If your rings feel tighter than they used to, you might wonder why. Lupus can cause joint pain and inflammation, which can make the fingers feel swollen, stiff, tender, or painful.

“My hands and fingers are always swollen,” one MyLupusTeam member wrote. “Sometimes it is difficult to make a fist. Thankfully, there is no pain — just stiffness and some weakness.”

Keep reading to find out why your fingers might be getting puffy and learn some helpful steps to resolve the issue.

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Potential Causes of Finger Swelling

There are several potential reasons your fingers could be swollen. Some may be related to lupus or another autoimmune disease. The best way to find answers is to talk to your healthcare provider.

Joint Pain and Arthritis

Arthralgia, commonly known as joint pain, is common in people diagnosed with lupus. Lupus arthritis often affects the fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes. It can make joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen.

Fortunately, joint issues from lupus aren’t as likely to cause permanent joint damage as rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus can also contribute to tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

People with lupus can also have rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune condition at the same time. Another health condition could be behind your swelling and pain. Your rheumatologist can use blood tests and imaging to help figure out the underlying cause and best treatment options.

Dactylitis

Dactylitis is severe swelling that affects an entire finger or toe. Dactylitis may also cause pain, warmth, discoloration, and trouble moving or bending the digit.

It is typically associated with psoriatic arthritis, a type of inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune condition that most often affects people with psoriasis. Other forms of arthritis, such as spondyloarthritis, can cause dactylitis as well.

Rarely, dactylitis is caused by an infection. This requires immediate treatment.

If you wake up with a swollen finger that looks enlarged, especially with heat, pain, discoloration, or a new wound, contact a healthcare provider promptly.

Exercise-Induced Swelling

Puffy, swollen hands sometimes occur with physical activity, although it’s not clear why this happens. One theory is that during exercise, more blood flows to the heart, lungs, and working muscles, and less may flow to the hands.

Finger Infections, Injuries, and Growths

Sometimes your swollen fingers are caused by infection, injury, or other causes. Here are some additional potential culprits:

Seek urgent evaluation for severe pain, deformity, loss of movement, numbness or tingling, rapidly worsening swelling, or signs of infection. If you think a hand bone may be broken, medical care is important.

Glucocorticoid Treatment

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are frequently treated with corticosteroids on a long-term basis. Glucocorticoids have many side effects, one of which is salt and fluid retention that can lead to swollen fingers as well. It is important to maintain a low-sodium diet to prevent this as much as possible.