If you wake up in the morning your hands are swollen and bloated, you may wonder why that is. Why do my hands swell up when I sleep? We’re going to talk about some of the causes for that and treatments that can help.
There are actually quite a few reasons why your hands may swell up, and that’s why it’s important to consider all the possibilities. Even if you think you know why your hands might be swelling, there could be an underlying reason for these symptoms.
We can’t examine you and tell you what the issue is, but if the problem is serious, you should consult a doctor. Otherwise, keep on reading and see if maybe you can spot the reason why you’re experiencing swelling in your hands when you wake up in the morning.
Pregnancy
A lot of women get swollen feet and swollen hands during pregnancy. Why do my hands and feet swell up when I sleepwhile pregnant? It’s because of the way pregnancy is affecting the production of liquids in the body. When someone is pregnant, their body is producing about 50% more liquids than usual. Some of that can end up in the extremities, especially during periods of inactivity, like sleeping.
So, if you’re pregnant, you may wake up with swollen feet or hands. That comes from staying in one position during the night and then a lot of the excess liquid draining to your appendages.
Why do my hands swell and I sleep and what can I do about it? If you’re experiencing this swelling while pregnant, is probably nothing you need to be concerned about.
This is considered perfectly normal behavior for your body, and simply walking around after you wake up can help return the fluids to where they’re supposed to be. The swelling should go away on its own after a short period of activity in the morning.
If you do have concerns about the swelling that occurs while pregnant, you may want to talk to your doctor. You may be getting too much protein or sodium in your diet, and it might be necessary to adjust how much you’re getting.
Arthritis
Another reason your hands may swell up as you are sleeping could be due to a bone condition, particularly arthritis. As arthritis causes your joints to inflamed, that can make your hands swell up, particularly after a night of sleep.
Even different kinds of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and cervical spondylosis could affect your joints and cause swelling in your hands. To treat this problem, your doctor may advise a surgery to repair or replace joints. However, you might not need something so drastic. Sometimes, physical therapy can help to relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis and prevent the symptoms from being so bad in the future, giving you greater strength and mobility in your joints. Your doctor may also recommend medications based on your symptoms and the kind of arthritis you have.
Water Retention
Why do my hands swell up when I sleep? The answer could be due to how much water your body is retaining. If it’s holding in too much water, that can cause swelling in the extremities. This could be a sign that your kidneys aren’t working like they should, as the kidneys help to get rid of extra fluids and remove toxins out of your body. Kidney issues could be the root cause behind your swollen hands when you wake up in the morning.
Your body may also be retaining too much water because you are consuming too much salt. Reducing sodium in your diet can help with swelling. Often, dietary changes can make a difference in how swollen your body is. Cutting back on unhealthy beverages, salty snacks, and high sodium foods can reduce the amount of swelling you experience, both during the day and over the night.
How do you know if what you’re experiencing is an indication of kidney trouble? If you feel unusually tired, you had trouble focusing, or you experience shortness of breath often, you may have a kidney issue, and you should consult your doctor.
Why do my hands and fingers swell when I sleep? A dietary change or a treatment for kidney disease could be the solution for this issue.
Not Enough Exercise
A lack of activity can lead to excessive fluid buildup. Why did my hands and feet swell when I sleep? It could be because you’re not getting enough exercise throughout the day. The lack of activity and a sedentary lifestyle can make your body more likely to drain liquids into the extremities.
If you are not moving around very much and you don’t get enough exercise, you’re more likely to notice swollen hands and feet if you sit in one place for too long during the day. This can happen on airplanes, particularly as the pressure of high altitude flying effects your body. However, it can happen during the night as well, and you could wake up with swollen hands and feet because you don’t get enough exercise. This is usually an indication of poor circulation, which can definitely be improved by getting more exercise each day.
Poor Circulation
A lack of proper circulation can be caused by any number of health issues. It could be due to obesity, as your body will need to work harder if you’re overweight to push blood through your veins. Your heart will have to work harder in order to get blood through your arteries. All of this can lead to poor circulation, which can result in swollen extremities.
Why do my hands and legs swell when I sleep? It’s a good idea to check your circulation and see if you need to make some changes there. A lack of proper circulation can cause swelling and discomfort.
To treat this problem, you may need to lose weight, exercise more, or simply massage the affected extremities. Depending on your health and the severity of the swelling, you may only need to make some minor changes in order to reduce the risk of swelling. In some cases, it may take a lot of work and months of effort to make an impact on that morning swelling.
If it is poor circulation that causes your swelling, then you can usually temporarily get rid of the swelling by massaging the affected area or by moving around. Simple activity like walking around your house can improve your circulation, getting your blood flowing again. This can eliminate the swelling for a short period of time.
Hopefully, this answers questions you may have about “Why do my hands swell when I sleep pregnant?” or “What’s causing swelling extremities when I wake up in the morning?” If none of the choices we’ve given you seem to make sense and these solutions do not appear to be making a difference when you apply them to your life, you may need to consult your doctor. An experienced medical practitioner may be able to get to the root of the problem faster and help you figure out why your hands are swelling at night or why you wake up with swollen hands in the morning.
The discomfort or numbness that you experience with swollen hands can be treated by making changes to reduce and eliminate swelling. Sometimes the solution is as simple as changing up your diet or spending more time on your feet, and sometimes it requires medical treatment, including surgery or medications.
