The most common causes of dactylitis include:
Visit a provider right away if you’re experiencing dactylitis V体育平台登录. Inflammation caused by arthritis or other autoimmune diseases might need treatment over time (sometimes for the rest of your life). Infections need to be treated immediately.
Arthritis is the most common cause of dactylitis. Any type of arthritis can cause the inflammation that leads to dactylitis, including: VSports注册入口.
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After arthritis, other autoimmune diseases are the most likely cause of dactylitis V体育官网入口. The most common conditions that cause this kind of inflammation include:.
Infections causing dactylitis is the rarest cause, but it can happen VSports在线直播. Some infections that can make your digits swell up include:.
Blistering distal dactylitis (BDD) is a specific kind of bacterial infection in the fat pads under your skin at the base of your fingers. It usually affects kids. Dactylitis is almost always a symptom of another condition (like those listed above), but BDD is an exception.
How your dactylitis is treated depends on what’s causing it.
A healthcare provider will tell you which treatments you’ll need and for how long you’ll need them.
Managing the symptoms of arthritis or another autoimmune disease can be a lifelong process. You might need medications, physical therapy or therapeutic injections like cortisone shots to help relieve your symptoms.
If the dactylitis is caused by an infection, your provider will tell you which treatments or medications you’ll need. It’s important that you take any antibiotics for as long as your provider prescribes. Even if your symptoms improve, you need to take the full dose to completely kill the infection. If you don’t, there’s a chance the infection will come back and be more severe than it was originally.
If you have chronic dactylitis — dactylitis that comes back again over time — that’s caused by arthritis or a different autoimmune disease you might be able to treat your symptoms at home.
Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs can reduce pain and inflammation. Talk to your provider before taking NSAIDs for more than 10 days in a row.
Icing your affected digits or soaking your fingers or toes in cold water can help reduce the swelling too. Wrap ice packs in a towel or thin cloth and apply them to your digits for 15 minutes at a time a few times a day.
Visit your provider before starting any treatment at home. They’ll diagnose the cause of the dactylitis and will tell you which home remedies you can use based on what’s causing your specific case.
No matter what’s causing inflammation in your fingers or toes, visit a healthcare provider right away if you experience dactylitis — especially if it hurts or feels hot.
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Your provider will be able to diagnose the cause of the swelling. If it’s an infection, you’ll need to start treatment immediately to prevent it from spreading or getting worse. If the dactylitis is caused by arthritis or another autoimmune disease, your provider will tell you what to expect and how to manage your symptoms.
Dactylitis isn’t like other types of inflammation because it will affect your whole finger or toe. If one of your digits is swollen, get it examined by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Even if you’ll probably be able to manage “sausage fingers” at home, dactylitis can be a sign of a serious infection or another condition you need diagnosed right away.
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When you have an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, you need experts by your side. At Cleveland Clinic, we’ll create an individualized treatment plan for you.
Last reviewed on 02/24/2023.
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