What To Do If Your Hand Is Swollen

Try these methods for reducing swelling in your fingers: Keep your hand/arm elevated If you keep your hand down, gravity is keeping the extra fluid in your hand Apply ice to the affected area Wear a splint or compressive wrap Do not apply too tightly Take anti inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen

How do you get rid of swollen hands fast?

A warm shower or hot pack applied to the hands may help with symptoms Cold can also reduce swelling and numb any pain Wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it to the hands Take care not to put anything too hot or cold against the skin

What causes swelling of the hands?

Hand swelling can be caused by relatively minor conditions, such as fluid retention during premenstrual syndrome or pregnancy Swelling can also be due to injury or trauma, infection, inflammatory conditions, and other abnormal processes

How do you make swelling go down fast?

Applying an ice-pack or cold compress to an injury is the fastest way to deal with immediate swelling It helps reduce swelling by restricting blood flow to the area and slowing down cellular metabolism Cold therapy systems and ice baths are other methods you can use to apply cold to the area

How long does a swollen hand take to heal?

After you suffer an injury, swelling usually worsens over the first two to four days It can then last for as long as three months as the body attempts to heal itself If the swelling lasts longer than this, your physical therapist or doctor may need to take a closer look to determine the cause of the delayed healing

How do you treat swelling?

Applying cold immediately after an injury helps reduce swelling by restricting blood flow to the area and slowing down cellular metabolism You can use ice packs, cold therapy systems, ice baths, or cryotherapy chambers to deliver cold to the affected area

Why do my fingers feel tight and swollen?

In general, swollen fingers can be caused by overall fluid retention, such as during premenstrual syndrome or pregnancy If just one finger is swollen, the possible causes include trauma, infection, or inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis

Why do I wake up swollen?

Sleep For many people, waking up with a puffy face stems from normal overnight fluid retention — but this may be more noticeable if a person gets too little or too much sleep Lying down causes fluid to rest and collect in the face, and a person’s sleeping position may also exacerbate this

Can dehydration cause swollen hands?

Can dehydration cause swollen fingers? Dehydration does not typically make fingers swell In fact, drinking excessive amounts of water, perhaps during a marathon or other strenuous exercise, can lead to hyponatremia, the retention of too much water causing unusually low sodium levels

Does ice reduce swelling?

Icing is effective at reducing pain and swelling because the cold constricts blood vessels and decreases circulation to the area For example, if an athlete rolls an ankle in a volleyball match an immediate application of ice will cut down on long-term swelling and potentially lessen recovery time

Does swelling mean infection?

Like redness, swelling is normal at the beginning stages of wound healing However, swelling should be continually decreasing Persistent swelling could be a further sign of infection or other complications

What naturally reduces swelling?

Inflammation (swelling), which is part of the body’s natural healing system, helps fight injury and infectionFollow these six tips for reducing inflammation in your body: Load up on anti-inflammatory foods Cut back or eliminate inflammatory foods Control blood sugar Make time to exercise Lose weight Manage stress

Why is swelling bad?

It initially helps by recruiting healing factors that accelerate how quickly cells migrate to the site of injury – but swelling is also bad because it destructs and distends the tissues, and distorts the anatomy Fluid enzymes within the swollen fluid break-down tissue as well as stimulating it

Does ice help swelling after 3 days?

Cold will reduce pain and swelling Apply an ice or cold pack right away to prevent or minimize swelling Apply the ice or cold pack for 10 to 20 minutes, 3 or more times a day After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling is gone, apply heat to the area that hurts

Does ice speed up healing?

Ice is effective for reducing pain, but it doesn’t speed up the healing process or reduce inflammation If you want a quick, medicine-free painkiller, feel free to use ice But if you want to get back to training as soon as possible, ice fails where active recovery succeeds

Is hot water good for swelling?

Heat Therapy If you use heat on a swollen area, it can increase inflammation This will prevent your injury from healing Moist heat, like hot showers, saunas, steam baths, hot baths, or just warm damp towels, can help loosen tight muscles

When should you worry about swelling?

When to Seek Care for Swelling You should seek emergency care if you have sudden, unexplained swelling in just one limb or if it occurs along with chest pain, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, fever, or skin that is red and warm to the touch

How long does swelling take to go down?

Most swelling treatment can be done at home The vast majority of injuries will heal and the swelling will dissipate after a few days If you have prolonged swelling or if it gets gradually worse instead of better, see a doctor First, you want to protect yourself from further injury

How long does a swollen finger last?

Swelling may occur and last for a few weeks The swelling should go down after a few weeks, but the swelling may persist depending on the severity of the injury You may even notice decreased pain and increased mobility even though your finger is still swollen

How do I get the swelling down in my finger?

Apply ice for 15 minutes each hour to bring down the swelling If you don’t have ice, you can soak the finger in cold water instead Keep your finger elevated above chest level Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) to ease any discomfort

What foods cause swelling in hands?

Here are 6 foods that can cause inflammation Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup Table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are the two main types of added sugar in the Western diet Artificial trans fats Vegetable and seed oils Refined carbohydrates Excessive alcohol Processed meat