pain in index finger

[iramala]

I woke up two days ago and noticed that my left index finger was sore. The soreness is over to the side in the soft part of the index finger between the first knuckle and the nail.  It hurts if I type or if I press on it in anyway.  It also throbs a  little and feels hot.  There is no detectable swelling or any sort of cyst of any type but the pain has become more bothersome over the last 24 hours.  What could be causing this?  Should I be worried?  I wouldn't really be bothered except I am a guitarist and I don't want it to affect my playing.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Thanks for writing back. If the pain is on the side of the pulp of the finger then a few possibilities need to be ruled out. These include Raynaud’s disease (narrowing of the blood vessels in the fingers), scleroderma (progressive disease that involves the hardening of the skin and connective tissues) and peripheral vascular disease as well. I suggest you to get an evaluation done from a physician in that case.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[iramala]

Thank you so much for your nice reply. The pain went away for a little while but now it's back. It is actually on the opposite side of my finger from my nail.  It's more on the area of my index finger that you see when you turn your hand palm up, the part with which you touch things. I don't know if that changes anything or not.  It went away and I thought it was gone but here it is again. Strangest thing.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
This pain and sorenss can be due to paronychia. It results from a breakdown of the protective barrier between the nail and the nail fold. Diagnosed by gram staining and KOH wet mounts from the skin and nail scrapings.

Treatment includes warm water soaks of the affected finger 3-4 times per day, oral antibiotics, topical antifungals and surgical intervention in more severe cases. My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.