What causes throbbing pain and swelling in fingertips. How to treat swollen, painful fingers at home. When should you see a doctor for finger pain and swelling. What medical treatments are available for swollen fingertips.

Common Causes of Swollen and Painful Fingertips

Swelling in the fingertips can occur due to various reasons, ranging from minor injuries to more serious medical conditions. Understanding the underlying causes is crucial for proper treatment and management. Here are some of the most common reasons for swollen and painful fingertips:

Infections

One of the primary causes of fingertip swelling is infection. A specific type of infection that affects the fingertip is called a felon. This condition involves the pulp or pad of the fingertip, causing small compartments under the skin to fill with pus. Felons are typically very painful and cause a throbbing sensation. They most commonly affect the thumb and index finger and often occur after a puncture wound.

Dactylitis

Dactylitis is a severe inflammation of the toe and finger joints. It causes swelling, pain, and difficulty in moving the fingers. The most common cause of dactylitis is psoriatic arthritis, with up to half of people with this condition developing it. Other causes include:

• Other types of arthritis
• Gout
• Tuberculosis
• Sickle cell anemia
• Sarcoidosis

Trauma or Injury

Injuries to the fingertip can lead to swelling. In fact, fingertip injuries are the most common type of hand injuries seen in emergency rooms. These can include fractures, crush injuries, bruising under the nail bed, or the fingernail tearing away from the nail bed.

Pregnancy-Related Swelling

Swelling throughout the body, including the hands and fingers, is common during pregnancy. This swelling, known as edema, is caused by fluid buildup. While usually harmless, sudden hand swelling during pregnancy can be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious form of high blood pressure that requires immediate medical attention.

Autoimmune Diseases and Their Impact on Fingertip Swelling

Autoimmune diseases can significantly contribute to fingertip swelling. These conditions occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, leading to various symptoms, including inflammation and swelling in different parts of the body.

Lupus and Fingertip Swelling

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation throughout the body, including the fingers. In some cases, this can lead to swollen fingertips. The swelling may be accompanied by other symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, and skin rashes.

Arthritis and Its Effects on Fingers

Arthritis is the autoimmune disease that most commonly causes fingertip swelling. Two types of arthritis that frequently affect the fingers are:

1. Psoriatic arthritis
2. Rheumatoid arthritis

These conditions cause joints to swell and stiffen, leading to pain, warmth, and redness in the affected areas. Arthritis often starts in small joints, such as those in the fingers and toes, before progressing to larger joints.

Gout: A Common Cause of Finger Pain and Swelling

Gout is a chronic disease characterized by the buildup of uric acid in the body. This excess uric acid forms crystals in the joints, causing intense pain and swelling. While gout typically affects the big toe, it can also impact other joints, including those in the fingers.

What Causes Gout?

Gout is caused by the accumulation of uric acid, which comes from the breakdown of purines. Purines are found in certain foods, including:

• Liver
• Dried beans and peas
• Anchovies

Who Is at Risk for Gout?

Certain factors can increase a person’s risk of developing gout:

• Being male
• Being overweight
• Having a family history of gout
• Consuming a diet high in purine-rich foods

Cancer and Its Rare Connection to Fingertip Swelling

While uncommon, cancer can sometimes cause fingertip swelling. This typically occurs when cancer metastasizes to the bones in the hand. In these rare cases, the tumor can lead to swelling in the fingertips.

Types of Cancer Associated with Hand Metastasis

The most common types of cancer that can metastasize to hand bones are:

1. Lung cancer
2. Kidney cancer
3. Breast cancer

In approximately 16 percent of cases, a hand tumor may be the first sign of cancer. Unfortunately, this usually indicates a poor prognosis.

Treatment Options for Swollen Fingertips

The treatment for swollen fingertips depends on the underlying cause. In some cases, medical intervention is necessary, while in others, home remedies may suffice.

Medical Treatments

Several medical treatments can be used to address swollen fingertips:

• Steroids: These can be used to treat swelling caused by autoimmune disorders. They suppress the immune system and prevent the body from attacking itself. Steroids can also be effective in treating gout.
• NSAIDs: Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, can help reduce swelling and alleviate pain.
• Antibiotics: For infections like felons, antibiotics may be prescribed to clear the infection.
• Drainage: In cases of severe felons with significant pus buildup, a doctor may need to drain the affected area.
• Cancer treatments: For swelling caused by cancer, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may be necessary, depending on the type and stage of cancer.
• Fracture treatment: If the swelling is due to a finger fracture, a splint may be required, and in some cases, surgery might be necessary.

Home Remedies

For less severe cases of fingertip swelling, home remedies can be effective:

• Lifestyle changes: For pregnancy-related swelling, reducing salt intake can help ease symptoms.
• Elevation: Keeping the affected hand elevated can help reduce swelling.
• Ice therapy: Applying ice to the swollen fingertip can help reduce inflammation and pain.
• Compression: Gently wrapping the affected finger can help reduce swelling.
• Rest: Avoiding activities that strain the affected finger can aid in healing.

When to Seek Medical Help for Swollen Fingertips

While many cases of swollen fingertips can be managed at home, there are situations where medical attention is necessary. It’s important to recognize the signs that indicate a need for professional care.

Signs That Require Immediate Medical Attention

Seek medical help immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Severe pain that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter pain relievers
• Signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, or pus
• Fever accompanying the swelling
• Difficulty moving the affected finger
• Sudden swelling during pregnancy, which could indicate preeclampsia
• Swelling that persists for an extended period without improvement

Diagnostic Procedures

When you seek medical help for swollen fingertips, your healthcare provider may perform various diagnostic procedures to determine the underlying cause:

1. Physical examination
2. Blood tests to check for infections or autoimmune disorders
3. X-rays to assess for fractures or other bone abnormalities
4. Ultrasound or MRI for a more detailed view of soft tissues
5. Joint fluid analysis to check for gout or infection

Prevention Strategies for Fingertip Swelling

While not all causes of fingertip swelling can be prevented, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:

Lifestyle Modifications

• Maintain a healthy diet low in purines to reduce the risk of gout
• Stay hydrated to help flush toxins from your body
• Exercise regularly to improve circulation and joint health
• Practice good hand hygiene to prevent infections
• Use protective gear when engaging in activities that could lead to hand injuries

Managing Underlying Conditions

If you have an underlying condition that contributes to fingertip swelling, such as arthritis or an autoimmune disease, proper management is crucial:

• Follow your treatment plan as prescribed by your healthcare provider
• Take medications as directed
• Attend regular check-ups to monitor your condition
• Engage in recommended physical therapy or exercises
• Manage stress, which can exacerbate some conditions

By understanding the causes of fingertip swelling and taking appropriate preventive measures, you can reduce your risk of experiencing this uncomfortable condition. Remember, if you have persistent or concerning symptoms, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Causes, Treatment, When to Seek Help

Overview

Swelling happens when part of your body — such as the organs, skin, or muscle — enlarges. It usually happens because of inflammation or fluid buildup in the body part.

Swelling can be internal or affect outer skin and muscles. It can occur throughout the body or be localized in one specific part.

It’s possible for fingertips to swell up. It can be caused by a variety of conditions. In some cases, you can treat this at home, while others require medical attention.

Fingertip swelling has many causes. It can be a sign of a more serious issue, or harmless and temporary.

Infection

In general, infections are a common cause of swelling. An infection in your fingertip is also called a felon. This type of infection affects the pulp, or pad, of your fingertip and causes the small compartments that make up the pulp under your skin to fill with pus.

Felons are usually very painful and throbbing. They most commonly affect the thumb and index finger, and often happen after a puncture wound.

Dactylitis

Dactylitis is a type of severe toe and finger joint inflammation. Dactylitis causes swelling and pain, and makes it hard to move your fingers.

The most common cause of dactylitis is psoriatic arthritis. Up to half of people with psoriatic arthritis develop it. Other causes include:

• other types of arthritis
• gout
• tuberculosis
• sickle cell anemia
• sarcoidosis

Trauma or injury

Injuries or trauma to your fingertip can cause swelling. Fingertip injuries are the most common type of hand injuries seen in emergency rooms.

Common fingertip injuries include fractures and crush injuries. They may also cause bruising under the nail bed or cause your fingernail to tear away from the nail bed.

Pregnancy

Swelling throughout the body, including the hands and fingers, is common during pregnancy. This swelling, called edema, is caused by a buildup of fluid. The fluid helps your body expand and soften to support fetal growth and helps prepare your joints and tissues for delivery.

While swelling during pregnancy is usually harmless, sudden hand swelling can be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious form of high blood pressure. Preeclampsia requires medical attention as soon as possible.

Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, can cause fingertip swelling. The autoimmune disease that most commonly causes fingertip swelling is arthritis, including psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis causes joints to swell and stiffen. It also causes pain, warmth, and redness in the joints. It often starts in small joints, such as those in the fingers and toes.

Gout

Gout is a chronic disease that causes uric acid to build up in the body. The uric acid forms crystals in your joints, which can be very painful. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines, which are found in certain foods, like liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies.

Symptoms usually start in the big toe but can affect any joint. Attacks may be brief at first but then start to last longer and happen more often if not treated properly.

Gout is more common in men, people who are overweight, people with a family history of gout, and people who eat a lot of food heavy in purines.

Cancer

Cancer of any type can metastasize to bone. In rare cases, it can metastasize to hand bones. In these cases, the tumor can cause fingertip swelling. Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer to metastasize to hand bones, then kidney cancer, and breast cancer.

In about 16 percent of cases, the hand tumor will be the first sign of cancer. This usually indicates a poor prognosis.

Treatment for a swollen fingertip depends on the cause. Sometimes, medical treatment might be necessary. In other cases, you can treat your swollen fingertip at home.

Medical treatment

• Steroids can be used to treat swelling caused by autoimmune disorders. They suppress the immune system and stop your body from attacking itself. Steroids can also be used to treat gout.
• Over-the-counter non-steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, can be used to treat fingertip swelling.
• If you have a felon that has a lot of pus or doesn’t respond to antibiotics, you may need to have it drained by a doctor.
• Felons may require antibiotics to clear the infection.
• Cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, depends on the type and stage of cancer you have.
• Some trauma or injuries require medical attention. For example, if you have a finger fracture, that will most likely require a splint, but on occasion will require surgery.

Home remedies

Not all swollen fingertips need medical treatment. For example, swelling from pregnancy reduces after you give birth. But you can help relieve symptoms with at-home remedies.

• Lifestyle changes, such as eating food with less salt, can help ease swelling caused by pregnancy. Eating foods with fewer purines can help ease gout symptoms.
• Epsom salt can help reduce pain and swelling. Soak your swollen fingertip for 15 to 20 minutes in warm or cool water mixed with Epsom salt.
• If you have an autoimmune condition, eating anti-inflammatory foods can help reduce swelling. Fish, leafy greens, green tea, and dark chocolate are all great choices. You can also use spices like turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper, and garlic.
• Tea tree oil can help reduce swelling. You can mix it with a carrier oil or a moisturizer and apply it to the infected area. Tea tree oil may also help reduce infection, but it should not be used in place of antibiotics for moderate or severe infections.

Many cases of swollen fingertips can be treated at home. However, it can be a sign of a more serious problem. You should see a doctor if:

• swelling lasts more than three days or happens more than three times a month
• swelling is due to trauma or may be broken
• swelling is very painful
• home remedies don’t help reduce your swelling
• you’re pregnant and your hand suddenly becomes swollen
• there is pus alongside the swelling
• fingertip swelled after a puncture wound

15 Causes, Types, Diagnosis & Treatment

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Finger pain is a common condition. It’s usually caused by a hand injury such as a broken finger, a cut, or a broken fingernail. It may also indicate an underlying medical conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Finger pain is a throbbing, cramplike, or achy pain that’s felt in any of your fingers, including your thumb. It often results from an accident or a medical condition.

In most cases, finger pain isn’t serious and will go away on its own. However, unexplained finger pain can be a sign of a more serious medical condition.

Be sure to visit your doctor if you experience ongoing or unexplained pain in your fingers.

The most common cause of finger pain is a hand injury. Injuries to the finger can cause an open cut, a bruised or fractured bone, or muscle and tissue damage.

Common injuries that result in finger pain are:

• broken fingers, which are often caused by jamming the finger during contact sports or while improperly handling heavy-duty equipment
• cuts
• broken fingernails

Medical conditions that affect the nerves, muscles, or bones can also cause finger pain.

For example, osteoarthritis (OA) causes the breakdown of cartilage. This breakdown causes bones to rub together and triggers pain and stiffness. In the hands, OA can affect the joints at the base of the thumb, in the middle of the finger, and near the nail bed.

Other conditions that can cause finger pain include:

• rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• osteoporosis
• muscular dystrophy
• multiple sclerosis (MS)
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• systemic sclerosis, a rare autoimmune disorder
• Raynaud’s phenomenon, a disorder that effects blood vessels
• boils
• nodules
• cysts
• tumors

A compressed or pinched nerve in the arm, wrist, or hand can also contribute to finger or thumb pain.

Finger pain may feel dull and achy, or it may be sharp and cramplike. The pain may start suddenly and then go away.

Pain accompanied by swelling

If you have a broken finger, it’ll usually be swollen, purple or blue in color, and extremely painful. In some cases, the bone might be physically separated and visible through the skin.

Throbbing pain or pain when moving

Carpal tunnel syndrome and other medical conditions that affect the nerves and muscles in your arm and hand can cause:

• throbbing pain in the hand and fingers
• pain when moving the affected fingers or when moving your wrist
• difficulty typing or writing
• hand tremors

Sharp shooting pain

A finger dislocation occurs when the bones of your finger or thumb dislocate from their joints. In some cases, the dislocation is visible.

You may also experience throbbing pain or a sharp shooting pain.

Pain at the site of injury

A cut on your finger may cause pain at the site of the injury. Depending on how deep the cut is, you may also feel pain that spreads or radiates to surrounding areas of your hand.

Pain accompanied by lumps

If you have a growth on your hand, such as a boil or nodule, you may experience the following symptoms along with your finger pain:

• a fluid-filled lump
• a hardened area of skin
• a movable lump under the surface of the skin
• a lump that’s tender to the touch

If you have a cut or growth on your finger, your doctor may be able to diagnose the condition based on a physical examination alone. If you have pain when using your fingers and there’s no obvious cause, more information will be needed.

Your doctor will ask questions about your medical history, medications you take, and your occupation. Using this information, your doctor can decide which tests are necessary for a proper diagnosis.

Common tests for diagnosing finger pain include blood tests and imaging tests, such as X-rays.

An X-ray can show any fractures and abnormal growths within the finger. If an X-ray isn’t enough to determine a diagnosis, your doctor may order additional imaging tests or a nerve study. A nerve study looks for nerve damage or nerve dysfunction.

If you need help finding a primary care doctor, then check out our FindCare tool here.

Finger pain caused by cuts, scrapes, or burns will often heal without treatment. You simply need to give the area time to heal. You can take over-the-counter pain medications to help ease your discomfort.

Throbbing pain in the toe turned out to be a symptom of a tumor in the kidney

• News

A 62-year-old man went to the doctors for five years – doctors checked him for injury and sent him home. And when it turned out that it was a tumor, the man had no more than four days to live.

June 16, 2022

Source:

iStockphoto

They say that Western medicine is very advanced. But in fact, the primary diagnosis there is as problematic as elsewhere. 62-year-old Richard Bernstein suffered pain in his toe for five years. But the doctors only shrugged their shoulders – since there was no fracture, then there was nothing to talk about.

The alarm was sounded only when the whole foot began to hurt up to the ankle, the leg was swollen. The man was sent for a scan, during which they found a tumor in the kidney – it grew to 30 centimeters and weighed more than a kilogram. The forecast was not just gloomy, it sounded like a sentence: Richard had a maximum of four days to live.

Read also

The situation was complicated by the fact that the tumor created a thrombus in the inferior vena cava. An emergency operation was needed to save Richard’s life. He was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, where surgeons spent 12 hours doing bypass surgery and removing the tumor.

“The patient came to us, being on the verge of life and death, without even suspecting that the situation was so serious. Kidney cancer rarely manifests itself at an early stage, because the kidneys do not hurt. But there are still some warning signs – blood in the urine, pain in the side or lower back, swelling of the limbs, ”Michael Grasso, the urologist who diagnosed Richard Bernstein, was quoted by the Daily Mail.

Pain in the toes, he also called one of the most striking symptoms of kidney cancer – this happens if the outflow of fluid is difficult due to blockage of blood vessels.

See also

To operate on Bernstein, his body was first cooled to 18 degrees to slow down blood flow. Then they did a bypass, removed a 30 cm long clot, and then the tumor was removed, unfortunately, along with the kidney. The operation was successful – now Richard is in remission, for three months nothing has hurt him – even his fingers.

“If my leg didn’t swell up, I’d be dead by now,” Bershtein says.

Doctors still don’t know exactly what causes kidney cancer. They only say that there are factors that increase the risk of developing this type of tumor:

When removing a tumor, it is usually necessary to remove part of the kidney or even the entire organ. Fortunately, this practically does not affect the quality of human life – you can live quite comfortably with one kidney. Tatiana Evseeva wear glasses: an ophthalmologist explained why you need to check your eyesight after 40 years0007

Cardiologist Gagloshvili told how to check the stiffness of his blood vessels at home

Geneticist about late childbirth: “After 44 years, 90% of eggs have chromosomal abnormalities”

Acute pain in the big toe

Author : Ilya Illarionovich Grachev
Editor : Larisa Vladimirovna Demidovich

Publication date: 05/13/2014
Update date: 11/24/2020
All doctors of the clinic

Contents

• Causes of pain in the big toe
• Methods of treatment
• Thumb pain treatment in clinic

Sometimes, we ignore a serious problem, naively believing that the toes are not so important parts of the body. The toes perform important functions in maintaining balance while moving, and ignoring alarm signals always leads to a worsening of the situation. Remember, thumb pain is not normal, and if you do not see a doctor in time, then from a little discomfort this problem can develop into a serious obstacle to a normal life.

Restriction of movement, discomfort, impaired gait – these are just some of the possible consequences that can manifest themselves if the problem is ignored. If you do not engage in treatment, then discomfort can be replaced by acute pain – a clear sign that medical intervention is needed immediately.

Causes of pain in the big toe

Considering the main causes of pain in the big toe, it should be noted that they can be of a very different nature. But it is with the establishment of the source of the disease that any treatment begins, and so, among the most common prerequisites for the development of the disease, there are:

• Miscellaneous finger injuries, severe bruises, calluses, ingrown nails
• Tendinitis and bursitis
• Gout – caused by inflammation, the pain may be sharp and worse in the evening or at night
• Arthritis and arthrosis – joint problems may not show up for a long time, and ultimately, if left untreated, the joint may become deformed

Methods of treatment

In our clinic, the treatment of pain in the big toe begins with the diagnosis. The doctor determines the source of the problem and assesses the extent of the damage. Depending on the results of the diagnosis, as well as on the general condition of the patient, the doctor prescribes treatment. Our clinic practices the following effective ways to get rid of the disease:

• Pharmacopuncture. The combination of homeopathic medicines with effects on special points of the body allows you to achieve amazing results, both in relieving pain and in the process of restoring damaged tissues.
• Reflexology. A special form of massage, with the help of which the clinic’s specialists act on the active points of the body, which achieves a sedative, relaxing and restorative effect.
• Acupuncture. Thanks to the experienced hands of our specialists and the effectiveness of this proven oriental technique, the pain that bothers patients goes away after the first sessions. This method allows not only to relieve pain, but also to improve blood circulation, start recovery processes in the body.
• Vacuum therapy is an absolutely painless and safe method, which is based on the properties of vacuum to have a lymphatic drainage, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

Treatment of pain in the big toe in the Paramita clinic

Strong painkillers injure the human body, causing him considerable harm, while the methods practiced in our clinic allow treating pain in the big toe in a safe and time-tested way. Our goal is to help you not only get rid of symptoms and resolve temporary problems, but also to minimize the risk of relapse.

Our clinic practices an individual approach to each patient. It is thanks to the attentiveness, professionalism and efficiency of the medical technicians of the East that the problem can be dealt with as quickly as possible. So, acute pain usually disappears after the first session, and after 5 procedures, pain will completely remain in the past for the patient.