# Unidentified Swelling Problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-swelling-problem/224627>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 15, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-swelling-problem/224627 "2004-01-15T19:09:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sarah23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sarah23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah23)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-swelling-problem/224627/1 "2004-01-15T19:09:59Z")

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I have a _ahem_ problem with my hands swelling at seemingly random times. I’ve never been able to find a cause for it (no blood pressure problems (although there is a family history) or excessive salt/fast food intake) and my sister has the same “problem”. It seems to happen if I get even the slightest bit warm or move around more than usual (at the end of a long walk I can count on my wedding rings being too tight to take off). And when I was pregnant I had to remove my rings altogether by the fifth month.

Could there be a cause/solution for this or do I just come from a freakish family of people with swollen extremeties? 😉 (Drinking lots of water has never helped, btw.)

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**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-swelling-problem/224627/2 "2004-01-15T21:18:09Z")

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[Here’s](http://www.fpnotebook.com/REN15.htm) a place to start. I would consult a doc if I were you, idiopathic edema can result from a number of conditions.