Red bumps on the fingers may cause embarrassment during interactions and discomfort during daily activities. It can also be hard to limit contact with the rash, or to keep it dry and clean during the day. When the rash first appears, consult your doctor to obtain treatment advice, as well as to rule out any larger health concerns.
Significance
A few small, mildly swollen red bumps may be a harmless response to a bug bite, particularly after time spent outdoors. Small red bumps under a ring or near a watch may be contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction to the metal, suggest the National Institutes of Health. Profoundly itchy red bumps that appear between the fingers may signify that scabies or mites have burrowed under the skin.
Causes
Mosquitoes may be more attracted to individuals of the O group blood type, according to the Scienceline website, as well as pregnant women, who exhale more carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, scabies will use any available host, and they tend to frequent high-density areas such as child care centers, prisons, and hospitals, warns Skinsight.com. Friction from clothing, hot baths, obesity and immune system complications damage hair follicles, leading to infection and red bumps.
Time Frame
If the bumps occurred a month after your daughter started kindergarten, one might suspect scabies, which can occur six weeks after infestation, notes Skinsight.com. By contrast, a mildly itching bug bite may swell within hours of exposure. Exposure to poison ivy or poison oak can instigate red bumps that blister and spread over several days. Changing soaps or cosmetics can lead to both sudden and gradual skin irritations.
Treatment
In general, keep the small, red bumps clean and dry. Itching associated with poison ivy and mosquito bites may be helped with calamine or hydrocortisone lotion. However, scabies infestations require prescription-strength ointments to kill the organisms, states Skinsight.org. In the case of contact dermatitis, removing the offending substance can eliminate the red bumps. Serious cases of folliculitis, inflamed follicles, may require topical or oral antibiotics.
Red Flags
Fever, facial swelling or difficulty breathing that occurs with red bumps on the fingers may be signs of a serious allergic reaction and requires immediate emergency medical care, notes the American Academy of Family Physicians. Moreover, bumps that also occur on the face or abdomen, or which occur after taking a medication, may indicate a more serious health condition and warrant prompt medical attention.
