About 12 hours ago my left hand middle finger turned red, started getting really hot, moderately swollen and the pain gets worse by the worse. oh, and it throbs off and on. i'm thinking its a "harmless" maybe ingrown nail infection (there was no hangnail

IT : It is not timew for a home remedy.If someone thinks they have a finger infection there are no "harmless" infections someone with intense pain in their finger with redness and swelliing should seek medical attention other issues can include: infection, gout, trauma or circulation problems can give severe finger pain. Infection. Yes a small "hangnail" can get infected but a paronychia, an infection of the space adjacent to the nail can exists. A felon, an abcess in the pulp or the beginings of infectious flexor tenosynovitis can show up this way too. Gout. Can appear as a reddened hot area that is very painful. Fgouty deposits in the soft tissue of the finger or around the joints can mimick infection. Trauma. A puncture wound, a fracture, a sprain, a foreign body ( sliver, splinter) can appear this way circulation issues. Loss of circulation, longstanding issues regarding circulation, cold induced spasm of blood vessels can give a painful finger but less typically a red hot one. The list can go on there are enough issues here that can worsen quickly it is not time for a home remedy for anyone with these issues.

Inflammation.: The redness and pain can be caused by any condition that results in inflammatory changes- whether an infection or an acute arthritis. See your pcp soon.