Introduction
Water retention in the hands usually causes swelling, which can be painful and can have various causes. Apart from more harmless causes, such as excessive strain on the arm, heart problems can also trigger the symptoms. After hand surgery, it is not uncommon for water to accumulate in the hand and usually disappears after a few weeks.
Symptoms
Water retention in the hands causes swelling of the hand or both hands. In addition, it can lead to functional limitations and sensations, but also in rare cases to pain due to a strong feeling of pressure. If only one hand is affected, it is more likely that the cause is in the affected arm or that a heart failure is responsible. If both sides are affected, several diseases are possible, which can lead to general water retention in the whole body.
Associated symptoms
Water in the hands can, but need not be the only symptom. Depending on the underlying cause, other symptoms may occur. In addition to water retention limited to the hands, there is often further water retention on the feet.
In the context of a heart disease, breathing difficulties, exhaustion and a drop in performance can be noticeable. If the kidneys are weak, swelling of the eyelids and reduced urine excretion may occur. Liver disease causes water retention and, above all, yellowing of the skin.
Pain, redness and regional overheating are characteristic of inflammatory and allergic reactions. Non-specific symptoms such as tiredness, concentration difficulties, constipation, weight gain and doughy skin can be associated with hypothyroidism. Water retention after long standing and one-sided strain in the hands and legs occurs in a physiological way.
Physical exercise and elevation of the extremities are sensible measures to counteract the edema. If there is no such one-sided strain, the simultaneous presence of water in the hands and legs indicates a heart, kidney, liver or thyroid disease, or more rarely hormonal disorders. If the pumping capacity of the heart is reduced in the context of heart failure, there is a backlog in the veins with subsequent edema formation.
The water retention occurs at the points where gravity has its greatest effect. The ankles and back of the foot are affected first. When the foot is pressed in, dents are formed which only slowly disappear.
More information about this can be found here Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency Edema of the entire legs, more rarely of the hands, are observed in chronic kidney insufficiency and occur particularly in the early stages of the disease. More information can be found here Symptoms of renal insufficiency In the context of an advanced destruction of the liver tissue, as is the case with liver cirrhosis, the functional disorder causes a backlog of blood as well as an imbalance of the blood composition. Water accumulates in the tissue. More information about this can also be found here Symptoms of liver cirrhosis A pronounced hypothyroidism can be accompanied by a so-called myxedema of the legs, as well as swelling on the back of the hand. Pregnancy-related leg and hand edema can also occur, which is usually physiological and due to an altered water and electrolyte balance.
