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BODY SIGNAL ALERT: HANDS, SWOLLEN AND RED, ESPECIALLY AFTER A PUNCTURE WOUND
Description and Possible Medical Problems
Remember Madge, the manicurist in the TV ad who recommended that her clients soak their hands in dishwashing liquid to soften them? After they reacted with shock, Madge reassured them, and they gamely put their hands back into the solution.
Most of us know better and would prefer real moisturizer, just to make sure. After all, washing dishes—a common activity even in these days of automatic dishwashers—still tends to leave your hands red and swollen for about 30 minutes after you finish no matter what you do.
If, however, you have red, swollen hands that don’t clear up and if you’ve recently injured your hand in some way, you may have a condition called cellulitis, which is a skin infection. Cellulitis occurs when streptococcus bacteria enter the body, usually through broken skin. Besides red, swollen hands, you may notice that small red lines appear on your skin in a weblike design and your skin feels hot to the touch. You may also have a fever.
Treatment
If you think you have cellulitis, you should see your doctor. You’ll need to soak your hands in warm water for 10 minutes three or four times daily. The best course of treatment is Tylenol, though in severe cases I’ll also prescribe a course of an antibiotic such as penicillin or erythromycin, taken four times a day for at least two weeks. When the cellulitis is severe, hospitalization is necessary for intravenous antibiotic therapy.
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