Swollen arms and hands (oedema)

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Swollen arms and hands (oedema)

Common causes of swollen arms and hands

Swelling in the arms and hands is often caused by a build-up of fluid in these areas.

This can be caused by:

staying in the same position for too long
eating too much salty food
taking certain medicines, such as some blood pressure medicines, contraceptive pills, antidepressants and steroids
cancer treatment
an infection or injury, such as a sprain or strain
sudden changes in temperature, such as very hot weather
an insect bite or sting, or a skin allergy such as angioedema
problems with your kidneys, liver or heart
a blood clot or circulation problems
lymphoedema

Symptoms of oedema

Symptoms of oedema in the arms or hands include:

The inside of 2 white arms, from wrist to elbow. 1 arm is swollen, so it looks much bigger and the skin is stretched tight.

Swollen or puffy arms or hands.

A swollen white hand that looks puffy. The skin is stretched and shiny, especially across the top of the hand and knuckles.

Shiny, stretched skin.

How to ease swelling yourself

If you have swelling in your arms or hands there are some things you can try that may help.

If you do not know what's causing the swelling, get advice from a health professional before trying these self-care tips.

Do

use pillows or cushions to raise your arm when lying or sitting
move your arm as normal
get some gentle exercise, like walking, to improve your blood flow
keep hydrated and drink fluids as normal
wash and dry your arms and hands to avoid infections, and moisturise to protect your skin
try to stay cool if you know getting hot makes the swelling worse

Don't

do not stay in the same position for long periods of time
do not wear clothes that are too tight

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

you have swelling in 1 or both arms or hands and there's no obvious cause, such as an injury
the swelling is severe, painful or starts very suddenly
the swollen area is red or feels hot to the touch
your arm or hand is swollen and your temperature is very high, or you feel hot and shivery
you have swelling in your arms, hands and other parts of your body
you have diabetes and your arm or hand is swollen

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Call 999 if:

you feel short of breath or are struggling to breathe
your chest feels tight, heavy or painful

You could have a blood clot in your lungs, or another serious problem that needs immediate treatment.

Treatment for swelling

Treatment for swelling or oedema that does not go away on its own will depend on the cause.

Possible treatments include:

changing your medicine if this is the cause of the swelling
treating any condition that is causing the swelling
diuretics (water tablets) to help reduce the swelling
wearing special gloves or sleeves to stop any swelling from coming back (compression aids)

Treatment may also include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or going on a low-salt diet.

Last Reviewed
09 October 2025