Swelling of the hands is an alarming symptom. Fluid retention in the tissues indicates a serious problem in the body. The etiology of this condition may be different. Most often, swelling speaks of problems with the heart or kidneys. However, there are many other diseases that are accompanied by fluid accumulation. Next, we will consider in detail the causes and treatment of edema of the hands. In this case, it is very important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. After all, it may indicate a possible disease.
Heart disease
Edema is one of the symptoms of heart failure. Swelling of the lower extremities is more often noted. However, as the work of the heart worsens, the patient develops swelling in the hands, face, and torso.
Swelling is noted on both limbs and is moderately expressed. A characteristic sign of heart failure is blue skin on the hands (cyanosis). swollenareas cold to the touch. This indicates a violation of the blood supply.
Edema usually occurs in the evening. In the daytime, swelling of the extremities is not observed. This is due to the fact that by the evening the heart gets tired and begins to pump blood worse. As a result, congestion occurs in the veins, which leads to swelling in the legs and hands.
Heart failure is not a separate disease. This is a syndrome that occurs with various pathologies: heart defects, coronary disease, myocarditis. Edema is accompanied by chest pain, tachycardia, difficulty breathing.
Vascular disorders
Swelling of the hands may be associated with impaired blood flow and reduced vascular tone. Let us consider such pathologies in more detail.
Superior vena cava syndrome is a consequence of diseases of the chest: tumors or cysts of the lung, neoplasms of the thymus, inflammation of the mediastinum. As a result of compression of the superior vena cava, stagnation of blood and lymph occurs in the arms, neck and shoulders. This leads to the formation of edema.
With this pathology, swelling occurs not only in both hands, but also in the entire upper body. Patients are worried about a strong cough with shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue. The skin becomes bluish due to impaired blood supply.
Subclavian vein thrombosis can cause swelling in one arm. This disease is also known as Paget-Schretter syndrome. The subclavian vein carries blood from the arms to the superior vena cava.vein. When a vessel is blocked by a thrombus, stagnation occurs in the upper limbs. As a result, edema is formed due to the accumulation of interstitial fluid.
The cause of this disease is hard physical work. Due to the strong load on the shoulder girdle, the muscles injure the subclavian vein. This leads to the formation of blood clots. Edema usually forms on the arm that is more exposed to the load. There is swelling not only of the hand, but also of the upper limb. The skin becomes cyanotic, patients complain of aching pain in the injured arm.
Swelling of the hands may be a sign of Steinbroker's syndrome. This condition is a consequence of osteochondrosis of the cervical region. Due to a violation of innervation, the tone of the vessels of the hands is disturbed. With this pathology, there is a slight swelling of the hands. Patients complain of severe pain in the arms and shoulder girdle, which is not relieved by taking analgesics. The skin of the fingers looks pale and smooth, sometimes there is a blue discoloration of the extremities. Often there is numbness of the hands.
Decrease in blood albumin
The hands may swell due to a decrease in the level of albumin in the blood. These protein substances are responsible for keeping fluid inside the vessels. If the production of albumin decreases, then water comes out and accumulates in the tissues. This leads to swelling.
Reduced albumin levels are a sign of the following diseases and conditions:
- Pathologies of the liver (hepatitis, cirrhosis, cancer). Albumin is produced in hepatocytes. These cells are destroyed byliver pathologies, resulting in reduced protein production.
- Kidney disease. Normally, albumins should not pass into the urine, as they cannot pass through the kidney filter. With pathologies of the excretory organs, the filtration of the kidneys is disturbed. As a result, the protein enters the urine. In this case, the body loses a large amount of albumin.
- Protein deficiency in food. The lack of protein in the body can be formed due to starvation or an overly strict diet. Dietary protein deficiency results in reduced liver albumin production.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Pathologies of the small intestine often lead to inflammation and impaired permeability of its wall. Because of this, proteins from food are poorly absorbed into the blood. This leads to a decrease in the amount of albumin.
Endocrine pathologies
Edema of the hands is observed in some diseases of the endocrine organs. This may be one of the signs of myxedema. The disease is characterized by a sharp decrease in thyroid function. The content of hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine - falls in the blood. These substances are responsible for protein metabolism. With a deficiency of thyroid hormones, the level of proteins in the blood decreases. As a result, proteins accumulate in the tissues, which leads to fluid retention and swelling.
Hands with myxedema swell most often. The skin on the affected areas is cold to the touch and dry, often covered with cracks. Hair falls out in areas of swelling. The condition of the nails worsens, they become brittle and thin.
Myxedema is accompanied by bradycardia, low blood pressure, lethargy anddrowsiness. Women develop infertility, and men develop impotence. Patients have increased body weight, frequent headaches and dyspeptic symptoms (constipation, nausea, lack of appetite).
Parchon's syndrome can be another endocrine cause of edema. In this pathology, the hypothalamus produces vasopressin in increased amounts. This hormone is responsible for diuresis. An excessive amount of vasopressin leads to a sharp decrease in urination. At the same time, an excess of fluid is formed in the body, which leads to edema.
In Parkhon's syndrome, swelling appears on the hands, face and legs. The skin has a pink tint. There are convulsions, headache, nausea and vomiting.
Impaired lymph drainage
Stagnation of lymph is a common cause of edema. Through the lymphatic vessels, the interstitial fluid leaves the organs and tissues. If these vessels become blocked, then lymph accumulates, and swelling of the hands and other parts of the body occurs.
Violation of lymph outflow is observed in the following pathologies:
- Injuries of the hands. Hand bruises often damage the lymphatic vessels, leading to their obstruction.
- Erysipelas. With infectious inflammation of the skin, sometimes there is a narrowing and overgrowth of the lumen of the lymphatic vessels. This leads to stagnation of interstitial fluid.
- Parasitic diseases. Some parasites (filariae) circulate in the lymphatic system. As a result, the lymphatic vessels are clogged with accumulations of helminths, which leads to fluid stagnation.
- States after operations. Duringsurgical interventions (especially for fractures) accidentally damage the lymphatic vessels. This leads to a violation of their patency.
Allergic reactions
Allergies can also cause swelling. After contact with an irritating substance, swelling may appear both on different parts of the body, and only on the hands.
When allergies occur, the expansion of subcutaneous vessels. Their wall becomes permeable, and the liquid comes out into the tissues. This is the cause of the puffiness.
Cancer
Edema of the hands is most often formed with a malignant lung tumor (Pancoast cancer). The neoplasm is located under the pleura. When the tumor grows, it compresses the subclavian vein, which leads to a violation of the outflow of blood from the lower extremities.
With this disease, swelling occurs only on one arm. Not only the hand swells, but the whole limb from the shoulder to the fingertips. In severe cases, the face and neck may swell. Swollen skin has a bluish tint, dilated veins show through under it.
The tumor compresses not only blood vessels, but also nerves. Because of this, there is severe pain and numbness in the swollen arm. The disease is accompanied by a deterioration in well-being: headache, high fever, weakness and weight loss.
Women
Why do women's hands swell? Puffiness can be caused by the above pathologies. However, there are cases when the hands swell in he althy women. This may be due to premenstrual syndrome. In the days before menstruation in the bodythe level of the hormone progesterone drops. This substance removes fluid from the body. With a decrease in progesterone, water is retained in the tissues. Premenstrual syndrome is accompanied by mood swings, tachycardia, weakness, dizziness.
Swelling of the hands can be observed during pregnancy. This is not always a sign of pathology. During the gestation of the fetus, serious changes occur in the body of a woman. The patient's albumin levels decrease and the ability of the blood to retain fluid decreases. Edema can also be caused by excess s alt and fluid intake.
However, swelling in the hands during pregnancy can be a manifestation of a serious pathology - preeclampsia. Most often, puffiness is noted on the fingers and on the legs. This is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, convulsions, vomiting, headache. A large amount of protein is determined in the urine.
Swelling in one arm may occur in women who have undergone breast surgery. During surgery, the doctor excised the axillary lymph nodes, as a large number of malignant cells accumulate in them. Often this leads to stagnation of lymph in the upper limbs.
In the morning
Why do my hands swell in the morning? The causes of this phenomenon are not always associated with pathology. This may be due to excessive consumption of s alty foods and liquids at night. In addition, during sleep, the outflow of lymph and the excretion of fluid do not occur as intensely as during the day.
However, swelling of the hands in the morning can be caused andpathologies associated with deterioration of the outflow of interstitial fluid through the lymphatic vessels and veins:
- Superior vena cava syndrome;
- subclavian vein thrombosis;
- filariasis;
- surgical removal of lymph nodes.
For heart failure, morning swelling is not typical. Swelling of the arms and legs is more common in the evening hours.
The cause of swelling of the hands in the morning may be an allergy. Often people apply creams and other cosmetics at night. They can act on the body as allergens. Under their influence, the permeability of the vascular walls increases, and the fluid enters the tissues. As a result, a person wakes up in the morning with swollen hands.
Swelling of the hand in the morning usually does not last long. During the day they disappear. To determine their cause, it is necessary to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms.
Swollen right hand
Swelling of the right hand is often associated with thrombosis of the subclavian vein. This disease occurs due to the high physical load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and lower extremities. Most people are right-handed and work more with their right hand.
Also, swelling of the right hand can be the result of injuries. Swelling is noted after bruises, sprains, dislocations and fractures. Puffiness occurs with inflammatory diseases that affect only one limb: erysipelas, osteomyelitis, myositis.
Swelling and pain
Often, patients complain of pain and swelling in the hands. If swelling is accompanied by painsyndrome, it is most often associated with inflammation of the muscles, ligaments, nerves or joints.
The inflammatory process often develops due to the stagnation of venous blood in the hands. At the same time, toxic substances accumulate in the tissues of the upper limbs. They damage the nerves, which leads to pain. Such pathological manifestations are observed in the following diseases:
- heart failure;
- Superior vena cava syndrome;
- subclavian vein thrombosis.
Pain syndrome can also be observed when the arteries are clamped. This symptom is observed with a lung tumor and hand injuries. Oxygen starvation occurs, which leads to tissue death. This process is accompanied by inflammation and pain.
Decrease in vascular tone in violation of their innervation (Steinbroker's syndrome) is also accompanied by painful sensations. After all, this condition is a consequence of osteochondrosis. With this pathology, the nerves that go from the spine to the limbs are compressed. This can cause pain in the hands.
Swollen fingers and joints
Swelling of the fingers and hands is often observed in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus. This is usually accompanied by severe pain due to inflammation of the joints.
Other causes of such puffiness may be hormonal disorders. With hypothyroidism and premenstrual syndrome, it is predominantly the fingers that swell.
Pain and swelling of the jointsof the hands can be a sign of arthritis, synovitis and gout. With these diseases, inflammation occurs in the periarticular and articular tissues. There is hyperemia of the affected areas.
Sometimes swelling of the joint of the hand appears with carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition occurs with frequent monotonous brush movements (for example, when working on a computer for a long time). It is accompanied by severe pain and numbness of the fingers. This pathology is not associated with damage to the bones, it is caused by a pinched nerve. Puffiness occurs due to an inflammatory reaction in the compressed nerve tissue.
Diagnosis
Suppose a person has a swollen hand. What to do in this case? We found out that there can be a lot of reasons for puffiness. You need to see a doctor and undergo a diagnostic test.
Before prescribing tests, the doctor will examine and question the patient. You need to tell the specialist about all the accompanying symptoms. This will help determine which investigations are needed in this case.
The doctor may order the following examinations:
- ECG;
- general urinalysis and Nechiporenko test;
- blood test for hormones;
- Ultrasound of the liver and kidneys;
- vascular Doppler;
- biochemical blood test;
- lung X-ray;
- rheumatoid factor test;
- allergen tests.
The choice of tests required will depend on the symptoms and results of the examination.
Treatment methods
Treatment of edema of the hands is most often carried out by conservative methods. To remove fluid from the body, diuretics are prescribed:
- "Furosemide".
- "Lasix".
- "Veroshpiron".
- "Ezidrex".
In case of edema in pregnant women, synthetic drugs are contraindicated. In this case, herbal remedies should be used: Canephron or Phytolysin.
However, it must be remembered that the appointment of diuretics is a symptomatic therapy. It is very important to treat the underlying disease that led to the onset of swelling. The choice of drug will depend on the type of pathology. Doctors usually prescribe the following groups of drugs:
- fibrinolytics and anticoagulants (to eliminate blood clots);
- cardiac glycosides (for heart failure);
- hormones and iodine preparations (with myxedema);
- venotonics (with lymph stasis);
- antihistamines (for allergies);
- antihypertensive drugs (for preeclampsia and heart disease);
- antibiotics (for inflammation);
- analgesics (for pain);
- vasopressin receptor blockers (for Parhon's syndrome).
In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed: electrophoresis with drugs, UHF, magnetotherapy.
In case of violation of the outflow of lymph, tight bandaging is used. A tight elastic bandage is applied to the swollen area. This method of therapy is a type of compression treatment for edema of the hands. Instead of a bandageuse special gloves or sleeves, which can be purchased at pharmacy chains.
The essence of the compression method is to squeeze swollen areas. The accumulated lymph cannot overcome the resistance of the elastic tissue and goes into the vessels.
Surgical treatment is used quite rarely. However, in some cases, it is impossible to do without surgery. For example, if the vessels are compressed by a tumor, then it is necessary to remove the obstacle and restore normal lymph outflow.
Elimination and prevention of edema at home
How to remove swelling from the hand with folk remedies? At home, you can only try to remove fluid from the body. After all, the cause of puffiness is usually complex diseases that cannot be cured with folk recipes.
However, if swelling is not caused by serious pathologies, then you can try to apply the following remedies:
- If the brush is swollen from a bruise, then you can wrap ice in a towel and apply it to the sore spot. This will relieve pain and swelling. However, before that, you need to visit a traumatologist and make sure that there is no fracture or dislocation.
- For swelling caused by excessive fluid intake, compresses from infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort or nettle will help.
- You can make a diuretic tea from lingonberry leaf. You need to take 4 dessert spoons of crushed dried leaves, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for about 20 minutes. This remedy is useful for swelling during pregnancy or premenstrual syndrome.
- A decoction of pine buds also has diuretic properties. You need to take 1 teaspoon of the kidneys and boil in a glass of water. The composition is infused for 2 hours and drunk throughout the day.
If swelling of the hands occurs frequently, but is not associated with any pathologies, then you should pay attention to your diet and drinking regimen. It is necessary to limit the consumption of s alty foods. At night, you should not drink a lot of liquid. It is useful to take a contrast shower several times a week. These measures will help prevent swelling of the hands.
