Searing pain in fingertip, what the hell could it be?!

[lunchbreaknurse]

As username suggests, I’m a nurse but I have no experience with fingers so I’m coming to MN!

I’ve had pain in my left index fingertip for about six months, gradually getting worse and now excruciating. It’s not the actual pad of the fingertip, but just at the side of the nail closest to my middle finger, above the joint. The pain sometimes radiates down the finger and into the centre of my palm.

• I’m right-handed
• No deformity to the finger or nail
• I don’t bite my nails
• Not red, hot or swollen
• No injuries that I can remember
• Nothing under the skin
• No issues with any other fingers
• Recent pregnancy
• Recent bloods (unrelated issue), all normal including HbA1c
• The pain is searing/crushing in nature, like I’ve slammed it in a door repeatedly
• Initially it only hurt if I touched/knocked it, it’s now continuous pain

I’ve been putting off seeing my GP as it’s ’just a finger’ but it’s waking me up in the night now so I’m going to book an appointment, but just wondered if anyone else could shed some light before I see the GP please! I don’t remember injuring it, but I am fairly clumsy and accident-prone so it’s possible.

I wonder if you have got something embedded in there. Definitely worth a GP visit.

Searing pain and radiating pain would make me think it’s some form of nerve damage. Is visit GP and see

I had a metal splinter in my finger under my nail once and I’m genuine serious I don’t remember it happening I only went because of this similar thing PAIN! It was a shock to find on xray and I had a minor surgery to remove it . Good luck, go to your GP

Sounds horrendous, hope you get it sorted soon!

Paper cut, or glass splinter

Gout?

It's probably a splinter. You may not remember it at the time. Go get it seen too, pain that wakes you up at night needs a doctor. It doesn't matter if it's a finger.

Sounds like nerve pain, could be a combo of splinter causing inflammation of nerve. But I’m no medic. Gp visit and in your shoes in meantime if I had to wait I’d be slathering finger in ibuprofen gel.