How To Get a Ring Off a Swollen Finger—And When It's an Emergency

Taking your ability to remove a ring from your finger for granted is easy until you suddenly find the ring is stuck. There are several ways to get a ring off your finger at home, but in some cases emergency medical treatment becomes necessary.

Rings often get stuck if they're too small for your finger. Other times, certain health conditions like arthritis, injuries, and water retention may cause swelling in your fingers.

Read on to learn about five ways to get a ring off a swollen finger and how to prevent it from happening in the future.

Ways To Get a Ring Off

It's completely fine to seek emergency care right away. Though, you may want to try some at-home hacks first, and there are plenty to consider.

1. Ice Your Finger

Ice can help remove a ring from your finger, Eric Adkins, MD, emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Health.

"[Ice] helps constrict the blood vessels that go toward the finger, and you'll get decreased blood flow. That can help shrink the finger," said Dr. Adkins. "Everything gets a little more shrunken in the cold."

2. Rest With Your Hand Raised

Raising your hand allows fluid to drain from your fingers. Generally, swelling happens due to fluid build-up in the affected area. Fluid stays in place, and more fluid may travel to your fingers if you keep your hands below your heart.

"If the hand is a little swollen and you think you can get the swelling down, you could raise your hand up and give it a little time," Kathryn Boling, MD, a primary care physician at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, told Health. "You may be able to get the ring right off after a while."

Try raising your hand above your heart for five to 10 minutes. Keep ice on the affected area while your hand is elevated to help speed up the process.

3. Try To Lubricate the Ring

Use a lubricant—like hand cream, petroleum jelly, or soap—to help remove the ring, Lewis Nelson, MD, chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told Health. Windex may even act as an effective lubricant. Squirt a small amount of Windex on the affected finger and ring to help twist it off your finger.

"Usually, with enough wiggling back and forth, people can get it off," added Dr. Nelson. 

Of note: Only use the lubricant on the ring itself, not your entire finger.

"You want to be cautious with how much you use," said Dr. Adkins. "Once you get too much on there, it makes it hard to get the ring off your finger because you can have a hard time grasping it."

4. Try Twisting the Ring

Slowly twist the ring while trying to pull some of your skin from above the ring to below it, said Dr. Adkins.

"It can be challenging because you're trying to do this with one hand," noted Dr. Adkins. You can recruit a friend or partner to help you gently twist the ring off of your finger.

5. Use Some Dental Floss

Dental floss helps compress your swollen finger.

To try this hack, take note of the following steps:

1. Insert a piece of dental floss or fine string under your ring.
2. Tightly wrap the string around your finger, up past your knuckle.
3. Unwrap the string from the bottom part that's under the ring. That allows the ring to move up and over the string as you unwrap.

"Be careful not to leave [the string] on too long," said Dr. Adkins. "Otherwise, you can cut off the blood supply to the rest of your finger."

Why Rings Get Suck

A ring may get stuck if it's too small for your finger or if you've had it on for a long time.

"The ring doesn't change, but the finger size can," said Dr. Nelson. "You might gain weight, or your body may change. Sometimes, even the bone changes." 

Several factors may increase the risk of swelling in your fingers, making a ring hard to remove, such as:

• Arthritis: This is inflammation of your joints, often caused by overuse. One of the most common arthritis symptoms is swollen joints.
• Certain medications: Some drugs that treat high blood pressure may increase water retention, which causes swelling. 
• Diet with too much salt: Excess sodium causes your body to hold on to water. As a result, your body parts may swell. 
• Ganglion cysts: These are noncancerous lumps that may develop on the back of your wrist.
• Heat: The temperature can affect how snugly your ring fits. People tend to have a slight swelling when temperatures are hot. The temperature change might be significant enough to cause your ring to get stuck if it already has a tight fit. 
• Infections and injuries: Inflammation increases in the body with an infection or injury. As a result, fluid gathers in the affected area to help you heal. Excess fluid and inflammation cause swelling. Consult a healthcare provider if you suspect an infection. 
• Pregnancy: Weight gain and swelling during pregnancy may make your rings too tight for your fingers. 
• Tumors: Although rare, tumors may develop in the wrist and cause swelling. Consult a healthcare provider if you notice abnormal growths.

How To Prevent Rings From Getting Stuck

Consider taking steps to prevent your rings from getting stuck if you have an injury or health condition affecting your finger size. For example, remove any rings immediately if you injure your hand or fingers.

You might want to hang your rings on a necklace chain instead of wear them on your fingers. If you're set on wearing the ring on your finger, jewelers can enlarge rings or replace the band with an adjustable shank that opens so you can fit the ring on your finger.

When To Get Help

One of the sure signs that you ought to seek help right away is rapid swelling in your finger. Swelling may indicate an infection. If untreated, long-term swelling may cause nerve damage and stiffness in your fingers.

"As the finger swells, the ring becomes a restrictive band," said Dr. Nelson. "That can cut off blood supply to the finger."

"If you wait too long, you could be at risk of loss of function or losing the finger entirely, depending on how things go with the ring," added Dr. Adkins.

Seek help if the color drains from your finger or you are in pain, noted Dr. Nelson. You can visit an emergency room, fire station, or jeweler if your ring is not budging. Those places often have ring cutters that can remove your ring.

Just call ahead to be sure they're equipped to handle your situation so you don't waste a trip, noted Dr. Adkins.

All is not lost if your ring is sentimental, explained Dr. Nelson: "In most cases, we can save the ring. Then, a jeweler can fix it for you."

A Quick Review 

Your finger may swell, causing a ring to get stuck, for several reasons. Try elevating your hand, icing your finger, or using a lubricant to twist the ring off. Seek help at an emergency room, fire department, or jeweler if at-home treatments fail. Typically, a jeweler can use a ring cutter to remove your ring and repair any damage.

Consult a healthcare provider if you suspect an infection is causing swelling in your finger. Prolonged swelling may cause nerve damage, and the stuck ring may cut off your blood supply.