swelling in the web of fingers

[blondie579]

I occasionally have painful, itching, and swelling in the web of my fingers. It comes and goes, there is no rash but I can see white spots under the skin and it is hard. There are no growths, lesions or bumps. There is no pain or swelling in the fingers themselves or joints. It normally only affects one web of the fingers and sometime affects both hands. It last only a day or two and happens several times a month. There are no other symptoms. I do own birds, I am not sure of any relation to this but they are carried one the hands often but the nails do not penetrate the skin.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to allergic reaction to the bird’s droppings or bird mites. The other possibility is of pompholyx skin. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate symptoms a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).But they are available under prescription and should be taken only after consulting a dermatologist. Symptoms  can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If the symptoms persist then you should get it examined from 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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Caryopteris]

Maybe it's from bird mites?  Might check with other people with birds or your vet.