Hand Conditions That May Be Symptoms Of Underlying Disease

Your hands reflect a lot of things, including your health conditions. While things like finger trembling and swelling (in winters) are common, sometimes they can get serious. Notably, the form, function, and appearance of hands can offer important prognostic and diagnostic clues. Here are some of the diseases which can be gauged by your hands:

1. Red Hands

Redness in the hands or palms is caused by dilated capillaries and may be influenced by hormone changes in the body, which typically occur during pregnancy. Thus, red hands are common in pregnant women. Red hands, also called palmar erythema, Lane's disease, liver palms, or red palms, can also be hereditary.

2. Hand Rash

A red rash on your hand or wrist might indicate a nickel allergy, sometimes morphing into oozing blisters. Sensitivity to nickel is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. Many everyday objects touching your skin—such as bracelets, watches, rings, and cell phones—contain nickel. You can also develop a hand rash from ingesting foods containing nickel, such as buckwheat, cashews, cocoa powder, licorice, and soy products.

Atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition, can also appear as a rash on the hands, causing inflammation, redness, irritation, and severe itching.

3. Finger Clubbing

Finger clubbing is a change to the nailbeds that may indicate underlying health conditions. Symptoms include large, bulging fingertips that may be red and warm to the touch, rounded nailbeds, a sharpened angle between the nailbed and cuticle, and softened nailbeds. This condition is often linked to heart and lung diseases like lung cancer, endocarditis, and congenital heart defects.

4. Hand Pain, Stiffness, and Swelling

Pain, stiffness, and swelling in your hands can occur if you have inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

5. Hand Tremors

A little hand shakiness is common, especially if you are sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated, or experiencing alcohol withdrawal. However, persistent tremors can be a sign of neurological diseases like Parkinson's. Essential tremor, which often runs in families, causes hand and arm shakiness during tasks like eating.

6. Numb or Tingly Hands

Pins and needles in your hands could indicate carpal tunnel syndrome, especially if you experience weakness, shock-like sensations, or nighttime numbness. This condition is caused by compression of the median nerve.

7. Purple Finger Nodules

Painful red or purple bumps on your fingertips, known as Osler nodes, may signal endocarditis, a serious but rare disease causing heart inflammation.

8. Psoriasis

This chronic autoimmune condition causes thick, red patches of skin and silvery scales, often affecting the hands and nails. Palmoplantar psoriasis can lead to painful cracking, fissuring, and nail changes.

9. Trigger Finger

Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, causes a finger to pop, catch, or get stuck when bending. This condition is often seen in people with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or thyroid disease.

10. Weak Handgrip

Weak hand strength can result from aging but may also indicate poor overall health. Research links stronger handgrip strength to better heart health.

11. White, Blue, or Red Fingers

Color changes in your fingers might indicate Raynaud's phenomenon, a condition caused by reduced blood flow during cold or stress. It can cause numbness, pain, and tingling in the fingers.