Cracks in the arms as a symptom of the disease

Despite the fact that cracks in the hands appear almost always for one reason, due to the dryness of the skin of the hands, the very phenomenon of changes in the characteristics of the skin can be due to many factors, some of which are disorders of the body. But how can you even approximately understand whether it is worth sounding the alarm or just paying more attention to caring for your own hands? Let's try to figure out what symptoms besides cracks in the hands will say that the person is sick.

Dry cracks on the hands, which can be of different depths on the palms and other parts of the brush, without any other symptoms most often speak of dry skin of the hands, as a result of which it cracks. Such cracks usually appear in the area of the joints on the fingers (less frequently in the wrist area) and on the palms (usually along the lines passing on them). Sometimes the appearance of cracks is preceded by a slight peeling of the epidermis and unexpressed itching.

Most often cracks can be found on the fingers. And this is not surprising, because this is the most mobile part of the brush, which also has thin skin. Prolonged contact with water, and especially with aqueous solutions of detergents, severe temperature drops, exposure to sunlight, frost or wind, work in the ground or with chemicals - all this can be considered factors causing cracking of the skin on the fingers. But in this case, at first, skin coarsening is observed on the inner and lateral (less often the back) surfaces of the fingers, and only then cracks appear. Such sores on the skin cause pain and severe discomfort when flexing the fingers.

If cracks in the fingers appear due to disturbances in the body, they are usually accompanied by the appearance of other symptoms. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the same allergy is accompanied not only by dry skin, but also by noticeable itching, rashes, redness and swelling of the tissues.

The crack between the fingers on the hand  can also appear for a variety of reasons. If it appeared after washing or cleaning, then it most likely became a manifestation of contact dermatitis. Subsequent contact with the allergen can again expect a similar reaction. At the same time, the person will simultaneously feel both itching and pain at the site of the wound, the wound may get wet. If we exclude contact with the allergen, the skin will soon return to normal, the wound will heal, and others will not appear again.

In case a crack that appears once does not heal for a long time, and after a while new cracks appear, you can suspect a fungal disease that has a recurring nature. In this case, wounds will appear with any weakening of the immune system, and not due to contact with irritating factors. In the area of cracks, reddening and swelling of tissues, the formation of whitish plaque can be observed. Usually, the interdigital space cracks are quite deep and painful, and the symptoms are aggravated by irritating factors. But if these factors are excluded, they do not completely disappear, as with contact dermatitis.

And one more important point. If we are talking about a fungal infection, the use of wound healing creams does not give a good effect.

Sometimes cracks in the interdigital space appear for the same reasons as in the palms. This is a form of psoriasis that affects the hands and feet. Psoriasis is characterized by the appearance of rounded, well-defined lesions covered with a flaky horny layer, on which cracks appear. Eczema can remind oneself of itching and cracking between the fingers. In this case, the skin will initially form inflamed lesions with blisters, and wounds will appear after opening the blisters.

Bubbles and cracks in the fingers and in the interdigital space most often occur during eczema or contact dermatitis, caused by an inadequate response of the body to an irritating factor, identical to the reaction to a splinter.

Sometimes you can observe the appearance of cracks on the fingers near the nails. Usually these cracks are deeper and may even bleed. The skin at the edges of the wound is very rough, dry. The causes of wounds near the nails can be different. This is the influence of adverse factors from the outside, and internal causes. But if we are talking about violations in the body, cracks usually appear on other parts of the body (for example, on the sole, palms, elbows, etc.).

The appearance of cracks on the fingers near the nails may indicate the development of a fungal infection. Onychomycosis of the nails on the hands is manifested by dryness of the skin of the palms and fingers, hyperkeratosis (thickening, keratinization) of the epidermis in the area and near the nail bed, itching in the area of the palms, and a change in the structure of the nail plate, as a result of which cracks also form on the nails of the hands. In this case, the nail changes its color, begins to collapse, moves away from the nail bed.

But in the case of a fungal infection, cracks in the hands should rather be viewed not as the first signs of the disease, but as its cause (wounds on which dried organisms penetrate deep into the skin), or a symptom of complications, form on dry skin. With the introduction of the fungus and the complications of the disease, inflammation of the nail roll often occurs. It swells up, becomes painful, becomes covered with a dry crust, which begins to peel off, is covered with scales and can crack.

But if the peeling and cracks around the nail do not affect the nail plate and are not associated with the impact of negative environmental factors, then we can talk about one of the following pathologies: avitaminosis, eczema, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hormonal imbalance. Perhaps similar symptoms in other parts of the body have not yet appeared, or they simply did not pay attention.

If cracks appear on the palms of your hands, you can suspect the following pathological causes:

• Dry eczema on the hands. This is an inflammatory disease, so the formation of an itchy area with hyperemia and edema is first observed. On this site appear bubbles with a transparent liquid, after the bursting of which the skin begins to crack. The reason for the appearance of the disease in a particular person can only be determined by the doctor, Veda eczema is a pathology that can be caused by both external and internal causes associated with the disruption of the endocrine, nervous and other systems and organs.
• Dermatitis of the hands. This is a pathology of an allergic nature, peculiar to people with sensitive skin. Contact with the allergen (usually repeated) leads to the formation of skin rashes and erosions, which hold for a long time, then dragging on, then again inflaming, and lead to the formation of cracks.
• Palmar and plantar psoriasis. In this case, the skin in the palm area becomes thicker and dry, it becomes inflamed and reddened, it becomes painful due to the formation of deep cracks on it, and large, light scales appear on it. Lesions usually have a rounded shape.
• In the case of the palmar – plantar psoriasis, cracks usually appear on the arms (in the area of the palms) and legs (the sole and the foot). Identical picture can also be observed with palm-plantar keratosis. This is a disease of older people (men over 50 are more often ill), the cause of which can be both external factors and vitamin A deficiency or metabolic disorders. Pathology is characterized by the formation of roughness and compaction of the skin in the soles and palms. The skin changes its color to yellowish or brown and begins to crack. In most cases, the disease is accompanied by excessive sweating of the affected areas. Deep cracks in the arms and legs are not always accompanied by severe pain due to thickening and coarsening of the affected areas, which are usually placed symmetrically.

But cracks in the palms can also form under the influence of external causes, arising on non-inflamed, but excessively dry skin. Peeling and cracks in the hands under the influence of external factors quite often occur in people with delicate and sensitive skin, without even a long stay of hands in water or severe frost. Such skin must be protected from negative influence from the outside with creams and special means of protection.

If cracks appear on the palms of the hands and at the same time they are scratched, many immediately think that the cause is a fungal disease. In fact, itching is a symptom of allergy, a kind of body reaction to an allergen, which may be a detergent or detergent, laundry detergent, and food products. Itching also occurs with excessive dryness and flaking of the skin caused by a vitamin deficiency.

In some cases, itchy skin is a nervous reaction to stress. And even hormonal imbalance can be stressful for the body. So to say immediately, what caused the appearance of cracks and itching on the palms of the hands, it will not be easy even for a doctor, not what you and I are. It is clear that such a pathology can be treated only after finding out the reasons for its development, because the treatment of avitaminosis, fungal diseases, allergies and disorders of the central nervous system will proceed according to different schemes and using different drugs and methods.

Cracks in the hands with diabetes, metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders, endocrine diseases do not have a clear localization. As a result of the disease, the skin becomes dry on other parts of the body. Thus, with hypothyroidism, cracks can first appear on the skin of the elbows and knees, and then on the hands. But in case of diabetes mellitus there are problems with the treatment of wounds, which, due to the high level of glucose in the blood, heal very poorly.

When pellagra unusual peel, prone to cracking can cover all hands, if they are not protected from the influence of sunlight. The same areas may appear in other open areas of the body. And for Sjogren's syndrome, in addition to the cracks on the hands, dry eyes with complaints of itching, burning and pain, photophobia, dryness of the oral mucous membranes with the formation of painful cracks on the lips and in the corners of the mouth, atrophy of the mucous genital organs, rheumatoid lesions of muscles and joints, respiratory disease are characteristic. Systems and kidneys, etc.

It is very difficult to judge the reason for the appearance of skin cracking in adults without visual examination and consultation of a dermatologist, given that cracks in the hands may appear even in a child, and the child's age does not greatly limit the list of possible causes of such changes in the skin.

For example, cracks in the hands of children, like adults, may appear under the influence of detergents (soap), cold (baby skin is tender, therefore too low temperatures can harm it), earth, sunlight, wind, etc. In both adults and children, there is sometimes an unusual reaction to cold, which is called frost allergy. At the same time, the skin becomes very red and then begins to itch and peel off, sometimes with the formation of microcracks and ulcers.

Babies, like their older relatives, can show up such diseases as diabetes, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, which can appear at any age and be accompanied by the formation of cracks in the arms and legs. In childhood, these diseases often occur differently than in adults, so cracking and itching of the skin can only be the first signs of a disease that parents did not even suspect. Is this not a serious reason to show a child to a specialist when these symptoms appear, if it helps to seize the disease at the very beginning?

In adolescence, skin changes are usually associated with hormonal surges, so it is not surprising if the teenager’s skin becomes too oily or dry. But even in this case one should not rule out the influence of possible pathological factors hidden inside the body. It is possible that an incipient disease says so about itself, and the sooner it is diagnosed, the easier it will be to undergo its treatment.

Diagnostics of the cracking hands

By themselves, cracks in the hands say little about the reasons for their appearance, so the result of self-diagnosis is often a part of the error. Even an experienced therapist and a dermatologist, to whom it is worth contacting about dryness and cracking of the skin, cannot always immediately and unambiguously deliver a verdict. In order to get an accurate diagnosis, sometimes you have to go through multiple examinations.

For a preliminary diagnosis, which will prompt the doctor in which direction to conduct further research, physical examination and dialogue with the patient is necessary. After all, to understand the cause of the symptom, you need to clarify what factors preceded its appearance. A dermatologist may ask whether the skin had come into contact with household chemicals the day before, clarify the patient’s profession (this symptom may be due to professional activity, when a person’s hands are regularly exposed to water, cold, earth, or chemicals) and dietary patterns. It is clear that if there are other symptoms of indisposition, they will definitely need to be told about the doctor.

More information about the pathology can give the doctor test results. General blood and urine analysis will tell about the condition of the patient's internal organs. Blood biochemistry will help not only to clarify the state of the organs, but also to obtain information about the metabolism, to identify deficiencies of vitamins and trace elements. A blood test for glucose will help to assess the concentration of non-processed sugar in the body and to identify such a pathology as diabetes. If you suspect helminthiasis (and against the background of this pathology, avitaminosis often develops), you will have to pass a stool and blood test.

If the cracks are inflamed and poorly healed, the doctor will take a scraping of the wound contents for bacteriological analysis. In this way, it is possible to detect the causative agent that caused the inflammation of the tissues (and this can be both bacteria and fungi).

If cracks appear on reddened, inflamed skin covered with a layer of scales, it will be necessary to scrape the tissue in this area. This will help to differentiate the lesions of dermatitis and eczema from the foci of psoriasis, fungal infection and other diseases that have similar manifestations.

If we are talking about diseases of an allergic nature, then in this case it is desirable to make a test to identify the allergen. This will help in the future to avoid contact with the substance that causes allergic reactions, and to make more effective the choice of drugs for the treatment of dryness and cracks in the hands.

If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, your doctor may prescribe a blood test for hormones.

Doctors rarely use instrumental diagnostics of cracks in the skin of the hands and feet. For example, ultrasound and other types of research can be assigned rather to assess the extent of organ damage from identified diseases (for helminth infections, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases).

[1], [2], [3], [4]

Differential diagnosis

Since there are quite a few reasons for the appearance of cracks in the hands, and the symptom itself doesn’t say much, a certain degree of professionalism is required from the doctor when performing differential diagnostics, because different reasons will indicate completely different pathologies in the body. And even if we are talking about an allergic reaction, it is important to differentiate the diseases of this nature among themselves in order for the diagnosis to be as accurate as possible. For example, the doctor must clearly understand what he is dealing with: allergies, or dermatitis, developing on the background of a predisposition to allergic reactions.

[5], [6], [7]

Complications and consequences

Peeling and cracks in the hands could be considered as a kind of cosmetic defect, if not for the torment that they bring to their owners. Still, a crack in the skin, even the shallowest, can cause quite sensitive pains, aggravated by cold. Under the influence of water and detergents, when bending the fingers or clenching them into a fist, etc. Any manual work becomes a noticeable test for a person, because it is associated with pain.

For women, the appearance of unaesthetic cracks and flaking on their hands is a double misfortune, because women's hands, as has been the custom of old, should be the pride of women, and not a reason for condemnation. Dry, peeling skin with wounds and red spots does not look very well-groomed, and no manicure situation can not be corrected. That is, when such defects appear on the hands of a woman, she is forced to experience not only pain, but also shame, irritation, self-doubt and her attractiveness.

And to treat painful cracks is not so simple. If the wound on the leg or other part of the body can be treated with an antiseptic, smeared with ointment and covered with a bandage (or sealed with a plaster), which will prevent infection and will allow the wound to heal quickly, it will be more difficult with cracks in the hands. Our hands are constantly in motion: they take something, wash it, clean it, wash it, and they themselves have to be washed regularly, so neither the patch nor the bandage can effectively protect the wound from negative factors so that it heals faster.

It turns out that the wound is often unprotected and infection can easily get into it. Redness of the cracks in the hands in most cases just indicates that the wound was inflamed due to dirt, bacteria, fungal infection. If in this case nothing is done, then pus will appear at the site of redness over time, which will further complicate the treatment. Yes, and may have unpleasant consequences in the form of sepsis (blood infection).

This is despite the fact that while we were talking about cracks that appeared as a result of external factors. But after all, a change in the state of the skin can be a symptom of the disease. And no matter how dangerous the disease. Take, for example, allergies. By itself, a local allergic reaction does not pose a great danger, although it has unpleasant manifestations. But if such reactions occur regularly, a person may develop a disease such as atopic dermatitis, which is sometimes quite difficult to treat.

In addition, it is rather difficult to predict how the immune system will behave during each subsequent contact with the allergen. At first, these may be local reactions, and in the future it is not surprising that common (runny nose, sneezing, coughing, laryngeal edema, etc.) appear, which in turn can lead to chronic diseases (rhinitis, bronchitis, otitis, asthma, etc.) .d.)

If the crack on the finger does not heal for a long time, this may indicate such a complication as wound infection or be a sign of diabetes. In this disease, cracks and ulcers appear on the skin rather quickly, but they heal with great difficulty. Ignoring such a symptom, you can start a disease that gives complications to various human organs.

But what to say, whatever the disease, reminiscent of a dry skin and cracked hands, can not be ignored. After all, the earlier the pathology is revealed, the more chances to cope with it, or at least to prevent possible complications.

[8], [9]

Prevention

Prevention of dryness and cracking of the skin is not so difficult as to cause palpable difficulties. Popular preventive measures are:

• Regular protection of hands from adverse weather conditions (in frosty weather, you should wear mittens and gloves, you should not go out into the cold and wind with wet and steamed hands in water, in summer you should protect your hands with special sunscreens, in winter - with creams to protect against cold and wind).
• Protection from adverse environmental conditions (working in the garden, repairing, washing dishes, cleaning the apartment using household chemicals, etc., these are events in which hands should be protected with cloth and rubber gloves).
• If the work is carried out without gloves, the skin of the hands must be protected with the help of means forming a strong film on the skin surface (silicone glue has such properties), or at least ordinary protective creams. At the end of the work, which can increase the dryness of the skin (for example, washing clothes or painting), it is desirable to lubricate the hands with glycerin, lanolin, any moisturizing or greasy cream.
• Hygiene is a prerequisite for a healthy lifestyle. But for washing hands it is recommended to use mild detergents, for example, baby or cosmetic soap, bath soap with glycerin, liquid soap (laundry soap, although considered the most natural, but has a strong drying effect, is therefore not suitable for dry skin of hands).
• After washing your hands with water from the tap, you must wipe the skin with a towel, but do it gently, without rubbing or using electric dryers.
• It is necessary to regularly carry out skin care procedures for the hands. It can be baths, compresses, masks and creams for hands with moisturizing and nourishing action. Choosing professional cosmetic products you need to pay attention to what age category they are intended for.
• For people with allergic reactions, it is advisable to determine the allergen that provokes the onset of symptoms. In the future, it is better to avoid contact with such substances and take antihistamines.
• To avoid a deficiency in the body of vitamins and minerals useful for the skin, you need to switch to a balanced diet, adjusting your diet in the direction of healthy foods. In the spring-winter period, when in vegetables and fruits, the content of vitamins decreases markedly, it is useful to switch to vitamin-mineral complexes.
• In any case, you should try to avoid stress, which, it turns out, can badly affect the condition of our skin, manifested in the form of itching and cracks in the hands.
• If you have noticed unusual symptoms indicating the development of the disease, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible for advice and treatment, which will help prevent such disorders in the body that lead to increased dryness and coarsening of the skin of the hands and feet.

Cracks in the hands are usually not the first sign of pathology, but its complication, indicating that a person has simply overlooked the onset of the disease and is now reaping the fruits of his carelessness and inattention to his body. Nevertheless, this is not a sentence, which means that it is worth fighting for your health and the beauty of your skin.

[10], [11]

Forecast

Cracks in the hands are not a deadly pathology and, if desired, are treated without consequences and traces on the skin. Complications can usually occur in the absence of treatment of deep bleeding cracks, non-compliance with the requirements of hand hygiene, insufficient protection of wounds from contamination (especially when working with soil, dirty water, raw meat, bathing in open water, etc.). Not so favorable prognosis and the appearance of cracks in the hands of patients with diabetes mellitus, in which any wounds are delayed for a very long time and therefore are more likely to become infected.

Surgical treatment of a defect in the skin is usually not resorted to, except that the lack of timely and effective treatment of a deep crack will lead to infection and severe necrosis of finger tissue (gangrene), which will have to be amputated to stop the process. This situation is possible in patients with diabetes.

A crack on the fingers and palms may not be of great danger, but the pain and itchiness accompanying them can severely damage a person’s life, and the treatment of such defects can be delayed for several days and weeks. Perhaps in this regard, it is worth thinking about how to prevent cracks in the arms and legs.