It causes the nail bed to appear higher than the finger behind it, while the ends of the fingers bulge outward.
Paronychia: This is a painful infection and swelling of the cuticle, the skin around the fingernail.Other medical conditions can result in a swollen index finger, such as the following. Gout: A buildup of uric acid in the joints due to gout can cause the sudden appearance of swollen, thickened, painfully inflamed fingers.Any type of arthritis: This can cause swelling, pain, and deformity of the joints of the fingers.Inflammatory conditions that can result in a swollen index finger include: This very tight, painful swelling can cut off circulation and lead to serious complications. Fascia, the sheets of tough white tissue that bind muscles and nerves together into "compartments," are surrounding the injured tissue and limiting room to swell or to drain blood. Compartment syndrome: This can follow a crush injury.Breaks in the skin: If the skin is broken, infection can cause redness, swelling, and pain.It's also important to keep in mind complications of any injury that may arise, leaving you vulnerable to permanent damage or infection.
Repetitive strain injury or overuse: This can occur from manual labor, or even typing can cause tendinitis of the finger with resultant pain and swelling.
This can forcibly bend the first joint downward and injure the tendon so that the fingertip is left swollen and pointing downward.
A common occurrence is mallet finger, caused by a ball smashing directly into the end of the finger.