Health
Ask a doctor: 'Why are my hands swelling and what should I do about it?'
If you notice your hands are swelling, it could be both uncomfortable and unsettling, but in most instances the cause could be situational — caused by factors such as temperature, exercise, diet, medications you’re taking or certain health conditions.
You may notice your rings aren’t fitting correctly, among other things.
To find out more about the condition, Fox News Digital asked two doctors what causes hand swelling and what can be done to treat it.
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Here’s what you need to know.
What causes hand swelling?
Most commonly, hand swelling is due to fluid buildup in the soft tissue.
“Soft tissue swelling, or edema, is not always a cause for concern, and can occur with weather changes or fluid shifts in the body,” said Amy Kehl, M.D., RhMSUS, a board-certified rheumatologist with Saint John’s Physician Partners in Santa Monica, California.
Fluid shifts can occur with too much salt intake — which can lead to increased hand or foot swelling, experts say. (Getty Images)
Most patients observe some degree of soft tissue swelling or edema with hot weather and with exercise, according to Kehl.
Fluid shifts can also occur with too much salt intake, she noted, which can lead to increased hand or foot swelling, she said.
“Certain medications can contribute to soft tissue swelling in the hands or feet.”
“Additionally, certain medications, such as blood pressure medications like amlodipine; steroids such as Prednisone or Medrol; or hormone treatments, can contribute to soft tissue swelling in the hands or feet,” Kehl added.
What are the more serious causes of hand swelling?
If a person notices an increase in hand or foot swelling that is not reversible or intermittent — or if the hand swelling is also accompanied by leg swelling with marked elevations in blood pressure or shortness of breath — medical attention should be sought, Kehl said.
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A person “should ensure they have had proper medical evaluation to assess both kidney and cardiac function, as hand or foot swelling can be an indicator of kidney dysfunction, protein loss in the urine, or cardiac dysfunction,” she cautioned.
“Soft tissue swelling or edema is not always a cause for concern, and can occur with weather changes or fluid shifts in the body,” said one medical professional. But in some cases, patients should consult with their doctors to get to the root of the issue. (iStock)
“Your doctor may order tests to assess your kidney function, urine studies or, in some cases, an echocardiogram.”
Diuretics may be needed to remove the excess fluid if it is related to cardiac dysfunction, she said.
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Another possible cause of fluid build-up is lymphedema, which can occur if the patient has had surgery, such as a lymph node resection for breast cancer treatment, according to Kehl.
“This may be treated with local lymphatic drainage treatments, arm elevation, compression sleeves and exercise,” the doctor said.
“Patients should seek medical attention right away if new and asymmetric swelling and pain develops.”
Individuals should also be cognizant of other symptoms.
“Certainly, if the hand swelling is associated with joint pains, this may indicate an underlying inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis,” Kehl told Fox News Digital. “Again, an examination may be warranted to distinguish soft tissue swelling from articular or joint swelling.”
If a patient notices hand swelling in association with face or lip swelling, this warrants immediate medical attention, said one health professional. (iStock)
Patients should also be aware if the swelling is asymmetric.
“This can be a sign of something more serious, such as a blood clot, and patients should seek medical attention right away if new and asymmetric swelling and pain develops,” Kehl warned.
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If a patient notices hand swelling in association with facial or lip swelling, this warrants immediate medical attention, she said.
What are some ways to reduce hand swelling?
If the hand swelling is deemed to be due to “benign causes,” this is typically reversible, Kehl noted.
“For instance, to reduce hand swelling after exercising, elevating the hands and performing arm circles may be helpful to increase the blood flow to the hands,” she said.
To help alleviate swelling, movement can help. “Stretch both arms up, move your hands and wrists, and make fists several times,” said one doctor. (iStock)
Similarly, it may be necessary to review your medication list with your medical provider to identify any pharmaceutical culprits.
“Typically, with discontinuation of the offending medication, the swelling should subside,” Kehl said.
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Diet should also be monitored.
“Staying well-hydrated can help keep fluids circulating.”
Maintaining the proper balance of salt and water is important, and reducing salt intake and following a low-sodium diet may be advisable for some patients, the expert noted.
Lifestyle changes, such as movement, can also be incorporated to help alleviate the swelling.
Maintaining a proper balance of salt and water is important, as is reducing salt intake and following a low-sodium diet. (iStock)
“Stretch both arms up, move your hands and wrists, and make fists several times,” Beth Oller, M.D., a family physician with Rooks County Health Center in Stockton, Kansas, told Fox News Digital.
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Running your hands under cool water may help, she said, and taking off jewelry or constricting clothes while exercising can also help prevent swelling due to temperature changes.
“Staying well-hydrated can also help keep fluids circulating,” Oller added.
Pregnancy is another common cause of swelling. In that case, Oller said that moving the extremities can help.
“If swelling in pregnancy occurs suddenly or is extreme, talk to your physician immediately, as this can be a symptom of elevated blood pressure,” she also said.
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Bipartisan push to invest in US national parks
Bret Baier moderates a discussion with Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) about the ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative. This bipartisan effort seeks to modernize national parks ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, investing $1.9 billion annually. They emphasize national parks as common ground, beloved by all Americans, and crucial for our shared heritage.
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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, many Americans are taking extra notice of all the things the country has to offer.
One such case is our access to vast wilderness. Today, the nation’s national parks are bustling tourist attractions, but they may also serve as vital resources for public health, experts say.
The most immediate health boost comes from physical movement.
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Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that regular physical activity is crucial for reducing obesity, improving sleep quality and lowering the risk of chronic illnesses.
The nation’s public lands include parks, trails and open spaces that encourage outdoor recreation and physical activity.
Beyond physical fitness, national parks contribute to documented mental health benefits. (iStock)
A review by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) found that implementing park, trail and greenway infrastructure directly increases physical activity across communities.
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When people walk, hike or bike through national parks, they are actively lowering their blood pressure, boosting immune function and reducing overall mortality, data shows.
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Beyond physical fitness, national parks may contribute to documented mental health benefits.
Previous research has demonstrated that direct exposure to nature significantly reduces physiological stress, lowers heart rates and decreases levels of stress hormones, like cortisol.
Engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline, research shows. (iStock)
This research also shows that natural environments boost attention span, combat mental fatigue and improve cognitive performance.
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Parks also act as natural venues for mindfulness and social connection.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Research highlights that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation. (iStock)
Additionally, because parks protect cultural and historical resources, they can inspire lifelong learning.
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According to the data, engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline.
The National Park Service was established in 1916 to conserve the nation’s natural and historic resources for future generations, according to the organization.
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Today, that mission has expanded, as parks are recognized not only for their scenic and cultural value, but also the opportunities they provide for recreation and physical activity.
Screwworm outbreak threat to US livestock, prompts USDA action
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins discusses USDA’s response to the New World Screwworm outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, assuring safe food supply on ‘The Bottom Line.’ VI LONG DEK: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses the alarming resurgence of New World Screwworm in Texas and New Mexico, emphasizing USDA’s aggressive containment efforts. She confirms the food supply remains safe while highlighting the administration’s focus on domestic fertilizer production, investing billions in new plants and infrastructure projects. Rollins celebrates 250 years of American agriculture and its vital role in national security.
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Doctors thought a 60-year-old man had metastatic brain cancer after scans revealed multiple tumors – but further testing revealed a shocking diagnosis.
The Spanish man, who was not named, was found to have a parasitic tapeworm larvae lodged in his brain — a case of neurocysticercosis, a parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium).
The patient, a lifelong resident of Castellón, Spain, had not traveled to any regions where the disease is endemic, according to the case report published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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The man had initially come to the hospital after suffering two weeks of progressive headaches and mild behavioral changes.
Radiologic findings from a study of autochthonous neurocysticercosis brain lesions mimicking metastatic disease. (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
CT scans showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer.
However, whole-body scans, a colonoscopy and specialized imaging failed to identify cancer anywhere in the patient’s body, the case report stated.
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When doctors performed a more detailed MRI, they discovered several fluid-filled cysts in the brain, some of which contained the head of a tapeworm. A blood test confirmed the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.
The man was treated with a combination of albendazole and praziquantel (two antiparasitic medications), as well as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. He successfully recovered with no complications, according to the case report.
CT scans (not pictured) showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer. (iStock)
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier.
The exposure may have occurred while working a construction job with migrant coworkers from regions where neurocysticercosis is endemic.
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People can catch the pork tapeworm in two different ways. Eating undercooked infected pork usually leads to an intestinal tapeworm, but accidentally swallowing the parasite’s eggs — typically through food or water contaminated with feces — can send the larvae into the bloodstream, where they may form cysts in the brain and other organs. This can cause the disease the patient in the case report acquired.
A photomicrograph shows histopathologic features in a brain tissue specimen from a case of neurocysticercosis caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The image documents pathological changes associated with this parasitic infection. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
As this was just a single case, the source of transmission could not be proven, the researchers acknowledged, and the findings cannot be generalized to a wider population. The report shows that there is a possibility of local transmission in non-endemic settings, but cannot establish how often this occurs.
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In the United States, less than 2% of neurocysticercosis cases are considered domestically acquired, according to the case report.
A prior systematic review identified only 18 confirmed locally acquired cases in Western Europe between 1990 and 2011.
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier. (Associated Press)
In some cases, NCC can cause serious symptoms, including seizures, stroke, neurological deficits and cognitive decline.
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“Our case emphasizes that the absence of travel history should not preclude NCC from the differential diagnosis of multiple ring-enhancing brain lesions, even in regions where metastatic cancer is statistically much more likely,” the researchers concluded in the case study.
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Detecting the worms earlier could have prevented “unnecessary invasive oncologic procedures and led to prompt, targeted antiparasitic therapy,” they added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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A rare and potentially fatal tick-borne illness currently spreading across the United States can be traced back to a 1958 case involving a young boy on a farm.
The disease, known as Powassan virus, was named for the Ontario town near where it was first discovered.
At the time of his death, Lincoln Byers, a 4-year-old living in Canada, had a condition that medical professionals could not explain, the Boston Globe reported.
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Years later, researchers discovered a tick harboring the same virus on a dead squirrel, finally providing an answer to the tragedy, but foreshadowing a growing public health challenge.
While once considered an obscure medical anomaly, Powassan virus cases have reached historic highs in the U.S., data show.
Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases. (iStock)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 Americans were diagnosed with the virus in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Previously, the U.S. averaged just seven to eight diagnoses each year.
The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected woodchuck tick or deer tick. Like other tick-borne illnesses, Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases.
Public health experts warn that the virus’s transmission speed makes it uniquely dangerous.
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“One of the most dangerous aspects is its rapid transmission,” Dr. Jorge P. Parada, a medical advisor at the National Pest Management Association in Chicago, told Fox News Digital.
“Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the infected tick bites, while Lyme disease usually requires a 36- to 48-hour attachment time for transmission.”
Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest. (iStock)
Parada noted that while Powassan remains rare compared to Lyme disease, it poses clinical concern.
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Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, confirmed that the virus transmits significantly faster than Lyme disease. He noted that Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest.
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Initial symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, though some infected individuals remain asymptomatic, according to the CDC.
There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus. (iStock)
The virus can progress to severe neurological complications, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord membranes).
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In severe cases, patients may experience confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking and seizures, per the CDC.
“One of the most dangerous aspects of it is its rapid transmission.”
Approximately 10% of Powassan cases involving severe neurological disease are fatal, and many survivors experience long-term neurological issues.
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There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus; clinical care is limited to supportive therapy, such as intravenous fluids and respiratory support.
While anyone can develop severe illness, those at the highest risk include children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals, experts caution.
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