What causes swelling in fingers during exercise? Learn more about the reasons why your fingers may swell after exercise.
Swollen hands and fingers during exercise is a fairly common problem. The cause is not entirely clear, but swelling in the fingers seems to result from how the body and blood vessels respond to the increased energy needs of the muscles during exercise.
Exercise increases blood flow to the heart and lungs, and the muscles you work with reduce the blood flow to your hands and make them colder. The blood vessels in your hands can react by opening wider – which can lead to swelling in your hand.
When exercising, your muscles generate heat that causes the system to push blood to the surface of your body to dissipate heat. Then, this response triggers sweating and can also contribute to swelling in the hand – an abnormally low level of sodium concentration. Drinking too much water can cause your body’s sodium to become so diluted that you become hyponatremic. Swollen fingers may be hyponatremia, but other symptoms, such as confusion and vomiting, are more prominent than swelling. Hyponatremia requires immediate medical attention.
There is no way to prevent or reduce most exercise-related enforcement, but these tips can help ease discomfort:
- Remove the rings and loosen the watch strap before training.
Stretch your fingers and make fists several times during exercise. Practice occasional forward and backward arm circles during training.
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