What's causing my blisters & calluses?
November 13, 2012 6:57 AM Subscribe
YANMD, but please help me figure out what is causing me to have these calluses and blisters!
For one thing I get them sporadically -- they come, I notice them, they get annoying, they disappear and then they grow back.
Usually blisters appear on my right middle finger first, on the palm side of the bit of finger between knuckle and first joint, and then they callus up. I also get blisters on the padding of my index and ring fingers, the parts closest to my middle finger. The same area on my left hand also gets them but to a lesser degree.
Sometimes they can be kinda itchy, but not very much, and I think the itchiness is due to the calluses themselves and not any external factor.
I don't think I do anything strange or out of the ordinary that might cause blisters or calluses. There's nothing I touch rough enough that would irritate the skin like that. Some stuff I do on a typical day:
*the usual hygenic stuff, with proper washing of hands
*basic stretching / yoga poses on the floor (hands on floor, floor is very clean)
*hand-washing dishes with warm-hot water
*mucking around on the computer, with ergonomic mouse and keyboard
*driving, at most an hour a day
Seriously I can't figure out what is causing them. I would think it's the (ergonomic) mouse I use, but that would not explain how I get them on my left hand. I do tend to pop my knuckles sometimes, but I get the blisters even if I don't pop. Any ideas what could be causing them?
For one thing I get them sporadically -- they come, I notice them, they get annoying, they disappear and then they grow back.
Usually blisters appear on my right middle finger first, on the palm side of the bit of finger between knuckle and first joint, and then they callus up. I also get blisters on the padding of my index and ring fingers, the parts closest to my middle finger. The same area on my left hand also gets them but to a lesser degree.
Sometimes they can be kinda itchy, but not very much, and I think the itchiness is due to the calluses themselves and not any external factor.
I don't think I do anything strange or out of the ordinary that might cause blisters or calluses. There's nothing I touch rough enough that would irritate the skin like that. Some stuff I do on a typical day:
*the usual hygenic stuff, with proper washing of hands
*basic stretching / yoga poses on the floor (hands on floor, floor is very clean)
*hand-washing dishes with warm-hot water
*mucking around on the computer, with ergonomic mouse and keyboard
*driving, at most an hour a day
Seriously I can't figure out what is causing them. I would think it's the (ergonomic) mouse I use, but that would not explain how I get them on my left hand. I do tend to pop my knuckles sometimes, but I get the blisters even if I don't pop. Any ideas what could be causing them?
I'd check with your doctor the next time you get them, just to make sure it's not some other kind of recurring skin issue. It could be anything, from warts (as Room 614-A mentions) to an infection to something else. Especially given that you can't find a physical reason for them to be popping up, it would make sense to me to get a quick look-over and a scraping (if necessary) for testing.
posted by xingcat at 7:34 AM on November 13, 2012
posted by xingcat at 7:34 AM on November 13, 2012
What do you do for work? (it kind of sounds like you work from home?)
And, if you really want to get better guesses on what they are, you should post a photo.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:50 AM on November 13, 2012
And, if you really want to get better guesses on what they are, you should post a photo.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:50 AM on November 13, 2012
I get this: dyshidrosis , which could be described as calluses and blisters. With me, I can look for the tiny little bubbles and then I must pop them and they get bigger . . . it's all better if I ignore it. And it does seem to be seasonal, and is not helped by tea tree oil or salicylic acid or more or less hand washing . . .
posted by MeiraV at 8:14 AM on November 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by MeiraV at 8:14 AM on November 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
During periods of stress I sometimes get exzema blisters on my fingers, and they itch a little. No calluses, though...
posted by Specklet at 8:19 AM on November 13, 2012
posted by Specklet at 8:19 AM on November 13, 2012
Response by poster: Pictures here and here.
Just Googled up some warts and I don't think they're it, as they don't look like the same thing. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if they're really calluses either, but they definitely start out as blisters.
Work shouldn't be a factor, seeing as I barely have any to do.
Upon preview, dyshidrosis sounds like it might be it...!
posted by ditto75 at 8:22 AM on November 13, 2012
Just Googled up some warts and I don't think they're it, as they don't look like the same thing. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if they're really calluses either, but they definitely start out as blisters.
Work shouldn't be a factor, seeing as I barely have any to do.
Upon preview, dyshidrosis sounds like it might be it...!
posted by ditto75 at 8:22 AM on November 13, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
Are you sure they're not warts? Warts can look like calluses.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:21 AM on November 13, 2012 [1 favorite]