Painful Red Bumps just on palms of hands

Help!!

Not sure if I got this diving or just swimming at the beach in St Thomas USVI, but I have red blister-like bumps on the palms of my hands and they are very painful to the touch. Almost a stinging sensation when I apply pressure to them.. I have had them almost a week and I can barely grasp anything with my hands it hurts so much. Any ideas? I can attach a pic if needed. It's really weird, because it just on the palms of my hands and no where else and it has not spread. I may go to a dermatologist soon... THANKS!

Why have you not gone to a doctor? A medical professional is going to give you much more relevant information than random strangers on the internet. Good Luck!

It's essentially impossible to diagnose a dermatitis over the internet. This could be a contact injury from fire coral or something similar, or an allergic reaction to creosote or something similar on a line or piling, or it could be a viral illness like a cocksackie virus. Given the length of symptoms, I'd highly recommend you have a medical professional take a look at it.

Rutger:

Why have you not gone to a doctor? A medical professional is going to give you much more relevant information than random strangers on the internet. Good Luck!

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Just curious, Rutger. What do you see as the appropriate function(s) of this Diving Medicine forum?

Thanks,

DocVikingo

PS: To those familiar with this forum the doctors who regularly contribute most certainly are not "random," and some would not consider us "strangers."

Firstly, let me say that my post was not intended to disparage the medical professionals who contribute their opinion in this sub-forum. We are all here to learn and share. That is the first function of any online forum.

Second, let me offer my apologies as a new member who did-not properly read the sub-forum heading. I was surfing "new posts" and jumped into this one. I'm not a medical professional, nor do I play one on TV. So I should not have even made a comment in this forum, leaving it up to those qualified to answer.

Finally, a comment on why I did post and to answer DocVikingo's question. I was surprised that an individual would let acute presentation of symptoms wait for a week and only then choose to solicit comments online. It is my layman's opinion that an online medical forum such as this would not be used as your PRIMARY form of medical diagnosis and treatment. It should be used to supplement the information gathered during primary investigation OR to seek guidance on how to go about seeking medical treatment as well as any myriad of secondary and topical discussion on medical matters that are not immediately life threatening.

My opinion is that if you have a condition that is causing debilitating pain to the loss of functionality (OP: "I have had them almost a week and I can barely grasp anything with my hands it hurts so much.") then why are you waiting a week to let the internet solve your problem. Why have you not already sought immediate primary care by a professional who can view and more reasonably be able to treat the problem first-hand (no pun intended).

What this forum cannot do is:

- Make a concrete diagnosis from a 3 sentence posting.
- Prescribe treatment
- Source and Administer medications.

This is simply my opinion in answer to DocVikingo's valid question. My appologies for hijacking the thread.

To the OP, I trust that your condition is improving and resolves swiftly. Take Care.

EDIT - Also, I am a Canadian. Perhaps this skews my perspective on seeking medical treatment. I had not considered that perhaps seeking medical advice from a physician at a clinic, office or hospital may result in a prohibitively expensive bill. The fact that my nation's medical fees ultimately come from our federal personal income tax means a visit to the Dr. only costs $25. For that price, I don't see a restriction preventing seeking care. Perhaps in this case, the OP is avoiding an expensive bill for something that a physician may tell him to get some $10 cortisone cream OTC.

DocVikingo:

Just curious, Rutger. What do you see as the appropriate function(s) of this Diving Medicine forum?

Thanks,

DocVikingo

PS: To those familiar with this forum the doctors who regularly contribute most certainly are not "random," and some would not consider us "strangers."

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TSandM:

viral illness like a cocksackie virus.

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I tried to look this up and only found "coxsackie". (not to second guess you Lynn, I was just curious)

In any case, it says coxsackie usually has no complications and recovery is in 7-10 days. Most stings from various marine organisms I've had here in the Caribbean are the same. It's burns or stings, then itches for a while and goes away. Bummer on your vacation though.

I would go see a Doc. if it was me.

Oops, my misspelling! And yes, coxsackie virus is usually self-limited, as are most contact dermatitis problems, but I have heard of people having prolonged symptoms after contact with stinging marine organisms.

The bottom line is to seek a consultation with a good professional (and for skin stuff, dermatologists really ARE better than the rest of us).

I think the biggest and best use of this forum is when someone has been told something from a non diving-savvy doctor, and wants to know if those of us who have education in both medicine AND diving might have a different perspective. Trying to assist people with specific symptoms rarely seems very useful to me, since I have enough trouble diagnosing people sometimes when they are in front of me and I can ask them questions and actually examine them!

TSandM:

Oops, my misspelling! And yes, coxsackie virus is usually self-limited, as are most contact dermatitis problems, but I have heard of people having prolonged symptoms after contact with stinging marine organisms.

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Indeed. While skin eruptions resulting from marine contact and envenomations typically largely resolve within 10 days, severe envenomation can result in signs and symptoms that last up to a month or longer. Additionally, delayed hypersensitivity-type reactions have been described in which rash and itching recur 7-10 days after initial resolution. And, prior sensitization is always an issue in cutaneous manifestations of run ins with stinging marine/aquatic organisms. Such previous exposure may result in reactions persisting for up to 6 weeks.

Regards,

DocVikingo

Ok..

1) I have an appointment with a doc tomorrow.. It takes a bit to schedule an appt with a dermatologist

2) I live in Minnesota, so the odds of them knowing what the hell this is are not good. I have had a few friends with stings and the docs up here have no idea. Also, have you looked on this forum at all? 90% of people say the docs didn't do a thing for them!

3) Thanks to everyone that actually posted trying to help me! I am very grateful.

4) The more ideas and research I have done on what is wrong with me, the better educated I am to converse with the doc.

Is this enough for you Rugter?