Why are my fingers swollen?

Symptoms:

You’re six months pregnant and you’ve noticed that your ankles and face are swelling. At the same time, you’ve noticed that your rings are getting tighter on your fingers as they’re a bit swollen. You’re having more headaches than usual. You’ve gone through the menopause and you’re getting pins and needles, worse at night, in one of your hands, and your fingers are swelling up.

The middle joints of your fingers are swollen, red and tender, and they’re stiff in the morning. You’re generally unwell, lack energy and feel weak.

It could be: Pre-eclamptic toxaemia

(PET), a condition which shows itself in the last trimester of pregnancy with raised blood pressure and protein in the urine. Feeling your rings are getting tighter is one of the first signs of PET.

Carpal tunnel syndrome,

where the ligaments of your wrist tighten up due to retention of fluid and cause pressure on the nerves that supply your hand and fingers.

Rheumatoid arthritis,

an autoimmune disease where your body attacks the lining of your joints. If it is left untreated, it can cause misshapen and deformed joints to develop. Stop it:

Contact your antenatal care team urgently and see one of them as soon as possible because it’s essential that your blood pressure is lowered and controlled.

Sleep with your arm on several pillows at night. See your doctor – often water tablets help, but you may need surgery, which is very simple and releases the tendons and nerves around your wrist.

See your doctor as soon as possible for medication, physio and specially designed splints which will prevent your hands from becoming deformed. Strong diseasealtering drugs are available to stop the disease progressing.