Swollen Hands

If you are experiencing a swelling of a body part, you may have the accumulation of excess fluids in the tissues of that area. This process is called edema and swelling may occur throughout the body or in a specific organ, such as the hands. Swelling is thought to be one of the five symptoms of inflammation, along with pain, heat, redness and the loss of regular function. Therefore, the problem is usually not that you have to treat swollen hands; rather, to treat the problem that is causing these symptoms. Swelling may be the body's response to an injury or a disease.

Swollen hands may be the direct result of a physical injury that affected the fingers, hand or wrist areas. Common scenarios that result in injured hands include sports, work-related incidents, home improvement, accidental trips or fistfights. If the injury is minor then swollen hands due to an injury will usually heal on its own. A doctor's treatment may be recommended in order to relieve symptoms.

However, there are other conditions that can cause swollen hands. Swollen hands often accompany hypothyroidism, lymph edema, pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome, acromegaly or gigantism (which is caused by enlargement, not swelling) and obesity. Swollen hands may also occur due to overuse of an injured area or body part. If too much stress is placed on the joint or tissue inside a hand then an overuse injury can occur.

There are a few categories of overuse injuries: these include carpal tunnel syndrome (which affects the wrist), tendon pain and tenosynovitis. However, there are many treatments that can help swollen hands. If the hand has been severely injured then first-aid may be necessary, with the possibility of a cast or recurring physical therapy.

Surgery may also be needed in some severe cases. Some treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome include using braces, physiotherapy, ergonomically designed furniture and appliances and other forms of medication.