Swollen hands can have a number of causes. However, a lot of them would usually depend upon what age you are when you experience this particular problem. Among older people, swollen hands could be a result of the onset of arthritis. The fingers in particular, would appear more swollen at the joints. If you fall in the age bracket of the elderly, then you should look towards your family history to see if anyone has been suffering from this disease. This problem is usually transmitted through the genes. In particular, women are more prone to this problem than men. However, this does not mean that men do not get arthritis – they most certainly do. If you are experiencing a lot of unusual and unnatural swelling on your hands, then the reason fro this could also be water retention. A high salt diet could very easily lead to this. One of the best things you can do in this situation is cut back on salty food. If possible, try to switch to using salt that is low in iodine. This will help to decrease your iodine intake, and will also be very useful in getting rid of water retention. Another really good way to beat water retention is to drink more water. If you can drink about 5 liters of water in a day, you will notice that your swelling will have subsided towards the evening. The reason for this is that the more water you drink the more salt you will flush out of your system via urine and perspiration.
Another cause for swollen hands could also be some sort of injury you may have incurred without realizing it. It is possible you slept on your hand in the wrong way, which could very well have led to this problem. It is also possible that you may have whacked your hand somewhere and this has led to the swelling. Trying out a new sport, especially one which uses your hands for gripping can also lead to residual swelling of the hands. This kind of swelling can also last for a few days. You should try and keep your hands soaked in a solution of hot water and salt for relief. This will not only soothe your swelling, it will also help to heal whatever the problem is. You can also add a pinch of turmeric powder to this for speedy healing.