A blood clot in the finger, which is called a thrombus in the finger, is caused by local aggregation of blood in damaged vessels and tissues of the finger. A blood clot is formed by the normal reaction of our bodies to avoid excessive bleeding due to injury. It is dangerous to have blood clots in vital organs since this can lead to death, but having a blood clot in the finger is not and you can treat it at home.
Symptoms
The severity of the blood clot will depend on how much the blood vessel has been occluded. The most common symptoms are:
- A sudden pain whenever the area is touched. This makes it very difficult for you to function well, especially if the trauma is to several fingers.
- There is swelling in the affected areas. If the trauma was serious, you should check to see that there was no damage to the delicate bones below the clot
- The skin around the blood clot is discolored; it starts off as being red, then turns purple and finally black.
- The finger will feel tender to the touch
- There will also be pain when you touch something hot, such as your cup of hot chocolate in the morning or when you are cooking some food
Causes
The reason that the blood clot formed in the first place may not be alarming. The clot can form due to an incident that you never even paid attention to. However, some of the causes should not be taken for granted. Here are some of the causes of getting a blood clot in the finger:
- Injury or trauma – this would be events such as pinching, or when a door is slammed on the finger.
- Damage to the blood vessels by other activities. This is very common in people who use their hands when playing sports. Basketball players, baseball players, handball players and volleyball players come across this kind of injury several times within a single season.
- Immobilization – this is very common in people who have just come from surgery and do not move around a lot. The blood does not move as it should and a clot will form.
- Rupturing of a piece of cholesterol plaque in the finger’s blood vessels – this will normally cause bleeding in the tissues and this will form the blood clot.
It should be noted that when a blood clot in the finger completely blocks a blood vessel, it will affect the circulation of the blood. The finger will then swell a lot and turn red, then purple and finally black. This is a dangerous situation and should get immediate medical attention.
Treatment of blood clot in the finger
As you may have noticed the symptoms of a blood clot in the finger are not life-threatening. Therefore treatment can be done using home remedies. Here are some of them:
- You can apply a cold compress on the affected area so as to reduce swelling and pain. The use of ice on the finger every day will ensure that the blood clot dissolves within a week or so
- Take anti-inflammatory medication which will reduce the pain as well as the swelling. You should look for OTC drugs which are not addictive.
- Take a lot of fluids since dehydration increases the viscosity of blood and this increases the chances of coagulation. Drinking more fluids will encourage the clot to dissolve.
- Reduce your intake of proteins since they increase the viscosity of blood. Foods which have high protein content, such as animal proteins should be discouraged. Try taking lentils and legumes instead.
- Should the problem persist, or a blood vessel is completely blocked, you should consult a doctor.
Some interesting facts about blood clot in the finger
There are no over-the-counter remedies for blood clot in finger since it is a minor injury. However, having an injury to the finger can be particularly painful since you use your hands most every day of your life. Your hands are the busiest external organs of your body. They move more than the legs and any other body part. This is why this injury is most uncomfortable. You should try the home remedies mentioned above and get faster relief.
Blood clots in fingers are an unsightly occurrence and can bring about some discomfort if the trauma excessive. However, they can easily be treated and the pain can be managed through pain medication. It is only when the occurrence persists that you should see a doctor. Most times, the clot will simply disappear on its own, especially if it was a small one. A large blood clot should not be taken lightly since this means that the trauma affected a large part of the finger.
