Do I Need To See A doctor?
Sometimes hand pain responds to specific activities you’re doing throughout the day. For example, if you wash your clothes and dry them manually, you might feel some hand pain at the end of the day. It is also common if your job involves your hands and had a very long day at work. The problem starts if hand pain becomes a common complaint, especially when it is associated with the signs and symptoms listed above.
If you are experiencing severe difficulties lifting objects, maintaining your grip, typing on a keyboard, or playing sports, your hand problem is likely going out of hand. You could wait one or two days to see if the symptoms go away by themselves, but do not wait more than one week. If symptoms are still bothering you or keep coming back after seven days, we recommend visiting your doctor to rule out a chronic disease or an orthopedic cause of hand pain. Orthopedic doctors are the specialist you want to see in such cases, but sometimes a general practitioner can walk you through the initial steps of the treatment.
These are warning signs and symptoms to visit your doctor as soon as possible:
- Your hand pain and other symptoms in your hands keep getting worse. Even after resting your hands and applying ice, the symptoms still affect your daily activities.
- You’re not using your hands, and they still hurt. You wake up with hand pain, and symptoms become worse if you don’t use your hands.
- There are signs of infection in your hands, especially swelling. Your hands are reddened and warm to the touch. Pain symptoms are worse when you touch the area. Another important sign of infection is fever.