Swollen fingers can be a cause of discomfort and uneasiness. You may even find difficulty in performing your daily chores. Read the following article to get information on the causes, home remedies and some simple way to reduce the swelling.

One of the most common cause of swelling in fingers is water retention or edema. However, there are innumerable other causes for swollen fingers, most of which cannot be prevented. You just cannot ignore the condition as it prohibits you from doing simple activities like holding and eating. Fortunately, there are a large number of home remedies for curing such a condition as well.

Causes of Swelling in Fingers

There are many possible causes of swelling in hands and fingers. Swelling can be one of the symptoms of following health conditions and disorders.

• Imbalance of electrolytes in the body can cause the fingers to swell. It generally occurs as a result of two condition. These are excessive sweating which is not followed by replenishment of lost salt and water, and overeating which needs more fluids for the process of digestion.
• Another major reason can be microbial infection of the fingers. Some examples are pulp space infection and flexor sheath infection. The former is caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Eikenella corrodens. The latter type of infection is caused by Bacillus cereus.
• Arthritis is also believed to be one of the common factors that can lead to swollen fingers. Arthritis is a medical term which means inflammation of the bone joints. Fingers affected with arthritis are swollen as well as painful.
• Swelling of fingers can be observed during pregnancy and premenstrual period due to the water retention.
• Kidney and liver disorders may also be a reason behind the swelling in various parts of the body including fingers and hands.
• Swollen fingers can also be a result of bodily conditions like allergies, insect bite, stress, blood disorders, lymphatic system complication, etc.

How to Reduce Swelling

There are some simple ways by which you can reduce the swelling or can control it from getting aggravated, naturally.

• Reduce the consumption of salt from your daily diet. It is one of the major cause behind the swelling.
• Alcohol should be avoided, as it may aggravate the condition. Caffeine in any form, whether coffee or aerated drinks both can be harmful.
• Drinking lots of water will help in flushing out excess salt from your body which in turn will help in reducing swelling.
• Exercise will help the body to pump excess salt out of the body, reducing the swelling further.

Home Remedies for Swollen Fingers

Following home remedies are known for their effective results and instant relief.

Turmeric and Mustard Oil
Take a tablespoon of turmeric powder. Add 2-3 drops of mustard oil. Mix both the ingredients well to get the consistency of a paste. Apply this paste on the swollen finger. Leave it for about half an hour. Wash the paste off with lukewarm water. Turmeric has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It kills the causative bacteria as well as protects the infected finger from the attack of other micro-organisms.

Tea Tree and Olive Oil
Tea tree oil is known to have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Olive oil is popular for its soothing effect. Therefore, an effective home remedy can be prepared by mixing these two oils together. Take small but equal quantities of tea tree oil and olive oil. Warm this mixture up on flame. Apply it on your swollen finger. To get best possible results, do it before bedtime and leave it on overnight.

Epsom Salt
The best treatment for electrolyte imbalance is epsom salt. It contains magnesium and sulfate. Your skin is able to absorb these elements directly form outside without any complication. To derive benefit from the epsom salt, you need to prepare a solution of it with water. Take a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of epsom salt to it. Mix well to make a solution. Soak your swollen finger in it for about 10-15 minutes. Do it once a day till you see significant improvement in the condition of swollen finger. In case of unavailability of epsom salt, you can use common salt. It will give the same effect.

Garlic
A substance called allicin is present in garlic. Allicin assists the immune system of your body to suppress the growth and reproduction of micro-organisms. Take 2-3 cloves of garlic and heat it up with a teaspoon of mustard oil in a small bowl. Allow it to cool down. Apply the oil on your finger. Leave it on for about an hour. Do it 4-5 times a day to get quick relief.

Crushed Ice
Try a cold compress to provide yourself some relief from the pain and swelling of your finger. Take 2-3 ice cubes and crush them. Wrap the crushed ice with a clean washcloth. Place it on the swollen finger for a minute. You may rub your swollen finger gently with this cold compress. Do it once a day to get fast comfort.

Miscellaneous
There are many other things that have been tried and tested to cure swelling and inflammation of body parts including fingers. Take over-the-counter high potency B-complex supplement. This will reduce water retention. Secondly, add alfalfa, parsley and dandelion roots to your diet. You may take these substances in the form of capsules, tea or tincture. Thirdly, take non-prescription supplements containing bromelain enzyme. It will boost digestion and alleviate allergic reactions.

The condition of swollen fingers usually gets resolved on its own with time. Trying the aforementioned home remedies will accelerate the swollen finger treatment. However, if you suffer from persistent or recurrent swelling in fingers, pay a visit to a doctor for necessary medical intervention.