Itchy Bumps on Hands and Feet

[NoWittyName]

About a week ago a really itchy bump showed up on my foot. My left foot is perpetually dry because of a past surgery I had on my back... and ever since then it doesnt sweat. It was so intense I scratched it until it broke and clear liquid came out. I found a blister to be a strange concept on sucha dry foot I traditionally have to lotion frequently. As the days went on tiny bumps and itches perplexed around this scabbed blister on the side of my foot. I began to diligently clean it with peroxide.

At first I contemplating the theory of it being a fungus like athletes foot, especially since Id been using communial matts at yoga... however it didnt seem feesable on sucha dry foot.

A couple days later I noticed small pin needle sized blisters that itched on my palms of my hands and fingers... some single... some in clusters... (this image is not of my finger but it looks just like the itchy blisters on my palms and fingers)... http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/Lilangelwings/stuff/IMG_1880.jpg

I am very frustrated bc I am a poor college student and Im not even sure if I have the money to go to a doc, but I cant let this get worse. It's very stressful.

Any help?
Thanks

[NoWittyName]

P.S. I finally went to a Doc in the Box today because it has gotten worse... HE DIDNT KNOW ANYTHING...  

[microgirl]

i found this looking for a cure to my bumps...Scabies is a common skin infection that causes small itchy bumps and blisters due to tiny mites that burrow into the top layer of human skin to lay their eggs.

The burrows sometimes appear as short, wavy, reddish, or darkened lines on the skin's surface, especially around the wrists and between the fingers. A child who has contracted scabies can also develop a bumpy red rash.

Scabies is contagious, and is usually transmitted by skin-to-skin contact or through sexual contact with someone else who is infected with it. The infection spreads more easily in crowded conditions and in situations where there is a lot of close contact — like child-care centers or nursing homes. So if someone in your child's class or child-care group has scabies, it's a good idea to have your child treated for the infection even before he or she develops symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms
The most common symptom of scabies is severe itching, which may be worse at night or after a hot bath. A scabies infection begins as small, itchy bumps, blisters, or pus-filled bumps that break when you scratch them. Itchy skin may become thick, scaly, scabbed, and crisscrossed with scratch marks.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
DE causes small fluid-filled blisters to form. The blisters can last up to three to four weeks, and cause intense itching.DE stands for dyshidrotic eczema, not very commonly seen.
Also doctors are also unsure of what causes the disease and how to treat it.
Some of the signs and symptoms can be:
Small bumps begin to form on your hands or the bottom of your feet.
Intense itching that can almost be unbearable.
Cracks and grooves (fissures) form on your hands, feet or toes.
The small bumps form into blisters and can become very painful.
The cause is not known. Treatment too is spotty at best.
Corticosteroid creams and ointments. These must be prescribed by your doctor. They are given to help speed the disappearance and improve the appearance of the blisters. The creams also help the cracks and fissures left when the blisters disappear.
Compresses. Use wet or cold compresses to help with the itching and increase the effectiveness of the topical creams and minimize the bumps and blisters.
Antihistamines. These may be prescribed to help with the intense itching. You can also try the over the counter products like Benadryl.
ref:http://www.****************/tiny_fingers_blister_like_lp586326.html
You could discuss this possibility with your doctor.

[Dr_Aparna]

http://www.****************/tiny_fingers_blister_like_lp586326.html

[Dr_Aparna]

*** =****************

[krissyrabit]

Hi there,

I've had similar problems my entire life.  At first I thought that I was allergic to over exposure to water (hot water generally makes it itchy like wildfire!).  Anyway, I just recently had another breakout, mainly on my hands, and have done some research and found out that it is a form of eczema.  There is no cure, but a prescription from your doctor for a strong dose of cortisone should do the trick in relieving the symptoms.  Hope this helps.

[sdmonkey]

hi,

is the DE contagious? does it spread by skin-to-skin contact?

i suffer from the same problem, had it on and off for a couple of years now, but never really made the connection between the ones i get on my feet to the ones i get on my hands. lol, i just thought the ones on my hands were stress related untill i read this thread (i'm a uni student). Because they are slightly different, but i guess that is because of the different skin density and thickness.
also i only seem to get in on my right foot, never the right. DE shows up so rarely, about twice a year or less, and never really in the same spot, but occasionally when i do get it, it also appears on my left hand, never the right.
not really looking for any indication as to what to buy to make it better, it doesn't bother me too much, what bothered me most was not knowing what it was.
Don't know if this information is of any relevance but maybe you might be more precise with your answers.
I just want to make sure i can't pass this chinese torture to anyone or try not to.
thanks in advance.

[finkie]

I too have had the same thing the past couple of weeks, I have tried all sorts of creams have had hyrdrocortisone, steriod cream, tried E45 itch cream (that made it way worse)


I have found washing your hands in cool water helps calm it down, also Sudocream is amazing at helping the itch.   Its finally starting to clear up..what am I using...... BioOil, no itch its clearing up with no further outbreaks of it.

Hope that helps :)

[123Ab]

I recently had try skin on my finger which turned itchy and became broken skin. At first I thought it was beause I had been itching it but I kept it clean and used e45 cream regularily. After about 2 weeks I discovered tiny little rough skin spots which were sometimes itchy, through touches my feet and hands it has spread. I've been told its dermatitis or maybe something else. The spots are not sore just itchy and hardely noticable. Seems similiar to what happened to you..

[one_time]

I've had a similar problem - itchy bumps on my fingers. I have found that it occurs mostly when my hands are most dry - in the winter. At first, I too tried hydrogen peroxide to kill them off. But it only made them worse - hydrogen peroxide dries out skin. Also exposure to water - like taking a shower or washing the dishes - makes this things worse, as water, ironically, dries out skin as well.

CURE: (at least for my problem) (read #3!!!!)

1) Avoid contact with water at the affected area as much as possible (as silly as it sounds, I tied plastic bags around my hand when I showered). If contact with water is unavoidable, keep it short and dry the area promptly by dabbing with a towel - not rubbing, as this will irritate skin even further.

2) Moisturize the affected area (I use unscented Neutrogena hand cream)

3) IMPORTANT: CVS over the counter antibacterial ointment - the kind you put on cuts and scrapes*

*I just apply this as much as possible as often as possible, following moisturizing the area.

Hope this helps, if you still haven't found a cure.

[Judy1016]

I am currently experiencing this.  For some  reason my only relief was putting my hands in hot water.  I went to see my Dr. and he prescribed Hydrocortisone 1% cream along with antibiotics ( 5 pills per day for 5 days).  The areas where the pumps were are dried out now and it left the surface very hard.  My hands are now peeling like wild fire.  The hard areas are peeling away every day.  I am just thankful that the itching stop.  

[wit4u]

the OP posted this pic http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/Lilangelwings/stuff/IMG_1880.jpg

this is what the itchy bumps on my hands look like. these bumps are mainly on my right hand but now are moving to my left hand. I have them on my feet near my toes also.

Background: My ex started to get itchy bumps on the lower half of her body around the beginning of december. she itched them and they spread to her back, arms,  etc... i would rub anti itch on places she couldnt reach. we still had sex this whole time also.  when she itched them too hard( ones on legs) they would break and blood spots would show up and more bumps would appear. we broke up about a month after these itchy bumps showed up on her. we broke up about a month after these itchy bumps showed up on her.

About a month or so after we broke up these bumps like hers started to appear on my legs(inner thigh).. then i got a bump on my penis head and shaft. then i got a few on my hands/fingers that were barely noticeable.

*** this is when i went to the doctor ***
he said it could be hsv2... so he prescribed me to valtrex.

I'm not sure what exactly valtrex does but the bumps on my penis did go away but the others didn't... And the whole time i was on it(30 days) the bumps still itched.

I'm off valtrex now( too expensive w/out insurance) and the bumps on my hands have gotten worse and now are going from my right hand to my left. i had an itchy bump on my jawline the other day also(first time this had happened)

These bumps are the worst on my top/inner thighs and right hand/wrist area, left top foot around toe area. Barely any on my front waistline, left hand, right foot, forearms, ankle area, calve area.

Some of them are filled with clear fluid and when intensely itched they bleed a little and more bumps usually appear.

When submerged in hot water my hand where the bumps are start to itch intensely. They use to itch more at night but since it has gotten warmer outside areas(not all at once) itch periodically during the day. Also, one day i took a shower and put on some tighter demin jeans(when it was cooler outside) went to walmart and the itchy feeling on my thighs was unbearable.

I'm thinking of making a follow up appointment with my doctor(family-type doctor) but since i dont have insurance it might be a waste of money instead of just going to a dermatologist.

Any help is appreciated. thanks.

P.S. My mom said eczema runs in our family but im not sure that is what it is since my ex had something similar, if not the same exact thing.

[krys_1234]

When I started as a CNA I noticed these tiny little blisters on the inside of my ring finger. Never really thought much about them. I thought it was just my ring breaking me out. I took my ring off and it never cleared up. I never had a problem with them for 2 yrs which I wasn't working as a CNA the following years. In 2006 I got another job working in a nursing home again and to my surprise I had a horrible flare up. I went a month or so it was just on my left had covering the whole inside of my ring finger. Then it started creeping on down the inside of my hand and onto my other fingers. It was extremly itchy and painful. Working as a CNA your washing your hand everytime you turn aroung which didn't help. Eventually it started showing up on my right hand. I tried all kinds of different creams nothing worked. I would wake up from a dead sleep scratching my hands. I went to my family doctor and he said it was a form of dermatitis. From all the scratching I had done to it I had a secondary infection. He put me on antibiotics and refered me to my dermatologist. Thank god I went....my dermatologist took one look at it and told me I had a form of eczema that only breaks out on my hands and can also break out on my feet. He gave me a very high potent steroid shot and a high potent steriod cream. It cleared up with in 2 wks. I have flare ups on an occasion but all I have to do is rub a little of my cream on it and it goes away. With in 2 days as long as I catch it in its early stages. I've only had to have one steroid shot. My brother use to tease me about it bad. I didn't want anyone seeing my hands at all. Now my brother has it worse then I ever had it. So it goes to show ya carma does come back and bite ya right in the rear-end but even harder!!! But I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Hope this helps out.

[littlemama520]

I get the extremely itchy hands and the small blisters with clear fluid and my hands crack and get so dried out and hot water makes it worse and it started about 3 years ago just out of nowhere i have figured out that when I use hand soap from a restaurant my hands break out so I try to stay away from using it but I messed up and used the soap at wendys last night and now I am paying for it my hands will not calm down nothing seems to help anybody have any suggestions

[Dawnamoon]

I've had this issue on my feet for a few weeks now and had it on my hands several years ago. I decided to look at my local pharmacy and have found a cream made my "Spectro" called EczemaCare. it's has eased the dryness and pain quite a bit.

[javamomba]

After fighting this condition for years, this is what I can tell you...Went to the doctor, got the same run around...it's not scabies...not exzema, its an allergy..to soaps,shampoos,dishwashing liquids metals(occurs in soaps), contact with water and soaps makes it worse, rubbing with a towel opens the bumps, causes them to spread, sweating makes them worse. If your soap you launder with is not rinsed out all the way, you are allergic to your towel...or clothes, or all. (Sweating makes it worse)Take a benadryl or two, change your sheets to all cotton, clothes,washed in any perfume free, odor free soap. If you can't stand to do nothing, then soak your areas in a mild vinegar solution in lukewarm water, avoid hot water. Secondary infections occur from scratching, use an antibiotic cream like Bacitracin. Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or perfumed cream or lotions. Stick with anti comodegenic soaps, no perfumes. Discontinue using anything that makes you itch after use...Winter itch occurs when your dried out skin needs moisture, avoid frequent or hot showers(do lukewarm bath) or rubbing vigorously with  a towel(blot and leave some water on your skin)...you have sensitive skin so keep it properly moistened by applying a good cream(not lotion) (decide what cream you can use and use it after baths)at night, loose cotton gloves will keep you from scratching the bumps in your sleep.
You can beat it if you watch your diet, exclude any known allergen foods...ones that have a high metal count or offender foods that you know bother you. This sounds like alot but we are people who are oversensitive to our environment...plastics and latex bother us as well...we can't beat it but we can make it better...without paying the doc tons of dough to give us a steroid cream that doesn't work...or works for a bit then its back again...

[finkie]

I know I posted last year, but will mention it again.    I tried everything, and I mean everything and the only thing that "cured" it was BioOil.   Seriously it was the best thing I used, moisturised the skin and got rid of the problem.

It def worth a try to be honest  http://www.bio-oil.com/uses.html

[chynna1]

Ive suffered from the same symptoms and am still battling with this frustration.Two years ago my dermatologist diagnosis me with Psorasis and prescribed Clobetasol Ointment at night with occlussion.My Primary dr disagrees with the diagnosis and says its something Im allergic to, what we still dont know.So to my follow sufferers I can recommend Clobetasol ointment with occlussion.Apply the ointment at night,wrap your hands with saran wrap and cover with cotton gloves(this is how I started) now I use plastic gloves and the ointment.It's not a cure but it has worked when I experience flare ups.I go from small **** filled blisters in various stages ending with my skin peeling to clear hands after three weeks of treatment.Once my hands are clear I discontinue use of the cream until I have another flare.Which is usually three weeks to a month later.Now I know its not a cure but it's a relief. I hope Ive helped at least one person.

[thats_gross]

I've had little patches of clear spots that appear seemingly randomly for a long time.  I can see a correlation between  washed clothes and a break out though.
I've had them since I was a kid, itchy little blighters. Also I've had bad ezcema since then and believe me the super steroids just do not work.

However.... IMO The way to get rid of them is squeezing them with a pair of needle nose pliers!(the thin ones).
I expect this post will be  moderated for suggesting such a unhygienic solution etc etc (sterlilse them).  
Bear with me becauise each one gives a tremendously satsifying....    "CLIP"   !!
8^)))

(ps. sometimes they really DO away quicker and stay gone if its just few of them)

[kimmie2470]

I have this problem too. Omg my had ahad one bump then the next day I had five then it just keeps spreading now there on my feet. What's wrong with me. U can't squeeze them to POP them u have to get a needle cause there so hard to pop. The one s on my feet itch like crazy. Help me!!

[Austin_Lynne]

This same thing is happening to me and its awful! i itch the bumbs until i cause my feet to bleed. I worry about infection. I to have been to the doctor many times and each time is something new, this last time i was given steroids but it did nothing but maybe made it worse. Next week I am going to a foot doctor to hopefully put a stop to this!

sorry you are dealing with this, i know its torture!

[philippinebelle]

I have this watery little bumps on my palm for years, it's itchy and annoying. But it come and go. I scrub it really hard to make the bumps go away and it open the skin that's infected, very tiny circle open area. I use a  callous scrubber. Then because it's an open wound, I have to use antibiotic then put some cortizone cream or any cream you think that is good to take away the itch. Yes, stress might trigger it too. It is like invisible but if you really look closely, it is inside the skin of your palm or it might be in sole of your feet and if some of you think it spreads once you pop one or two, it is because it is already there but you never seen it that's the reason i scrub it hard until the circle are expose. I don't believe it's contigious. I am the only one who got it in the family. But as I said it come and go, it might be a month or 6 months from now or years. But I never stop scrubbing my palm to make sure there is nothing under the palm skin that make it start appearing again. Just make it a habit to scrub that infected area and dont forget to apply antibiotic and cream.

[horseygirl6]

OMG i'm going through the EXACT same thing and it's driving me insane.  I've had the odd one of these clear bumps on my fingers in the past, they were slightly painful and really itchy.  Once I itched them long enough they went away and I didn't think anything of them.  I mentioned them to a doctor once and she said it was some kind of virus, like HPV, that lives in your body and flares up every now and again.  Now I've got them and they're all over my hands and starting to appear on my toes.  I'm going out of my mind.  They're worse after waking up and the only relief is scratching the hell out of them with either a bruch or rubbing with a towel to create friction, then putting ice on my hands.  I've been to the doctor and she was none the wiser but gave me a steroid cream to try.  I'm waiting for a referral to a dermatologist but in the meantime this cream is making things worse and I'm going out of my mind!! please help!

[a42121]

To the OP, thank you for posting the picture. I have the exact same thing in between my middle and ring fingers on both hands. The clusters are closer to the webs of my fingers, though, where the skin is driest.  I thought these were remnants of a fungal infection since I had a rash on my hand last March that resembled ringworm (but the test came back negative), and these clusters had also appeared at that time.

Now that it's winter and my skin has been drying up, these clusters have been reappearing. I have been applying hydrocortisone 2.5%, and at one point, they were gone.  I noticed that after I wore latex gloves in an attempt to keep my hands dry while shoveling, the mild sweat actually moisturized my hands and the tiny bumps were gone. I have also kept my hand-washing to a minimum, and make sure to pat my hands dry if I wet them.  

However, I recently took a break from applying the hydrocortisone, but then more popped up.  I considered making a visit to a dermatologist until I found this post. Thanks again for posting the picture.