Recent tabloid discussions about the King have you concerned about your own fingers? Two doctors explain why your worries have likely got out of hand. <\/p>
From the diamond-encrusted crown, to his gold sovereign\u2019s orb and silk robe, King Charles III\u2019s ceremonial garb has been discussed at length by media around the world ahead of His Majesty\u2019s coronation.<\/p>\n
However, many tabloid column inches \u2013 and a front page story<\/a> from national newspaper The Daily Star<\/em> \u2013 have pointed to another aspect of the monarch\u2019s appearance: his hands. Specifically, how they can occasionally appear red and swollen.<\/p>\n Inevitably following these stories, many commentators on social media have speculated if the royal could have a specific medical condition that could affect his fingers. Others with similar-looking hands have also now raised concerns they have an undiagnosed illness.<\/p>\n So, are swollen hands something to be worried about? According to medical experts, you simply can\u2019t tell from appearances alone.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is hypothesising so much about swollen hands, but photos don\u2019t reveal very much,\u201d says NHS GP and medical writer Dr Nish Manek<\/a>\u00a0tells BBC Science Focus<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf doctors could diagnose every patient from a photo alone, they\u2019d just ask you to send in an image and then reply back with your condition. But a doctor is very unlikely to get it right that way \u2013 there\u2019s really no point in doing this!\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, it is not possible to diagnose any person, including King Charles, from only looking at images. But just how worried should you be if you have red and swollen fingers or hands? And what information may a doctor need to make a diagnosis?<\/p>\n As Dr Gareth Nye<\/a> \u2013 programme lead for medical science at the University of Chester\u00a0\u2013 tells BBC Science Focus<\/em>, swollen hands are not necessarily cause for alarm.<\/p>\n \u201cThere certainly aren\u2019t any immediate health concerns to be concluded from swollen fingers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Manek adds: \u201cIf you have large fingers, this may simply be how you look \u2013 it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to point to any condition that needs to be diagnosed.\u201d<\/p>\n However, if you do notice that your hands are more swollen or red than usual, it is recommended that you speak to your doctor.<\/p>\n By asking you several questions, and considering factors such as your medical history and the duration of the symptoms, they may be able to diagnose you with one of many different health problems.<\/p>\n Red or swollen hands could be a symptom of many different conditions, but some common ones include:<\/p>\n Oedema is a condition where the body retains fluids in the limbs, which causes the affected area to swell. This is particularly common in the legs and ankles but may be occasionally present in the fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the area swells, it puts pressure on the underlying tissues and skin leading to the red appearance,\u201d says Nye.<\/p>\n \u201cOedema is a very common condition which mostly impacts people over the age of 65 as the ability for systemic fluid control is restricted.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about medical science:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dactylitis is a severe inflammation of the finger or toe tendons and joints, giving them a sausage-like appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cThe condition most commonly associated with swollen fingers is dactylitis which is most commonly seen in those with arthritis,\u201d says Nye.<\/p>\n \u201cDactylitis is unique as the swelling remains even if the underlying inflammation is controlled \u2013 if medications are treating the condition, body parts still may look inflamed and red.\u201d<\/p>\n A form of inflammatory arthritis, gout can cause sudden severe pain and swelling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a condition caused by a deposit of uric acid crystals in the joints causing pain and swelling,\u201d says Nye.<\/p>\n \u201cGout however tends to only impact individual joints rather than a whole hand for example.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Nye, other uncommon causes of swollen hands can include a high salt diet leading to fluid retention. Certain medicines \u2013 such as blood pressure medications or steroid medications \u2013 can cause swelling as a rare side effect.<\/p>\n Medical professionals have one key piece of advice about speculating about the health of celebrities solely from photos: don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n As Manek explains, however detailed photos or videos of a person you have, these images will not reveal critical information.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t work out from photos how a person is feeling \u2013 and that\u2019s a massive factor to consider when dealing with a patient,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Many tests are needed to diagnose the conditions above. For instance, take oedema. \u201cA clear diagnostic test for this condition is pressing the swollen area for about 15 seconds and examining if this causes a depression in the area,\u201d says Nye. \u201cIf it remains for some time, this could indicate oedema.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also many other factors to consider outside of appearance when making a diagnosis.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a photo, you may not be able to tell what other symptoms a person is experiencing \u2013 when<\/em> they experience the symptoms, how painful the affected area is, or if it flares up at certain times,\u201d explains Dr Nish.<\/p>\n \u201cHypothesising from a photo is so inaccurate. You can\u2019t really tell what\u2019s going on \u2013 and it could be nothing at all.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why when you send pictures to your GP, they will also want to speak to you and consider your medical and family history. If you could get a reasonable diagnosis from a picture, our jobs would be a lot easier!\u201d<\/p>\n Lesson learned: if concerned, it\u2019s best to consult a doctor \u2013 and not the British tabloid media \u2013 for a medical diagnosis.<\/p>\n Dr Nish Manek<\/strong> is an NHS general practitioner. She completed her medical degree at Imperial College and was runner-up in the University of London Gold Medal. Manek has also developed teaching courses for Oxford Medical School, and has penned articles for BBC Science Focus<\/em>, The Guardian<\/em> and Pulse<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n Dr Gareth Nye<\/strong> is a lecturer of physiology at Chester Medical School and is the programme lead for medical science. His research has been published in journals including the Journal Of Physiology <\/em>and Scientific Reports<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read more about medical science:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <\/body><\/html>\n Recent tabloid discussions about the King have you concerned about your own fingers? Two doctors explain why your worries have likely got out of hand. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27288,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers.jpg",1200,541,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers-300x135.jpg",300,135,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers-768x346.jpg",768,346,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers-1024x462.jpg",800,361,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers.jpg",1200,541,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/05\/the-king-charles-effect-no-theres-probably-nothing-wrong-with-your-fingers.jpg",1200,541,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Recent tabloid discussions about the King have you concerned about your own fingers? Two doctors explain why your worries have likely got out of hand.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27287"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What can cause red and swollen hands?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Oedema or \u2018fluid retention\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Dactylitis<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Gout<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Other causes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why you can\u2019t diagnose somebody from photos<\/strong><\/h2>\n
About our experts<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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