Puffy fingers?? Here’s why they swell.
Yesterday, my two daughters (ages 3 and 7) got ahold of my disposable medical gloves I use when I work directly with clients…
…and they spent at least 30 minutes playing the ‘sink glove game’ 🚰🧤
What is the ‘sink glove game,’ you ask??
It’s when they completely fill up one of my medical gloves with water at the kitchen sink.
The goal??
Fill it up AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, without bursting!!!
The gloves get completely distorted and look so huge and swollen, almost like ‘balloon hand’ 🎈🖐
Here’s how my daughters’ ‘sink glove game’ relates to your hands:
Do you ever feel like your own hands swell up to the point of feeling like ‘balloon hands’??
Maybe it’s when you’re on a walk outside, and the second you set your hands down by your sides and start walking you feel them puff up 🚶
It could be when you wake up in the morning, and the first thing that greets you isn’t your cute pup or sleepy partner but, in fact, your balloon hands 🛌
If you’ve ever wondered WHY this happens, you’re in luck!
Here are 4 reasons your hands swell up:
1. A ‘dependent position’
Simply put, when your hands are below your heart for any period of time, they are in a ‘dependent position.’
Gravity does…well…what gravity does and causes all the fluid in your arm (mainly blood and lymphatic fluid) to rush into your fingers and your hand.
Hence, the ‘balloon hand’ 🎈🖐
2. Not using your hands
Did you know that resting your hands too much can actually cause increased swelling and inflammation??
This is because when we move and use our hands, that active movement actually acts as a pump to help push fluid out of our fingers and into our lymphatic system 💦
So if you wake up in the morning with ‘balloon hands,’ this is why! In your sleep you (of course) haven’t been using your fingers/hands, causing fluid to pocket in them 😴
Hopefully, when you start moving your fingers and using your hands, the swelling decreases.
3. Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term describing a group of disorders that affect our body’s ability to regulate ‘automatic’ functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature control.
If you have a form of dysautonomia, your body has to work harder to keep your blood in circulation, which can often lead to blood pooling in hands and feet 😰
Dysautonomia can co-occur with connective tissue disorders that cause hypermobility such as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Learn more about dysautonomia at Dysautonomia International.
4. The heat
Let's be real...
...if you have ever been outside in the summertime, you KNOW you feel me on this last one! 🔥
The reason why warmer temperatures cause 'balloon hands' is because your blood vessels vasodilate more in the heat, causing an increase in blood flow to your skin in an effort to cool off your body.
This extra blood can get stuck in your hands, especially if you hold them in the dependent position below your heart.
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If you notice you have ‘balloon hands,’ here’s a 30-second exercise you can do to decrease hand swelling instantly:
Raise one hand above your head.
Open and close your hand relatively quickly, 15-20 times.
Switch hands and repeat.
👉 You should notice your hands feel less puffy and more like ‘normal’ hands.
👉 Repeat this exercise as much as you need to throughout your day!
Do you ever get ‘balloon hands?’ 🎈🖐
Comment below and let me know, I'd love to hear from you!
💛 YOUR HAND COACH,
Corinne
PS:
Did you know we deep-dive into topics like this in our online community Hypermobile Hands Blueprint?
🌎 With over 125 members across the globe, it's incredible to connect with others about the more complex medical issues, like swelling, that can affect our hands.
Or, start with my free masterclass and save $100 on the Blueprint! 🎉