Swollen finger...

DragonPup

...So starting yesterday my right index finger had become swollen. Specificially to the right of the nail halfway between the knuckle and the tip of the finger and pertrudes out about 3-4mm. It is senstive and a little painful to touch the skin there.

So H/A, time to put on your doctor robes and hat. Any idea what this is and how to alleviate it?

Artereis

Sounds like an ingrown nail. I get those from time to time. I tend to take some clippers and pry the nail out of the skin a bit, but I don't necessarily know if it helps or if it's just a placebo.

Casual

Is it discoloured at all? I may have had this before.

DragonPup

I think it may be a small infection since I tend to bite my nails. Someone just told me to soak the finger in hot water and salt...

Casual

If its what I had then yes its an infection. With me it filled with pus and turned green so I went to the doctor and they lanced it. Took two minutes, no fuss and the problem was solved.

Cptn Pants

If it swells and starts to crack then turns deep red/black go to the hospital... mind crushing pain is a good indicator of the necessity for medical attention. Just saying, that's what happened when my aunt got the flesh eating bacteria in her finger. She still has the finger btw, antibiotics = awesome. Good luck!

DragonPup

It's a slight shade redder than the rest of the hand, but no cracking has occured. The hot salty water seems to help alleviate the sensitivity a little bit.

Casual

The hot salty water should actually help. But if it gets worse or starts to change colour just go to a doctor, some antibiotics will clear it right up.

Thylacine

I'll also say it's probably an infection. On rare occasions I'll get little sliver of nail or skin or whatever right along side my nail...I always pull them off, but it leaves a little cut and they get infected very easily. Just keep using the salt water if it works and wash your hands frequently.

T3hSpaz

This sounds like what I used to get all the time when I was younger. I bite my nails a lot when I'm nervous and that occasionally leads to a slight infection/irritation.

I typically just take a needle, dip it in some alcohol and then slide it into the little crevice along the side of my fingernail, up into the cuticle. You don't have to go far and it will typically be pretty painless... pus will just come out. You may have to do some squeezing, and it may hurt a little bit, but you should have no problem lancing it yourself.

Of course, if it continues or gets worse, you should seek professional medical advice.

TheRealBadger

T3hSpaz wrote: »

This sounds like what I used to get all the time when I was younger. I bite my nails a lot when I'm nervous and that occasionally leads to a slight infection/irritation.

I typically just take a needle, dip it in some alcohol and then slide it into the little crevice along the side of my fingernail, up into the cuticle. You don't have to go far and it will typically be pretty painless... pus will just come out. You may have to do some squeezing, and it may hurt a little bit, but you should have no problem lancing it yourself.

Of course, if it continues or gets worse, you should seek professional medical advice.

This, then slap some Betadine on it and wrap it up for a couple of days. If it's no better then see someone about it

Platypus Beirut

It's most likely an infection, but I wouldn't rule out an insect bite if the problem requires further attention. I once had an entire finger swell to monstrous proportions. To the point I lost all feeling. It was actually pretty cool.

Wezoin

Should mention, if it is an ingrown nail take a pair of clippers and make a cut into the nail about half way across from the bad side, then try to cut/peel it over to the bad part and use tweezers to pull towards your body to pull the spiked part of the nail out. Chances are it'll grow back eventually, but if it doesn't then you get away without surgery.

Oh, and under NO CIRCUMSTANCE let a doctor remove the nail or do any type of cutting to the nail as a permanent fix, 90% of the time they grow back, and if they do work leave you permanently 'disfigured' as in without a nail/missing most of your nail and are just as painful as the 100% guaranteed fix surgery. The only guaranteed fix is the Vandenbos procedure. This site is for toes but I'm sure it could be applied to a finger (and would probably require less time off work)

psycojester

Casual wrote: »

If its what I had then yes its an infection. With me it filled with pus and turned green so I went to the doctor and they lanced it. Took two minutes, no fuss and the problem was solved.

This happened to me in primary school, we just lanced it at home and then did the hot salty water thing while the pus was draining.

DragonPup

I got lanced tonight. Finger still numb...