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Burning finger tips

On my left hand all four fingers and thumb have a burning sensation especially my middle finger, when i press my finger tips they indent and stay a deep red for a good ten minutes before they return to a pink colour that is a deeper pink than normal. the fingers have become very sensitive to hot and cold and also when i touch them gently they are very sensitive and feel like they have been sand papered, the palm of my hand is also starting to burn a lttle as well. Incidentally the very tip of my middle finger and wedding ring finger feel numb at the tip and sides of the nails. My right hand does not have the burning sensation (yet) but the very tips of my fingers feel a little bit numb. That about sums it up!
This has been like this for about 3 weeks i've been hoping it would clear up but it is getting worse, I've made an appointment with the doctor for next week. Just thought I would ask if anybody has any ideas?
Many thanks!
Best Answer
Avatar universal
Glad the doc was able to give you a diagnosis.  Perhaps your second opinion doc will have better meds to offer.  I have it, I take so many meds for other conditions that I can't be sure what is working, but there are stronger drugs your second doc might give you.  I wish there was a salve to numb things, but then you wind up getting it in your eye.  You might could put neosporin ointment on there with damp tissue and then wear some gloves at bedtime a couple times a week.  Also, soaking your hands in very cool water helps numb them up temporarily.  If your upper back or shoulder is bothering you, be sure to tell your second doc.  Also, diabetes can cause it.  There's probably other things too.  It would be good to know WHY you have it, you see, in order to lessen it or make it stop.

I've had peripheral neuropathy in my feet from a bad back for years, and then I wound up with severe chemo-induced neuropathy in hands and feet on top of the mild case I had, and talk about misery!  But I knew after the treatments were over, it would subside, my hands are much better, but since my feet had it to begin with, they still have it but not too terribly bad.  Altho just the other day, I simply laid one foot on top of the other, and one of my toenails pushed into my big toe, and it hurt so bad that tears came to my eyes.  So, yeah, they are super sensitive.  Just wanted to share to help you feel a little better about the situation.
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Avatar universal
My brother is 9 and his index finger feelas if its on fire. He was playing a game with a rope but only got rope burn on his thumb. There is no sign ofany damage to his index finger. He cried and we put a pain killer gel on his finger and a soft glove for it to not ruboff. Does anyone know whats wrong with his finger?
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Avatar universal
can ya'll help me i have a similar problem but it is only in my ring finger on my right hand. it feels like its burning and hot. it hurts when i hit my hand on the table, hit enter one the keyboard. can ya'll help me understand i am only 15 years old.
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Avatar universal
Hi - What happened with the neurologist? I have the same issue in my fingers. And, like you, its better at night. I go to neurologist tomorrow.
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Please do keep us posted.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for all your replies!
I have an appointment with a neurologist on 2nd July I'll let you know how I get on, I'll tell you one strange thing though after reading about peripheral neuropathy. When i go to bed the burning is there, when I wake up, the burning has gone... when I touch my finger tips they feel a bit numb. Then when I start to get washed etc. it starts to burn again! The same every night... from what I've read they say it gets worse at night, don't understand that bit... Thanks again for the info!  
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Avatar universal
Paracetamol for PN?  I think you should get a second opinion about your situation.  Sounds like this physician you just saw didn't do very much and he sounds like he doesn't know very much either.  

PN can be secondary to something else and if that problem is corrected then the PN may be corrected/subside.  Sometimes it is idiopathic (no exact cause can be determined) and in that case it can be managed with medication.  

Find someone interested in investigating your situation that knows what he/she is talking about.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you for that! and guess what?
I got an early appointment with the doctor today, he said peripheral neuropothy and to that he added there's nothing can be done, there's no cure and to take paracetamol for the burning pain... I came away feeling comforted as you can imagine. Maybe he's right but think I might get a second opinion, there must be something a little bit better than paracetamol. Oh well, better to have neuropothy than a brain tumour! but then again you can cure a brain tumour! thanks again for the info...
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Avatar universal
Might be peripheral neuropathy, that happens when for example you hurt the part of your upper spine where nerves go to the hands, and it can make the hands red and painful, numbish.  An X-ray of the cervical spine will show if something is amiss.  But generally if some nerves get jammed up or are trapped by, say, swelling and inflammation, they'll settle down and so too will the hand symptoms.  Also could be you touched something allergic-like in the yard, usually stickers will do this, and it will inflame the hand like you describe, in which case some skin salve can be prescribed.

Sometimes when a person has diabetes, then their blood circulation gets compromised, BUT when that happens, when you push on a pinkish or reddish hand, you won't get a continuing pinkish or reddish, rather the white impression that you'll sometimes see will STAY white.  On the other hand, redness in the hands can also indicate something is going on with the circulation, particularly as relates to the heart, but that's just a general thing, I don't know for sure what red hands mean as relates to the blood.  Hope that will give you enuff food for thought!
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