When Crossing Fingers Isn’t Enough: Signs It’s Time to See A Doctor
From paper cuts to door disasters, we really put our fingers through the wringer going about our day-to-day lives. Given how much we use our hands, it’s not uncommon to accrue finger injuries. Although many of these injuries are not serious, some can result in permanent deformity, loss of function, or more serious consequences if left untreated. What’s more, certain aches and pains may be a symptom of a more serious problem. Use these tips to assess your injuries, and decide whether it’s time to visit the doctor.
Schedule An Appointment for as soon as possible
Chances are, your hands are vital to everyday, well, everything. They’re highly visible, so chances are, worsening or new symptoms probably won’t sneak up on you. They may, however, become something you’re learning to deal with–which can be dangerous if they’re actually a sign of an injury or condition with the potential to cause lasting harm. Keep an eye out for these signs, and if you spot them, schedule an appointment with a medical professional as soon as possible–i.e, within the next week or day depending on the condition. Some of these, if especially pronounced or occurring suddenly, merit an emergency room visit ASAP (especially infections–don’t mess around with those). Better safe than sorry!
- If there is severe pain, chronic pain (lasting more than several days), or sharp pain associated with a particular motion
- If there is numbness (loss of sensation) in part of finger
- If the finger is pale or bluish in color
- Redness, swelling, pus, and other signs of infection persisting despite careful cleansing and treatment–if you haven’t had a tetanus shot, this is especially high-priority
- Subtle and gradual deformity of the finger or hand
- Persistent stiffness in fingers or hand
Head to the Emergency Room–Right Now
These may be signs that something is seriously wrong, and needs to be treated immediately.
- Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
- Exposed bones or tendons
- Any laceration deeper than the top layer of skin
- Sudden loss of sensation in large area of hand
- Large area of missing or amputated tissue
- Foreign objects in a wound that you are unable to remove
- Severe and worsening signs of infection, including redness, swelling, pus, and discoloration at site and/or fever
- Sudden and obvious deformity of finger or hand
- Inability to move fingers or hand
Concerned about an injury to your hands or wrists that definitely isn’t an emergency, but is worrisome or painful? Request an appointment, or log on during business hours to use the chat.
