If suddenly the elbow is swollen, then this can be a manifestation of many factors. So, for example, mechanical damage to the hand is manifested by severe swelling, in addition, an allergic reaction to plants or detergents can also acquire sharp manifestations on the skin.
It often happens that the elbow is swollen due to wear and tear of the tissues, due to the same type of work with the hands. There are cases of occupational diseases when there is constant friction of the cartilage. In this case, you can hear the crunch of the joint when bending the limb. Such conditions should be treated by an orthopedist.
What are the prerequisites for the appearance of puffiness?
If the elbow is swollen and it hurts, the following doctors know what to do:
- orthopedist;
- surgeon;
- traumatologist.
They should be addressed. And the prerequisites for the development of pain, as a rule, are:
- mechanical same-type loads at work or in the gym;
- infection with parasites and bacteria;
- fabric wear with age;
- internal diseases;
- lack of trace elements in the body;
- clusterfluids in the body or injury after a bruise.
Puffiness develops after the accumulation of leukocytes in the area of the affected tissue. The inflammatory process can last indefinitely with improper treatment. The initial symptoms of swelling and fever on the elbow should be compensated for with a cold compress. It should be applied before visiting the clinic.
Variant causes of inflammation
If the elbow is swollen and hot, then the development of the following diseases can be foreseen:
- Developing bursitis can appear for no apparent reason. For a while, an ice compress or warming up helps, but after a short time, the swelling reappears.
- The problem of arthrosis worries more than 80% of the elderly. This disease occurs when mechanical damage to the joint due to prolonged wear.
- Inflammation of the tendon occurs due to heavy lifting or a sudden movement of the hand. Another disease is called tendinosis or tendinopathy. Often in such cases, you can find that the arm is swollen from the elbow to the hand.
- An unpleasant chronic disease of the joint is called arthritis. With this type of inflammation, the tissues around the cartilage undergo changes, the elbow may swell, redden, hurt.
- Pain also occurs as a result of s alt deposits in the elbow joint. This seriously limits the movement of the hand. This disease is called gout.
- Articular fluid sometimes undergoes changes, and calcium pyrophosphate begins to accumulate in it. He blocksmovement of the hand, it begins to hurt, swell. The described pathology is called chondrocalcinosis.
- Similar symptoms are formed when growths appear on the bone tissue in the joint cavity. These changes are called osteophytes.
Inflammation of the joint bag
The area of swelling and redness can reach the size of a chicken egg. Hand movements become limited and painful. A deep analysis of the inflammatory process led the researchers to the conclusion that bursitis develops at the junction of the bone and the joint.
Symptoms of bursitis, by the way, often appear after injuries and cracks. At the same time, fluid begins to accumulate in the area of the joint bag, and pyogenic microbes form inside it. Often subject to this inflammation are people involved in work with difficult physical conditions, as well as all athletes.
A tumor can also appear due to internal hemorrhage in the joint area. The response of the body is the influx of fluid, which pulls the skin and disrupts the normal functioning of the elbow. Severe swelling becomes inflamed, and the tissues turn red. A late symptom is pain when bending the arm.
Age-related wear of the joint
Such a disease as arthrosis develops throughout life, it is characterized by the slow destruction of the articular tissue. There are small cracks, corrosion. The stiffness of movements can continue for a long time and painlessly. But gradually swelling appears, and changes occur already in the adjacent tissues.
Area of inflammationcan expand, and tissues lose elasticity. Pain is a constant companion with advanced arthrosis. By the way, you can notice that the elbow is already swollen after the age of 30 years. It is during this period that for some people, joint wear peaks with daily strength training.
Unpleasant sensations disappear at rest, but at the slightest attempt to bend the arm, the symptoms begin to manifest with renewed vigor. Osteophytes are often the result of prolonged arthrosis. In the advanced stage, a distinct crunch is heard during elbow flexion.
Tendon inflammation
Tendinitis is an inflammatory process at the point of attachment of the tendons to the joint. In the people, this state is described by the words "pulled his hand." As a result of this inflammation, you may notice that the elbow is swollen.
The first step in tissue inflammation is to eliminate the infectious cause of the disease. More often than not, tendinitis is chronic. Tendons are subjected to constant stress, resulting in gradual cracks and tears at the point of attachment.
This pathology can be distinguished as an occupational disease in tennis players. They often find that the elbow is swollen and hot, immediately after the competition. The patient needs a long recovery period, but most athletes ignore the doctor's recommendations and continue training.
Joint changes due to internal problems of the body
Arthritis is another cause of elbow swelling. There are several of its subspecies, and all of them havelong period of education. Reasons may be:
- infectious disease;
- constant physical activity;
- hypothermia;
- trauma, sprain;
- consequences of drinking alcohol, smoking.
During this disease, you can notice sudden changes in the state of he alth - the elbow is swollen and the skin hurts from any touch to it. This rapid development of edema occurs with the infectious nature of arthritis. The internal accumulation of fluid contributes to the reproduction of bacteria, which begin to be destroyed by the immune system.
The area of inflammation can reach a large size if not properly treated. By the way, this state cannot be left to chance. Ordinary cold compresses will not get rid of an internal infection. To restore he alth, complex therapy will be required, aimed at destroying the infection and stimulating the immune system.
Swelling due to s alt deposits
Failures of internal metabolic processes occur due to chronic diseases. Poor nutrition also affects joint fluid. Overflow of s alt deposits in the joints blocks the mobility of the hand. With age, the disease progresses and the person notices that the elbow is swollen. What to do, the doctor decides in such cases.
Gout is predisposed to people who lead a passive lifestyle. The body ceases to receive normal blood flow, metabolic processes slow down, and s alts are deposited inside the joint cavity. The elbow is not the only place of inflammation, the wholeorganism.
From an excess of s alt, inflammation occurs in any joint. The most loaded limb becomes the first problematic place. The following bad habits influence the development of gout:
- alcoholism;
- frequent smoking;
- too much fatty, spicy, s alty food.
Calcium pyrophosphate as a cause of pain
The accumulation of calcium pyrophosphate in the joint capsule causes an inflammatory process, accompanied by the following unpleasant symptoms:
- reddening of fabrics;
- puffiness;
- pain even at rest;
- blocking arm movement.
Patients in such cases notice that the elbow is swollen after the development of internal diseases. Also, these joint problems are inherited. Predisposition leads to frequent relapses. The disease chondrocalcinosis refers to ailments in the elderly.
The subsidence of acute conditions may not last long. This is due to residual asymptomatic inflammation within the tissues of the elbow. For a complete diagnosis, an examination of the articular puncture, an x-ray image is carried out. Additional information is collected by questioning the patient and external examination of the hand.
Bone growths
Often it turns out that the elbow is swollen due to a growth on the bone when it prevents the joint from moving. The causes of neoplasms are mechanical damage to the elbow,limb immobility, hard tissue tumor formation.
If the elbow is swollen, what should I do? The first step is to start looking for the cause of the inflammation, and before going to the doctor, a cold compress should be applied to the hand. Pain relief ointments can be used, but all these measures can only be used as temporary until a visit to the doctor. Only a specialist will be able to conduct an examination, make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
