What are the causes of finger swelling?

Finger swelling is usually harmless, but be careful that it is a sign of disease. So, do you know what causes finger swelling?

Causes of finger swelling

It's very hot. Heat will dilate blood vessels, so that the skin will get hot. When blood vessels dilate, some liquid will leak into soft tissues, leading to edema. If you continue to engage in daily activities with your hands, this swelling will gradually disappear.

2. The salt intake exceeds the standard. When the human body consumes too much salt, in order to keep the balance of water and electrolyte in the body, the human body needs to consume more water, which leads to swelling. The slight swelling caused by salty food will dissipate by itself within one day. If the swelling still exists after reducing the salt intake, you should see a doctor.

3. arthritis. If joint swelling prevents the ring from being worn, especially in the morning, then osteoarthritis may be the culprit. It is caused by the wear and tear of the buffer tissue at the end of the joint, often accompanied by symptoms such as pain and stiffness, and its incidence increases with age.

4. Carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition to swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome is often accompanied by pain, burning or tingling, finger numbness and other symptoms.

5. Lymphatic obstruction. Lymphedema is a disease characterized by swelling of limbs. This disease occurs when lymph can't carry waste and pathogens out of the body. The patient's fingers and toes may swell, in addition, the patient's arms and legs will swell, and the skin will feel tighter and thicker than usual. The disease is generally related to breast cancer surgery or radiotherapy, and in rare cases it may also be caused by abnormal growth of lymphatic system.

6. Raynaud's disease Raynaud's disease is a spasmodic disease of arterioles in limbs caused by vascular and neurological dysfunction. It usually happens when the weather is cold or the pressure increases and the blood circulation becomes worse. When the circulation is restored, it will swell and sting. Fingers or hands are blue or pale before swelling, which is a sign of Raynaud's disease.

7. Pregnancy complications. Swelling is a common manifestation of pregnant women, but it may also be a signal of preeclampsia. The latter is generally accompanied by elevated blood pressure, and pregnant women over 40 years old, pregnant with multiple births and obese are most likely to appear.

Why does the hand swell when running?

Your fingers will feel swollen when you run. Why is this? How to prevent it? Is this related to dehydration?

Swelling of fingers and hands during running is a common phenomenon, although it is sometimes mild. It is likely to happen more frequently when the temperature is high, but this is not a sign of dehydration. If it is really dehydrated, hand swelling probably won't happen. Runners are prone to hand swelling (one of the symptoms of hyponatremia) when they replenish too much water during 4-6 hours of running.

During exercise, the blood circulation is accelerated and the capillary network of the hand will expand. When the blood flow increases, there will be some fluid leakage between cells. We think that blood vessels are like soft rubber tubes in the garden, but in fact there can be leakage between blood cells, and this leakage will increase with the increase of blood circulation. This leakage is probably the cause of finger swelling.

The action of swinging arm increases the airflow above the skin during running, which may also be one of the reasons for the accumulation of liquid in the hands.

These fluids will eventually be reabsorbed by cells or cleared by the lymphatic system. This process will be carried out while you are running, but the cleaning speed is slower than the production speed. When you finish your exercise, these fluids will be reabsorbed by blood vessels or surrounding cells, or cleared by lymph.

If you find that the hotter the weather is, the more swollen your hands are, you may need to exercise for a long time in a cooler time of day. And when running, you need to take off the ring to avoid getting stuck when your hand is swollen.