often occurs in the morning, it can be a consequence of a serious illness, so a person should definitely seek help from a qualified specialist.

What to do with severe swelling of the hands?

With any violations in the body, the fluid may not be properly excreted from the body, therefore it is recommended to know simple rules that will help get rid of it:

1. If the hands are swollen and sore, then initially it is worth removing all objects that squeeze the wrists. Such actions will help improve blood flow in the hand.
2. In the case when the fingers on the hands swell quite often, it is necessary to abandon the use of salty foods, alcoholic beverages and foods that may not be excreted from the body for a long time.
3. When the hands swell constantly, then in hot time it is necessary to limit the use of a large amount of liquid. Two hours before bedtime is also not worth drinking water.
4. A person’s menu should have more products such as kefir, watermelon, cottage cheese, cucumbers, viburnum and rowan juices.
5. Using simple physical exercises can significantly improve water metabolism and tone muscles. Every morning, a person should start with a small charge for ten minutes.
6. If your hands are swollen and sore, you can take a contrast shower. The fact is that a sharp change in temperature improves blood circulation.
7. Bathrooms that are taken with a small amount of salt are considered effective, but it is only important to remember that the temperature of the water should not be more than 37 degrees.

In no case should you self-medicate, as there is a risk of causing even greater harm to your health.

What is the treatment of puffiness?

Often, swelling of the hands makes it impossible to do their daily business, so it is important to establish the main cause of this phenomenon. It is not recommended to take any treatment actions on your own, therefore it will be most appropriate to consult a doctor. Before going to the doctor, you can slightly improve your condition. To do this, just do the following:

• First of all, you can organize contrast baths for the hands.
• If the joints of the hand are swollen , then painkillers such as Voltaren or Diclofenac can be applied.

• It is recommended to go in for sports, most preferably swimming, running and cycling.

It is important to remember that without medical treatment, the problem is unlikely to go away on its own.

Diagnosis and treatment methods

First of all, after the patient consults a doctor with a problem, he will prescribe a complete diagnosis of the whole organism. A prerequisite is the passing of a urine and blood test, if they are not normal, then the patient will be checked for allergies, a cardiogram and an ultrasound will be prescribed. As soon as the reason why the hands are swollen is identified, drug treatment will begin:

• To increase blood circulation, antibiotics, diuretics and antihistamines are prescribed by a doctor. Diuretics can perfectly remove puffiness due to the fact that they will remove all excess fluid from the body. Most often, experts prescribe Trifas, which can be used at any time, and the result of taking this drug can be seen in two days. Such a drug is prescribed even when the hands of a child swell, since it does not affect the loss of calcium and magnesium in the body.
• Antiallergenic drugs can be prescribed in the complex, of course, that they are used if there is a suspicion of an allergy.
• In the event that the disease arose as a result of an infection in the body, antibiotics cannot be dispensed with.

• The doctor may prescribe additional use of various ointments and gels, which will help get rid of edema and relieve the inflammatory process.
• If the child has a swollen hand due to bruising, it is best to apply bandaging. A damaged limb must be rewound with an elastic bandage. This method can be considered effective in the fight against problems of lymphatic drainage.
• Surgical intervention is rare as a treatment for puffiness. It is used only when other methods have proved to be ineffective.

In order not to bring the body to a deplorable state, it is recommended at the time to seek help from doctors who can not only eliminate the symptom, but also cure another, more serious disease.

Help traditional medicine

When the hands are swollen and the joints hurt, then some alternative treatment methods can be applied:

1. Instead of water, it is recommended to drink cucumber pickle, it is advisable to drink two glasses of this drink per day.
2. Pumpkin juice will be an excellent tool in the fight against swelling of the hands, only it should be fresh and sugar free.
3. It will help relieve swelling and pine decoction. To do this, pine buds are poured with a glass of water and insisted for a couple of hours. Then the broth can be drunk throughout the day in small portions.
4. Ointment for edema can be prepared at home by mixing milk and honey. In order for it to have a pleasant smell, you can add sage or lavender to it. It is necessary to apply the product on hands for 15 minutes, after which it can be washed off with warm water.

It is important to consider that alternative methods are considered only auxiliary to the main treatment and are more suitable in order to remove the symptom for a while, but not to cure the very source of the problem, so you need to contact a specialist.

What are the physiotherapy procedures for treatment?

Physiotherapy is an additional treatment for patients who have swollen hands. Procedures can be used only during the medical or surgical method of treatment. The main direction of such procedures is that they allow you to expand the vessels, accelerate and improve the outflow of lymphatic fluid. In the treatment of swelling of the hands, the following physiotherapy procedures are used:

1. Electrophoresis consists in the fact that drugs are introduced into the affected areas of tissues under the influence of an electric field. The method has many advantages. For example, medications may have a better therapeutic effect. But this method will not work if a person has diseased internal organs, since it acts locally.
2. Low-frequency magnetotherapy is carried out using magnetic waves and allows you to remove soreness and swelling. If the wrist of the right hand is swollen and the reason lies precisely in the lymph outflow, then the method will be simply irreplaceable. Also, magnetotherapy can be used for injuries of the upper limbs.
3. UHF-therapy allows to achieve anti-inflammatory effect, relax muscles and improve tissue nutrition.
4. SUF - irradiation is caused by ultraviolet waves, which have an average length. If a child’s hand swollen due to trauma, then this method can be indispensable, since it has a bactericidal effect.
   
5. Low-intensity SMV - therapy is used when there are problems with the thyroid gland or cervical osteochondrosis.

Physiotherapy can be carried out as an additional method of treatment to medication. After the doctor determines the cause of the swelling, he prescribes medications and procedures that will help eliminate the problem.

Surgery

Only a specialist can determine why the hands are swollen. After a complete diagnosis, it will not be difficult to identify serious diseases that are accompanied by this unpleasant symptom. It should be noted that surgical intervention is not the only method of getting rid of puffiness. Such measures can be applied only if doctors cannot find any other alternative. Surgical intervention is used to eliminate tumors that have formed on the internal organs, for example, it can be a cyst of the kidneys, liver, spine or lungs. The fact is that neoplasms can compress blood vessels, which negatively affects the work of all organs. For example, if the wrist of the left hand is swollen, then a person may have problems with the lungs and mediastinal organs. Surgical treatment may be needed in the following cases:

1. If there is a cardiac pathology, then you can not do without surgery. In diseases such as heart disease, heart attack and endocarditis, which cause blood stasis, exclusively surgical methods are used, with which you can restore normal heart function.
2. A decrease in the amount of protein in the blood, of course, indicates problems in the liver, kidneys and intestines. The doctor will be able to detect pathological processes in these organs and remove them using surgical intervention.
3. Paget-Schretter syndrome is also treated with surgery. Most often, thrombolytic therapy is used, which is carried out by injecting drugs into the vein through a special tube, which destructively affect the resulting thrombus.
4. Pancost cancer is only surgically treated. In this case, there is nothing left but to remove the tumor, which is located on the site of the lung and other tissues.
5. Upper vena cava syndrome is removed using an operation that removes the blockage of venous blood in this vein. Doctors directly remove a blood clot from a vein and bypass a venous trunk. The cause of this syndrome may be hidden in the external compression of the pathological formation. In this case, it is removed surgically.

Whatever the treatment, you need to take it seriously, as it is necessary in order to avoid further complications. Everyone should know if their hands are swollen, what to do and how to prevent such an unpleasant symptom in advance. There are certain preventive measures that you should get acquainted with in more detail:

1. First of all, monitor the amount of salt in the prepared dishes, it is best to eat slightly salted food.
2. It is advisable to get rid of bad habits and not to drink alcohol and tobacco.
3. Do not drink too much liquid at bedtime.
4. Review the diet, make sure that it is balanced and includes a large amount of vitamin.
5. It will be correct to engage in some kind of sport, which will lead an active lifestyle. If this is not possible, then morning exercises will be enough.
6. No matter how difficult the work is, one must be able to alternate both physical activity and relaxation. You need to allocate enough time to sleep.

Considering the fact that edema is just a symptom behind which more complex diseases may be hidden, self-medication in this case is absolutely excluded. At the first appearance of swelling in the area of ​​the hand, you should seek the help of a therapist who will diagnose, determine the disease and, of course, prescribe an effective treatment.