Why Did My Right Ring Finger At The Base Joint Swelled Up Overnight?

Posted on Fri, 3 Aug 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 4 Aug 2018 Answered on

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : My right ring finger at the base joint swelled up overnight. It's not painful to move and the swelling is getting slightly worse as the day progresses. The swelling is limited from the base of the finger to the first knuckle. As the swelling progresses it is starting to get itchy. I don't wear jewelry and to my knowledge, the only exposure to chemical was a bleach I used to clean last night.

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Angioneurotic edema

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

You do not use an ring or so and there is no pain while moving it.

With the history of swelling starting at the base of right ring finger and extending to first knuckle only with itching indicates a reaction. Since this is localized this may be due to angioneurotic edema that a reaction.

Bleach would have caused the problem to the whole area in contact. Anyways the treatment of both is same. An antihistamine and oral steroids if needed may help you. Icing alone may not help. Take any antihistamine. Steroid needs a prescription.

Please post a clear and focused photo.

I hope this answer helps you. Please feel free to ask for further relevant queries and give feedback also.
Take care.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar