Problem of puffy fingers is found both in men and women, but it mostly affects women due monthly hormonal changes.
When a patient has swollen fingers, they may complain of tightness, especially around the area where they wear a ring. The fingers may also seem squishy and appear noticeably bloated.
The skin on the swollen finger can be red or it can be the normal skin color of the patient. Swelling usually goes away in a few hours with activity. The swelling can be noticed on waking and it can also be observed when jogging or taking brisk walks.
Causes Of Puffy Fingers
There are many possible causes of puffy fingers in the morning, some of these causes include:
- Fluid retention – some women find themselves retain fluid at certain points in their menstrual cycle. Retention may also be due to high dietary intake of salt.
- Inactivity During Sleep – when there is not enough movement during sleep, patients may also experience swelling of the fingers
In addition to puffiness on walking, this condition has also been attributed to brisk walking. Some of the possible causes include:
- Cool Weather – When the fingers are not warmed enough, the blood vessels could constrict causing fluid retention in the digits
- Electrolyte Imbalances – can happen when a walker sweats without the proper electrolyte replacement
Even though most puffiness will go away on its own, there still are some instances as mentioned below, when the patients need to go to the doctor to have the condition checked out.
- When the swelling occurs together with difficulty breathing
- When the patient has a history of heart problems
- When other areas of the body become edematous with or without pitting edema on the leg
- When chest pain is observed
- When the onset of swelling is sudden, especially when the patient is pregnant as it could be a sign of preeclampsia.