What Causes Painful Bumps On Fingers?

Painful bumps on fingers may be due to various reasons. In some cases, the patient may experience other symptoms. There are various ways to manage this condition.

What Are Painful Bumps On Fingers?

Many people have bumps on their fingers. Some of the bumps have no symptoms such as pain and inflammation, while others may have pain. There are various causes of painful bumps. Fortunately, most of the bumps are not of much concern. However, in some cases, they may be the sign of an underlying medical condition. The person may have single or multiple finger bumps. The bump may grow or remain constant in size. Bumps in the finger may also be known as cyst, lump, contusion, tumor, and nodule. The bumps may come and go and may look like a deformity in the hands and fingers. The patients may have painful bumps on the fingertips or painful bumps on the finger near the nail.

Symptoms Of Painful Bumps On Fingers

Different people experience different symptoms due to painful bumps on their fingers. Most people notice the lumps in their fingers only when it causes pain.

Following are some of the symptoms of bumps on fingers;

• Stiffness
• Pain and tenderness
• Pus or discharge
• Swelling and redness
• Joint stiffness and pain in case of bumps due to osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In some cases, if the patients do not undergo treatment of finger bumps, it may result in serious complications. The complications may include;

• Significant swelling
• Numbness and difficulty moving the fingers
• Joint dislocation or deformity.

Causes Of Painful Bumps On Fingers

There are various causes of painful bumps on fingers;

Dyshidrotic Eczema

This condition affects both hands and the feet. In this condition, the patient experiences small fluid-filled bumps. The patient may also experience pain and itching. The condition is more common in women as compared to men. The bumps dry within a few weeks.

[Also Read: What causes eczema on lips]

Traumatic Conditions

Various traumatic conditions may result in pain, swelling, and the formation of bumps in fingers. The condition includes injury in joints of fingers, fracture in finger bones, blood collection in tissues, and injuries due to bites.

Finger Infection

Various finger infections may cause finger bumps, along with other symptoms such as swelling, pus formation, cellulitis, lymph node enlargement, and abscess. The infections include herpes infection, papillomavirus infection, and bacterial infections.

Hand Dermatitis

Hand dermatitis is a condition that results in painful bumps on fingers. The condition may be acute or chronic. Patients with acute conditions may not experience any itchiness. Chronic conditions cause itchiness and flaky skin.

Underlying Inflammatory Conditions

Various underlying medical conditions also affect the fingers that result in painful bumps on fingers. The conditions include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and rheumatic fever.

Tumors

Bumps on the finger may also be due to benign or malignant tumors. These may include skin moles, melanoma, lipoma, fibroma, or non-cancerous tumors of the skin.

Granuloma Annulare

As this condition is rare, not much information about its cause is not currently known. This condition results in tiny bumps on the fingers. The bumps are generally hard to touch and cause pain and itching.

Heat Pumps

The bumps on fingers may also be due to heat. The patient may experience painful, fluid-filled bumps in a hot and humid climate. The food we eat also generates heat. This heat may also be responsible for painful bumps.

Risk Factors Of Painful Bumps On Fingers

Various factors increase the risk of bumps on the fingers. These factors are;

• An underlying condition, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• People above the age of 50 years
• Past trauma, such as fracture and joint dislocations.

Tips To Treat Painful Bumps On Fingers

Various treatment options are available for managing painful bumps on fingers. These are;

Oral Medications

Your doctor may prescribe various oral formulations to manage symptoms of bumps on fingers. The medications may include anti-infectives, steroids, and immunosuppressant drugs.

Topical Formulations

Your doctor also prescribes you the topical formulation that you should apply on the site of bumps. Emollients and steroid creams help to manage the condition.

Phototherapy

In some cases, the doctor performs phototherapy. This will help in treating bumps on fingers.

Conclusion

Causes of painful bumps on fingers are inflammation, infection, tumor, and underlying conditions. The doctor may prescribe topical and oral medications and may perform phototherapy.

Rohit Jain

Rohit Jain is an IPR Specialist and Medical Content Writing Expert. For over a decade, he has written several articles in the areas of female infertility, Erectile dysfunction, hemangioma, cervical cancer, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, mononucleosis, mitral valve disorder, shin splints, mild cognitive impairment, cellulitis, lymphoma, sepsis, cardiac rehabilitation and more.