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Why are my fingers getting skinnier?

indiatimes.com - Why Your Fingers Expand and Shrink | Healthy Living - Indiatimes.com

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If you wear a ring, you've probably noticed that it fits loosely sometimes and becomes tight at other times. Read on to find out why this happens. Don't worry, you're not putting on and losing weight that fast!

Your body reacts to changes in temperature

The main reason why your fingers expand and shrink is because your body reacts to temperature changes in your surroundings. When you are in a cold environment, your body tries to keep your core warm by constricting your blood vessels and reducing the flow of blood to your skin. This process is called vasoconstriction. It is necessary because heat is lost from your skin to the environment, so your body tries to reduce the flow of blood to your extremities, especially to your fingers and toes. This causes your fingers and toes to shrink, so if you are wearing a ring on your finger, it will become loose. The opposite happens when it is warm outside. Your body tries to cool itself by dissipating heat through your skin, in a process we are all too familiar with: sweating. As the external temperature rises, your blood vessels dilate, so that your blood flow increases and the excess heat in your body can be released into the environment through your skin. This is known as vasodilation. This dilation causes your fingers and toes to expand, so if you are wearing a ring, it will suddenly become a lot tighter.

There are other causes of this phenomenon as well:

• Arthritis: If your fingers tend to swell every morning, it could be a sign of arthritis. • Exercise: Many people find that their hands swell during exercise. This could be due to the fact that exercise causes your muscles to generate heat, so your blood vessels expand in order to dissipate the excess heat. • Water retention: If you consume a lot of sodium (salt), your body retains a lot of water, which makes you feel puffy and bloated. Try to restrict your sodium intake, not just to reduce puffiness but also to boost your heart health. Edema is the medical term for fluid build-up in your feet, ankles, face and hands. Apart from a high-sodium diet, other factors like medications, congestive heart failure and liver or kidney disease can also cause edema. • Pregnancy: During pregnancy, your body produces about 50 percent more blood and other fluids, to help the baby grow. In fact, about 25 percent of the weight you gain during pregnancy is just water weight. This excess fluid fills up your tissues, especially those in your hands, feet and ankles. They help soften your joints and tissues and open them up, to help prepare your body for delivery. • Carpal tunnel syndrome: This is a problem that is typically faced by people who do a lot of work with their hands. Activities like typing for example can cause repetitive strain injuries, not just in your fingers but in your wrists, arms and elbows as well, causing them to swell.

*Image courtesy: ©Shutterstock

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