Maxwell Adeyemi

WHEN OCCASIONALLY you experience swollen hands, joints or fingers, one tends to be concerned and worried about the possible causes especially since the hands are frequently-used body parts, and the inconvenience and distress are very obvious.

There can be many reasons why this may happen. While some are of little health consequences, some may require further attention to detect if there are underlying serious medical issues.

Possible causes:

Fluid retention

Swellings may occur when the body fluids collect in tissues or joints. Sometimes fingers may be puffy or you may have trouble slipping your rings on and off. A salty meal could be a possible cause. However, your swollen fingers and hands can signal a health problem that needs attention.

Exercise and heat

Your heart, lungs and muscles need oxygen to fuel your workout. So, more blood goes to those places and less flows to your hands. Small blood vessels react to this change and expand, and that swells your fingers. Something similar happens when your body heats up in hot weather. To cool down, blood vessels in your skin swell to allow heat to leave the surface. This is totally normal and the swelling often reverses itself.

Injury

You may have a torn ligament or sprained your finger, or injured a tendon, or dislocated or even broken a bone. If the injury isn't too bad, ice, rest and over-the counter pain medicine may be enough. See your doctor if you can't straighten your finger, have a fever, or you're in great pain.

Infections

Different types of infections of the upper limb, especially the finger, can cause swollen fingers:

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Herpetic whitlow: A herpes infection that causes small, swollen, bloody blisters on the fingers.

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Paronychia: An infection in the nail base caused by bacteria or fungus.

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Felon: A painful pus-filled infection in the fingertip. Finger infections can spread to other parts of the body if they're not treated early.

Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects the lining of joints and causes swelling, pain and stiffness. The symptoms often appear first in the hand joints. RA usually affects both hands

Psoriatic arthritis can affect people who have a skin condition called psoriasis. It often causes sausage-like swelling in fingers and toes. Both arthritis types are serious and can cause joint damage and other body problems without treatment.

Gout

This 'rich man's disease' largely used to afflict people who could afford lots of meat, seafood and alcohol. Today, gout can hit people of all income levels. It causes extreme pain and swelling, usually in the big toe. But you can get it in any joint, including your fingers. It happens when too much uric acid in your blood forms crystals in the joint. Drugs can help ease the pain and prevent more attacks.

Medications

Some common culprits include:

* Over-the-counter pain pills like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen

* Steroids

* Certain drugs for diabetes or high blood pressure

* Nerve pain dru