ROYAL FAMILY
Why does King Charles III have swollen “sausage” fingers?
As Charles III celebrates his coronation as King of the United Kingdom, his extremely swollen fingers have caught the eye of some onlookers.
It’s something that’s come to the attention of onlookers for a number of years and, with him obviously being in the spotlight during his own coronation as King of the United Kingdom, King Charles III’s extremely swollen fingers have again been noticed by many.
A relatively unusual medical issue suffered by a high-profile figure has led to inevitable curiosity and speculation as to what exactly is going on with the monarch’s “sausage fingers”, as they have been referred to by some. There hasn’t been any official diagnosis but there are a couple of sensible-sounding theories out there.
“Swelling caused by a build-up of fluid”
The most widely reported one is that the king suffers from oedema, which the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) describes as “swelling in the ankles, feet and legs which is often caused by a build-up of fluid in these areas”.
Amongst the common causes of oedema is “standing or sitting in the same position for too long”, which Royal Family critics would say seems entirely plausible…However, the NHS also states that oedema often goes away on its own, which, in Charles’ case, it doesn’t seem to.
Doctors share similar theories
Theory number two has been presented by Dr Gareth Nye, who spoke to UK newspaper The Daily Star about Charles’ “condition”. He believes that the king suffers from dactylitis as a side effect of arthritis. “This is particularly true in joints that are used more frequently, which we can agree the hand is one. The condition most commonly associated with swollen fingers is dactylitis which is unique as the swelling remains even if the underlying inflammation is controlled which is likely what we see here”.
That seems to be supported by GP Chun Tang, who told the Daily Mail that “often puffy fingers are a symptom of water retention which can be caused by numerous health conditions.
“This condition arises due to inflammation and can be a result of arthritis, multiple bacterial infections or even TB.
Other possibilities include high salt levels, allergic reactions, medicinal side effects, injury and autoimmune disease.”