What Your Swollen Fingers Are Trying to Tell You About Your Health

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You know that how your body looks and feels sometimes changes by the day. One day you’re so bloated that your jeans feel a size too small, while another you wake up and your skin looks dewy and glowing. Swelling, especially in places like your hands and feet, often seems to come and go just as frequently.

As such, there’s typically no need to rush to the doctor if you suddenly can’t slide your wedding ring off your finger. But in some cases, swollen fingers may point to the presence of a more serious health condition. Here are the most common causes of swelling in your fingers, plus when you should be making an appointment with your healthcare provider.

1. It’s super hot out

Heat causes blood vessels to expand, which allows more heat to escape through your skin so you can keep cool, explains Tammy Olsen Utset, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor in the rheumatology department at the University of Chicago. As the vessels stretch, some of their fluid can leak into your soft tissues and cause puffiness.

Dr. Utset says this type of swelling tends to go away as you use your hands and continue your regular activity. But if you notice swelling only in your hands and fingers (and not your legs), accompanied by pain or a weak grip, that could be a sign it’s not just the heat and you need to consult your doctor.

2. You overdo it on the salty foods

General Tso’s chicken, lots of chips, or anything fried could be the reason behind your swollen fingers. Your body likes to keep a consistent salt-to-water balance, Dr. Utset says. So when you consume extra sodium, it compensates by retaining more water, leading to swelling.

Typically, mild swelling brought on by salty foods goes away on its own within a day but it can last longer depending on how much extra salt is in your system. If you limit your salt intake and the swelling persists, see your doctor, Dr. Utset advises.

3. You are developing osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis

If it’s the bony finger joints themselves that are enlarged (say, you can’t get rings over your knuckles), osteoarthritis may be to blame, especially if you wake up in the morning and your fingers are already swollen. This age-related form of arthritis is caused by the wearing down of the cushioning tissues at the end of your joints. Osteoarthritis is often, but not always, accompanied by pain and stiffness, Dr. Utset says.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that attacks the lining of the joints, can also cause swelling. Unlike osteoarthritis, RA isn’t age-related and can happen to anyone at any age. Swelling in people with RA often happens in the wrists and finger joints. “RA can cause the joints to swell up as well as cause inflammation in between the joints,” says Neha Vyas, M.D., a physician in the department of family medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

4. An infection or injury is the culprit

An infection in your finger, known as a felon or felon finger, causes a small pocket of pus to form under the skin of your fingertip. These infections can form in different ways, but dishwashing without gloves, manicures, ingrown nails, hangnails, and biting your nails can all transfer bacteria to your fingers and lead to swelling, redness, and throbbing pain. Minor traumas and injuries, like cuts, puncture wounds, and splinters can also have similar effects, giving bacteria an opening to infect your finger and form a painful abscess.