What Causes Swollen Fingers?

Most people know that eating a diet high in sodium (salt) can cause you to retain water. When your tissues retain extra water, they swell to accommodate the extra fluid. This results in symptoms like swollen fingers, hands, legs, feet, and toes. Other areas of the body can also be affected, most commonly, the face. 

This is one of the main reasons for following a diet low in sodium (aside from cardiovascular and kidney problems with a high-salt diet). When you lower your sodium intake, water retention will generally subside. You can help this process along by elevating your limbs when at rest.

One of the more common causes of swollen fingers are minor injuries. Any injury will trigger an inflammatory (immune) response in the body. This is the body’s first line of defense and also begins the healing process. Inflammation is signaled by having swelling, pain, redness, and warmth.

You don’t need a severe injury to cause finger swelling. Even mild bumps or scrapes can produce a robust inflammatory response. Other symptoms may include:

• Tenderness
• Pain upon joint movement
• Bruising
• Tingling or numbness
• An obvious break in the skin

Most minor finger injuries can be treated at home. If you feel your injury is more severe, or if your finger is visibly deformed or bleeds uncontrollably, you might need immediate medical attention.

Fluid retention (also called water retention or edema), is a common reason for having swollen fingers. There can be many causes of fluid retention. They range from simple reasons (like your diet - see above) to more concerning health conditions.

Your body is essentially composed of innumerable compartments. Each one holds a certain amount of water. The amount of water in each compartment is normally consistent with other, nearby compartments. This “fluid balance” is key to maintaining the cellular machinery which is responsible for your body’s health.

However, some water compartments can fall out of balance. They can hold unusually more (or less) water than normal. This is what causes swollen tissues, especially noticeable in the limbs, feet, and hands. That’s why patients who present with fluid retention say they feel “bloating”, “thickness” or “puffiness”. 

The treatment for fluid retention usually requires addressing the cause of the swelling. For example, a swollen fingertip is not likely caused by fluid retention, but by trauma like a cut, crush or burn. But a swollen finger or fingers (and perhaps your entire hand) usually signals a different underlying condition causing fluid imbalance. It could be minor, or as serious as congestive heart failure. Always discuss swollen fingers and hands with your doctor to determine the root cause.

The body also produces an inflammatory response to an infection. Depending on how severe the infection is, you may see a variety of symptoms, including red or swollen fingers. A swollen fingertip is the common sign of an infection at the tip of the finger’s skin or fingernail.

Also, you can have an infection on your arm or hand which results in swelling in your fingers. This swelling may be accompanied by a wound that doesn’t heal, as well as pain or tenderness along your arm. A more severe finger infection may lead to fever, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, and enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit. These symptoms usually require medical attention.

Arthritis is a very common disorder which includes over 100 different types of the disease. Most arthritis is the result of misdirected inflammation. 

The type of arthritis most commonly associated with joint inflammation is called rheumatoid arthritis or RA. It’s actually an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s own joints.

The joints most often affected by RA are the hands and fingers. In fact, swollen fingers and joints are a hallmark sign of rheumatoid arthritis. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:  

• Pain at the joint
• Warmth at the joint
• Hand weakness (loss of grip strength)
• Grinding feeling in the joint
• Redness
• Cysts beneath the skin
• Limited mobility and range of motion
• Skin redness
• Loss of appetite
• Chronic fatigue
• Fever

Arthritis treatments are varied and tailored to the patient's needs. Most focus on reducing the inflammation. This can be achieved with anti-inflammatory medications, rest, splints, and physical therapy. Eating a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods (like the Mediterranean diet) can also be helpful in keeping inflammation down. In addition, corticosteroids or other biologic medications can be effective.

Many women experience swollen fingers, hands, and/or feet at some time in their life. These are mainly due to changes in hormonal distribution (balance) throughout the body. 

An imbalance in hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, can cause a fluid imbalance, especially during menstruation and pregnancy. The result of this fluid imbalance can manifest as various symptoms such as swelling, bloating, and mood changes.

Swelling in the fingers and hands are common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). They are also common issues during pregnancy. Other PMS symptoms can include:

• Irritability and mood swings

• Anxiety

• Trouble sleeping

• Bloating

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Backache or headache

• Breast tenderness

• Forgetfulness or trouble concentrating

There are many options to treat PMS. The more common ones involve using over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for pain and tenderness. A balanced diet, regular exercise, yoga, and meditation are also useful tools to help treat PMS symptoms.

When fluid accumulates under the skin, it is called angioedema. By far, the most common cause of angioedema is an allergic reaction. Sometimes the angioedema is accompanied by rashes or hives.

Angioedema most commonly appears on the head, face or neck. However, it can cause swollen fingers or swelling in the lower limbs. It can also produce swelling in a small or wide area. The swelling is usually accompanied by a red rash. 

The best treatment for angioedema is oral steroids. You should also avoid whatever triggered the allergic reaction to prevent a future outbreak.

If you experience swollen fingers in the morning it may be due to the way you sleep. This is more common if you have another condition (like arthritis) which is worsened by a particular sleeping position.

Having occasional swollen fingers when you wake up is not usually a problem. But if it’s a frequent occurrence, you may need to adjust your sleeping position. Certain positions can minimize swollen fingers (morning swelling in particular):

• Lie on your back and use a pillow under your arm. This elevates your hand and decreases fluid pooling. 
• Lie on your side with a pillow in front of you. This also elevates your upper arm and hand to decrease fluid pooling.

Some people experience swollen fingers after increasing their body heat. Excess body heat is called hyperthermia. It can occur while exerting yourself when outside in hot weather. This form of swelling is called heat edema.

Symptoms of heat edema are swollen fingers, hands, feet and toes. Like fluid imbalance, it usually indicates a loss of electrolytes. However, in some people, frequent bouts of heat edema may indicate another more serious and fundamental disorder.

Preventing or reducing heat edema is relatively easy. First, hydrate before being exposed to heat. Then keep cooling yourself down, especially immediately after heat exposure.

When we exercise with great vigor, as with cardio training, your heart is pumping blood at a maximal level. The body requires more blood to the lungs, heart, and muscles. This means the body diverts blood from the hands and feet. As blood is diverted away, it triggers an inflammatory response. This, in turn, can lead to swollen fingers and hands.

If you have swollen fingers following an intense workout it’s usually no cause for alarm. A few minutes of relaxation should normalize your body and reduce the swelling. You can help reduce this problem if you hydrate yourself before exercising. 

Gout is a type of arthritis (see above). But it deserves its own discussion in causing swollen fingers. Gout occurs as a result of decreased kidney function. This then increases uric acid levels in the blood. When high levels of uric acid are produced, they can crystalize and come out of solution in the blood. Uric acid crystals tend to accumulate in the joints, like tiny shards of broken glass, triggering inflammation and symptoms of gout.

Gout most commonly affects the feet. However, it has been known to cause finger swelling and pain, particularly swollen finger joints. Other symptoms of a gout can include:

• Extreme pain, usually in a joint
• Hard nodule or lump at the joint
• A warm or red joint

When treated early, gout can be prevented from spreading to other joints. Prescription drugs can help lessen the pain and also decrease systemic uric acid levels. Non-medicinal approaches also work well in some patients to reduce the severity and frequency of gout attacks. These include a daily regimen of apple cider vinegar, weight loss, and decreased alcohol consumption.

During pregnancy, some women suffer from a condition known as preeclampsia (also known as toxemia). And it’s another potential cause of swollen fingers. Preeclampsia usually occurs during late pregnancy. Sometimes it presents with no symptoms at all. But usually symptoms include: 

• High blood pressure
• Protein in the urine (causing frothy urine)
• Abnormally swollen face or hands
• Frequent and persistent headaches
• Changes in vision
• Abdominal pain
• Weight gain

Treating preeclampsia early can insure a safe pregnancy and normal delivery. Doctors usually treat preeclampsia with medications and regular monitoring. Some more severe cases may require an early induced delivery.

The lymphatic system is a network of channels running throughout the body. They serve to drain excess fluid from the various tissue compartments. When they become blocked, they cause a type of fluid retention called lymphedema. This occurs when lymph nodes do not allow fluid to pass through them. Therefore, fluids build up in the limbs.

Symptoms of lymphedema are usually swollen fingers, hands, feet, and toes. Other symptoms of lymphedema include:

• Skin discoloration
• Blisters and fluid drainage
• Other skin changes

There are several ways you can treat lymphedema. The first-line treatment is usually compression therapy, exercises, and a therapy known as “lymphatic drainage massage”. In extreme but rare instances, severe lymphedema may require surgery.

The word scleroderma comes from Greek terms meaning “hard skin”. And this is literally the most common symptom of the disorder. Systemic scleroderma is actually an autoimmune condition where your body attacks normal healthy skin and other connective tissues and organs. 

One of the initial symptoms of scleroderma is swollen fingers and hands. Many patients complain of swollen fingers in the morning, immediately after waking up. Other symptoms of scleroderma can include:

• Patches of shiny, thick skin
• Joint pain
• Hair loss
• Shortness of breath
• Gastrointestinal problems

Treatment for swollen fingers and hands due to scleroderma are two-fold. First, a routine of hand and finger exercises is usually recommended. Combining exercises with a regimen of anti-inflammatory medications will help ease more advanced cases of the disease.

The chronic condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome is actually a type of neurological disorder called a neuropathy. It affects the median nerve which runs from your arm into your hand. 

At the wrist joint, the median nerve can become compressed and crushed by swollen flexor tendons. The compression causes a neuropathy, resulting in symptoms in the palm and first 4 fingers. The most common symptoms are:

• Numbness
• Pain
• Tingling (pins and needles)
• Burning
• Shooting electric shocks
• Hand weakness

Swollen fingers can be a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome, although it's usually not a primary symptom. 

Note that having a "swollen feeling" is different. Patients with carpal tunnel often complain of a swollen or puffy feeling, even though their fingers appear visibly normal. 

Treating carpal tunnel syndrome when it first begins is usually successful using rest, pain medicines, night braces, and daily stretching exercises. Also, avoid the harmful hand or finger activities which may have strained your tissues to begin with.

More advanced or “severe” stages of the disorder require daily myofascial release massage. If this fails to provide relief, then carpal tunnel release surgery may be necessary.

Tendonitis or tenosynovitis are tendinopathies which occur when a tendon or group of tendons are inflamed. The inflammation usually is due to overexertion of a joint, such as those in the fingers and wrist. 

The most common symptoms of tendonitis are pain on the tendon itself when touched. You can test this by rubbing the tendon (the ropy structure under the skin). Pain also occurs when the joint is working, but not at rest. 

Occasionally tendonitis produces swelling. Tendonitis of the flexor tendons running into the hand and fingers may result in tender and swollen fingers.

The three types of tendonitis which may produce finger swelling are:

• Trigger finger
• Trigger thumb
• de Quervain’s tenosynovitis

If you experience tendonitis after exertion, then you should reduce swelling using ice or cold packs. This reduces blood flow to the area and reduces pain. After an initial period of cold therapy, heat therapy works best to begin the healing process and restore the tendon's health. You should also avoid the stressful activity which caused the tendonitis in the first place.

Every joint is surrounded by a protective, fluid-filled sack called a bursa. Bursitis is when that sac becomes inflamed. Therefore, bursitis is considered an inflammatory condition. 

Bursitis usually affects larger joints such as those of the arms, hip, and leg. More rarely it can affect the extremities, causing swollen fingers (particularly swollen finger joints) and toes.

Other bursitis symptoms can include:

• Joint pain
• Joint redness
• A thickened bursa

Treatments for bursitis focus on reducing the inflammation and pain associated with it. Most patients can achieve relief using “RICE”. This means Rest, Ice, Cold compress, Elevation. Surgery to drain the bursa is rarely required.

The disorder known as sickle cell disease or sickle cell anemia is a rare genetic condition. It occurs in about 1 of every 365 African-American births.

The disease causes red blood cells to change shape (into a “sickle”). This adversely affects how the red blood cell functions. In particular, it makes it difficult for the cell to easily circulate throughout the body.

One of the first signs of sickle cell disease is swollen fingers, hands, and feet. Other symptoms may include:

• Anemia
• Episodes of extreme pain (called a pain crises)
• Frequent infections
• Vision problems
• Delayed growth or puberty

Various types of treatments are required for sickle cell disease. And treatment depends largely on the severity and stage of the disorder. In most cases, increased fluid intake can help reduce swelling in the fingers, hands, and feet.

Dr. Maik Zannakis (Dr. Z) 

Medical Director at the CarpalRx

Dr. Z is an acclaimed medical scientist renowned for his expertise in carpal tunnel syndrome and soft tissue disorders. With over 40 years of experience, he is credited with hundreds of medical journal publications and hundreds more web articles about carpal tunnel syndrome. After inventing the CarpalRx, Dr. Z became the go-to expert for carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendonitis. His opinions, inventions, and personalized care have distinguished Dr. Z as a trusted leader in this growing field. Read full Bio

Click to learn more about Dr. Z

Email: dr.z@carplarx.com

Phone: 800-450-6118