Symptoms

Swollen hands can become noticeable by a feeling of pressure. Often the swelling is also visible. In most cases, the mobility of the hands is restricted, which leads to a corresponding impairment in everyday life.

However, in addition to the swelling of the entire hand, individual swollen fingers can also occur. Depending on the extent of the swelling of the hands, pain may also occur. This is particularly pronounced in the case of infection by bacteria.

The hands are often additionally overheated and reddened. In this case one speaks of erysipelas. There is a particular danger if you also feel unwell and feverish.

It can indicate a spread of the pathogens in the body, which can lead to blood poisoning.Other possible symptoms depend on the cause of the swollen hands. For example, if there is a disruption in blood return due to a weak heart (heart failure), feet and legs are often also swollen. Depending on the degree of swelling of the hands, pain may also occur.

This is particularly pronounced in the case of infection by bacteria. The hands are often additionally overheated and reddened. In this case one speaks of erysipelas.

There is a particular danger if you also feel unwell and feverish. It can indicate a spread of the pathogens in the body, which can lead to blood poisoning. Other possible symptoms depend on the cause of the swollen hands.

For example, if there is a disruption in blood return due to a weak heart (heart failure), feet and legs are often also swollen. Water retention in the hands does not initially cause pain. The swelling often lasts for several hours and is gradual, possibly with a feeling of skin tension and an increasing heaviness of the arm.

In the course of time, however, pain can be caused by the limited movement of the wrist. In the long term, venous insufficiency can lead to painful ulcers of the skin and other complications. If the swelling is due to an acute trauma of the hand, the accompanying pain results from the resulting injuries.

For example, an injury to the bones of the wrist can also be accompanied by diffuse swelling and severe pain, although this is probably a bruise. A typical explanation for swollen hands with itching is insect bites. The secretion secreted by insects such as mosquitoes, wasps or bees leads to increased permeability of the blood vessels and thus to water retention and swelling.

However, an insect bite is limited in its spread, so that a swelling of both hands requires at least one bite on each hand. An exception is an allergic reaction which can affect the whole body and be life-threatening. In addition to the swelling of hands and other parts of the body and itching, restricted breathing and circulatory collapse can occur, which is why an emergency doctor must be alerted immediately.

Another cause of swollen hands with itching is the so-called allergic contact eczema. This is an allergic reaction to certain substances such as latex in protective gloves or nickel in jewelry. The symptoms are triggered by contact with the respective substance and subside if you avoid it.

A dermatologist should be consulted. Furthermore, contact with certain plants can lead to swelling of the hands with itching. These include nettle, poison ivy and poison oak.

In most cases, a skin rash also develops. Advanced edema of the hands can be accompanied by functional limitations of the muscles, joints, blood vessels and nerve structures. The water retention and pressure on the soft tissue can cause unpleasant pain and damage to the muscles and nerves in the long term.

The latter can be irritated and cause sensitive sensations such as tingling, formication and a feeling of furiness, in severe cases even nerve pain and complete numbness can occur. A rather rare explanation for swollen hands is rheumatism. Here the swelling is caused by an illness of the joints.

Rheumatism comprises a multitude of different clinical pictures with correspondingly diverse symptoms. A rough classification is made into wear and tear diseases of the joints, which are called arthrosis, and inflammatory joint diseases (arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis). An important indication of the presence of rheumatism is given by the distribution pattern of the affected joints.

Certain other symptoms give an indication of rheumatism in swollen hands and should be followed by a medical examination and consultation. Typical for some rheumatic diseases is a morning stiffness of the hands and fingers, which improves during the course of the day. Further indications can be obtained by taking an X-ray and blood tests.