So, you are going about your daily activities and your wrist starts hurting.
You start thinking to yourself, should I call the doctor? Should I have it looked at? Or is it nothing?
Wrist pain is something that a lot of people experience. Some wrist pain is serious, some isn’t [reduce wrist pain].
Here are some ways to tell whether or not you should go to the doctor.
1. Is your wrist swollen or do you have bruises on it? This is something that should be looked at, because you may have a serious wrist injury .
2. Do you feel as if you have a fever or like you are sick? Does it feel as if your hand is unusually warm or is it red? Go to the doctor – you may have an infection that is causing the pain in your wrist.
3. Are you having trouble doing things that are normally something that you can do easily? These tasks may include typing, carrying items, or writing. If so, give your doctor a call.
4. Go and see a doctor if the wrist pain wakes you up during the night or you find that you have it right when you wake up in the morning. This may mean that you have strained the tendons and nerves of the carpal tunnel. This can lead to developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) [Prevent CTS].
Even if the above items do not apply to you, consult your doctor if the wrist pain lasts for more than a couple of days. When there is persistent wrist pain in any part of the body, it usually means that there is a condition that will need to be treated so that the symptoms lessen or disappear altogether.
Dealing with wrist pain
If your wrist is hurting and you don’t have any of the symptoms that are described above, there are things that you can do to help your wrist feel better.
1. Rest it – One of the best things that you can do is to give your wrist a rest. Instead of working on the computer (if it all possible) read a book or watch television. Since you use your hands and wrists when working on the computer, it is likely to aggravate.
2. Wrap it – Another thing that you can do to help your wrist feel better is to wrap it in an Ace bandage or one of those wrist supports that you can get in the stores. This will give your wrist some extra support.
3. Take OTC pain medication – A third thing that you can do to help with the pain is to take something like Tylenol or Advil. They will help with the pain and make you feel better. Remember to check with your pharmacist if you are on other medications.
In these days, when most people have a computer, wrist pain is a common complaint. It’s a good idea to know what to do and know when it’s serious and when it isn’t.
