# Wrinkly fingers



## Rebecca85

Kind of random, but I noticed earlier that the fingertips on my right hand are kind of wrinkly looking. Like when you've been in the bath too long, but not as bad. The fingers on my left hand seem fine. And they look wrinkly every time I check, it's not just from washing my hands or anything. Any ideas?


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## Sailorluna

When my fingers get like that I am usually very dehydrated. 
Strange that you only have it on one hand though.


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## Rebecca85

Thanks for the suggestion. I have VASTLY upped my fluid intake today. 3 cups of coffee (as usual!), 750 ml of plain water, 500 ml of 'hypertonic' (apparently it's better than isotonic ones) sports drink and have started my next 500ml bottle of water. It's not yet 2pm here. I'll try and keep up with the fluids all day, see what difference it makes.


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## endibd

Rebecca85 said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. I have VASTLY upped my fluid intake today. 3 cups of coffee (as usual!), 750 ml of plain water, 500 ml of 'hypertonic' (apparently it's better than isotonic ones) sports drink and have started my next 500ml bottle of water. It's not yet 2pm here. I'll try and keep up with the fluids all day, see what difference it makes.


Coffee will dehydrate you.  The 750ml of water you put in probably only offset the loss caused by the 3 cups of coffee you had.

Most people don't get enough water, throw some disease into the mix and your body likely require extra water just because of that.

Try adding to whatever you do already, 1 litre of water immediately when you wake up, 1 litre of water just before you go to bed.

You probably want to stay away from the sports drinks.  It's just more sugar and chemicals devoid of any nutrients, that will throw your body for a loop.


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## Rebecca85

If I drank 1 litre of water in one go I would throw it back up. And if I drink before bed, I don't get any sleep because of the need to urinate in the night. And I very much doubt that 750ml of water is needed to counteract 3 cups of coffee. I read that if you drink coffee regularly, your body becomes accustomed to the caffeine and it does not dehydrate you to the same extent. I believe this to be true, as I know someone who ONLY drinks coffee. And has done for years. And please don't belittle the effort I am making. I find drinking fluids to be a struggle, I have posted about this before, so I am pleased with any step in the right direction.


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## endibd

Well best of luck.

I'm perplexed by people's refusal to change pleasurable dietary behavour on this site for the sake of their health.  Enjoy the coffee.

I know people who smoked for years and years and though they coughed and hacked at first, their body got used to it.  Then they started to smoke more and more and their body seemed to get used to all the chemicals and stopped irritating them.  Then they got lung cancer and died, because though the body is great at healing itself, the body's efforts towards healing itself were all directed towards combating this ill that this person was putting in their body, which it did successfully for years.  Then when things finally gave out, they gave out.


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## Rebecca85

Like I said, I am making changes. Just taking it one step at a time.


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## Astra

A litre of water when I get up? I haven't got enough bathroom breaks for that in school!
A litre of water before bed? You're having a laugh!


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## Nytefyre

endibd said:


> Well best of luck.
> 
> I'm perplexed by people's refusal to change pleasurable dietary behavour on this site for the sake of their health.  Enjoy the coffee.
> 
> I know people who smoked for years and years and though they coughed and hacked at first, their body got used to it.  Then they started to smoke more and more and their body seemed to get used to all the chemicals and stopped irritating them.  Then they got lung cancer and died, because though the body is great at healing itself, the body's efforts towards healing itself were all directed towards combating this ill that this person was putting in their body, which it did successfully for years.  Then when things finally gave out, they gave out.


I have a relative who has smoked the better part of 70 years(if not more)!  She's still doing just fine! She is in her nineties.

I have heard stories about people who are health nuts, never smoke, exercise all the time, and drop dead at 46.

Enjoy the coffee!

Just sayin'


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## Rebecca85

Ditto Astra, as it is, I had to abandon my kids twice today (in addition to the normal breaks). And I couldn't have my afternoon nap because I kept needing a wee!


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## Rebecca85

Forgot to say, up to 2000ml of plain water, plus the coffee, sports drink and squash. Right hand fingers are fine, but left hand fingers are now wrinkly!


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## endibd

Nytefyre said:


> I have a relative who has smoked the better part of 70 years(if not more)!  She's still doing just fine! She is in her nineties.
> Just sayin'


Difference here is I am guessing this poster isn't fine, and I'm guess isn't in their 90's, and that's my point.  

If you're fine, knock yourself out (thought I'd use a common catch phrase that references self destruction) if you're sick, you might want to consider a different approach.  Just sayin'


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## Jennifer

Rebecca85 said:


> Forgot to say, up to 2000ml of plain water, plus the coffee, sports drink and squash. Right hand fingers are fine, but left hand fingers are now wrinkly!


It might not be dehydration. You probably just don't inspect your fingers that often I imagine.  I'm a sculptor and use my hands quite a bit and for a while they were just like you said when I looked one day, a little wrinkled but not as bad as say staying in the tub for a while. What helped me is using better lotion. I use Lubriderm myself. I don't know what you do for work but anything that uses your fingers a lot can cause the symptom you described (even if its typing for hours). If you think it may be dehydration then do the dehydration test by pinching the skin on the top of your hand for a few seconds and releasing. Notice how long it takes for the skin to snap back into position. If it goes down slowly, you're dehydrated. http://www.ehow.com/how_5045195_check-dehydration.html

Three cups of coffee isn't the worst thing in the world. Increasing the water intake isn't a bad idea since it is true that most people don't drink enough (yet there are some people who drink more than is needed) and kudos for you for trying considering your difficulty drinking (I'm not aware of your liquid intake issues, is it the same for food as well? If not, then maybe you could try a thickener for your fluids). I do however agree that introducing sports drinks isn't the best idea because sports drinks were designed for athletes who endure enormous amounts of exercise. The electrolytes and salts are beneficial to them yet the added salts and sugars for people who aren't as active can bloat us with more water weight and the added sugar isn't any good either. Perhaps instead you could look into things like Pedialyte or something similar if you really want the electrolytes (those are mainly needed if you have diarrhea or some other dehydration issue which you may pr may not have).


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## glum chump

That's great that you're trying to increase your water intake...it always takes time to shift our ways of doing things. I get bloated if I drink too much water at one time, and sip throughout the day.

I get wrinkly fingers as well, but mine isn't necessarily a sign of dehydration. When my fingers get wrinkly, it's a sign that I'm anemic. I know, it sounds weird, but it's always my first clue and always confirmed with a blood test.


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## Rebecca85

Crabby- it's not a physical problem with drinking, it's that I don't feel thirst. If left to my own devices I can go all day and suddenly realise I haven't had anything to drink (at all) for 10-12 hours. As a result, when I do drink, even just a 250ml glass in one go, I feel way too full, I get reflux of the fluid (yes even water) and I go to the toilet. A lot. I do keep dioralyte on hand for dehydration. The sports drink was just because I was out shopping, had fatigue come over me, and wanted something to pick me up a bit so I could get home. 

I checked the back of my hand, and it pings back pretty darn quick (too quick to see it), I had 2 litres of water (plus coffee and juice) yesterday and have about 250ml to go to 2 litres today. And my fingers are still wrinkly. So I don't think dehydration is the problem.

As for hand cream I use whatever's at hand, body lotion, aqueous cream, hand lotion, anything moisturising really. I have got some proper Dove hand lotion somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it out and just use that for a bit.

Glum chump- thanks for the idea about anaemia, I have been in the past (only came off iron a few weeks ago) so will ask my GP to check.


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## MADiMarc

Rebecca,
I get reflux from drinking water too.  I am told it is not uncommon.  
Are your finger cold too?  I just ask because I have wrinkly fingers but they are cold too.  It is coming from my neck.  Pinched nerves and such.  
Good luck,
Michele


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## Rebecca85

They are often cold, but not always. They're not cold at the moment, and there are signs of wrinkling on my first two fingers.


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## MADiMarc

Hey Rebecca,
I really would suggest getting it checked out if you can.  Any tingling or kind of a numbness feeling?  It sounds like my fingers on my left hand when my neck started to be a problem.  It may be just dehydration, nothing to ignore either, but it very possibly could be something else.  
Michele


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## Rebecca85

Don't worry, I have the day off work on Friday, so I am going to the doctor with a list of somewhat minor things that I've been meaning to get looked at (I really hate going to the doctor, I'd rather go as few times as possible). Like the wrinkly fingers, the fatigue I'm still suffering from, aches and pains, acid, and so on. Hmmm, maybe I'll need an extra long appointment.


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## MADiMarc

*Typo*

Ha!  I do the same thing.  I detest going to see the doctor too.  Good luck & let me know what he/she says.
Michele
Edit:  I misspelled my own name!  God I need sleep!


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## RDenver

I have wrinkled finger tips as well. I KNOW I am dehydrated.  I take medication Flomax for Prostrate issues.  I TRY to drink more water, but the more i drink the more I go to the restroom.  I am a teacher and cannot excuse myself from class, except for breaks.  My Dr. tells me to drink a litre of water when i wake up...when I do this, I have to call the office for someone to take over my class after 30 minutes.  This is not workable..so I try to drink more in the evening,and it keeps up going to the rest room a minimum of 5 times per night.  My Dr. tells me to stop drinking liquids after 6 pm...i do this, but still get up twice, which is okay.
It seems my Doctor is not really sensitive to what I am continually telling him.  I WANT to be hydrated, but i would have to retire and stay home to stay hydrated.  Surely, there are other people in the world who have this same issue...I can't be the only person who has ever mentioned this to a doctor

Telling a dehydrated person to simply drink more water is like telling a smoker to stop smoking.

Any help is appreciated


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