What should you know about left hand itchy and swollen?

Itching with redness, scaling, blisters, or a new product may reflect contact dermatitis or another skin reaction. Warmth, tenderness, spreading redness, pus, or fever raises concern for infection. Swelling and itch after a sting, bite, food, or medicine can signal an allergic reaction. A painful swollen wrist or hand after a fall can occur with a distal radius fracture, even if the skin also feels tight. Persistent swelling in several joints with morning stiffness can accompany rheumatoid arthritis.

Consider what happened before the change: a new soap, glove, plant, jewellery item, insect exposure, injury, or repetitive activity. Do not scratch broken skin, because this can worsen irritation and introduce infection.

Remove suspected irritants and rinse the skin gently with lukewarm water. Apply a plain moisturiser to intact, dry skin and use a cool, clean compress for itch. Keep the hand raised if swelling is uncomfortable, and remove rings before swelling increases. Avoid popping blisters or applying unfamiliar creams to broken skin. If an injury preceded the swelling, rest the hand and seek assessment rather than testing it with forceful movement.

Emergency help is needed for swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, breathing difficulty, faintness, or rapidly spreading hives. Seek urgent care for a hot, very painful hand, fever, red streaks, pus, rapidly spreading redness, or a hand that becomes pale, blue, or numb. After a fall, urgent assessment is appropriate if the wrist looks deformed or movement is severely limited. Arrange a routine review for recurring, persistent, or unexplained swelling.

Could this be a skin reaction, infection, injury, or joint inflammation? Which products should I stop using? Does the hand need an examination or imaging? What symptoms should prompt same-day care?