One of the pressing problems among women and men is swollen feet. Often the swelling goes away on its own, but in most cases the precedent is repeated more than once, thereby hinting at certain pathological changes in the body. What could be the reason? Is it possible to fix everything? How to prevent swelling? Our article will tell you about this and much more.
Swelling of the legs can be caused by various reasons. Conventionally, they are divided into physiological and pathological.
The first includes the following:
The second block of reasons is serious enough to seek help from a specialist.
Among them we can highlight:
The causes of edema are so varied that treatment should begin only after the main source of the disease has been identified.
Find out about the causes of leg swelling from the proposed video of the Live Healthy program.
To completely get rid of the problem of leg swelling can only be done by treating the underlying disease, which can only be prescribed by a specialist. However, you can still improve your well-being on your own and, at least a little, get rid of swelling.
The following will help partially relieve swelling:
A good panacea is folk methods: decoctions of herbs and berries, diuretics, etc. Elderberry, knotweed, flax seeds, and birch buds have an excellent effect. The natural ingredients are safe, but women who are pregnant or have kidney or digestive problems should consult their doctor.
Do not forget that the above is help, not full-fledged treatment.
Pregnancy is a time of restructuring of a woman’s internal system and organs. As a result, several complications arise, the most common of which is swelling of the legs.
The fact is that during pregnancy the body's need for water increases sharply. First of all, this is due to an increase in amniotic fluid. Hormones provoke constant thirst and the woman is forced to drink more water than usual. Ultimately, a problem appears - swelling of the legs. This phenomenon is quite normal, but medical supervision will not hurt.
“Normal” swelling is absolutely painless and does not cause a deterioration in the woman’s condition. Appear in the afternoon. However, after a short rest in a horizontal position, they disappear completely.
Swelling of the legs can become a symptom of a serious complication during pregnancy - gestosis. From the outside they look normal, so many people don’t pay attention to it. The disease is often accompanied by headaches, increased blood pressure, and protein in the urine. As soon as one of these symptoms is detected, it’s time to sound the alarm. Otherwise, there is a risk of swelling not only of the legs, but also of the internal tissues, placenta, uterus, liver and brain.
During pregnancy, you must fully listen to your doctor’s advice and follow all recommendations.
These include the following:
It is better to prevent any problem than to treat it, especially during pregnancy, when the body requires increased attention.
Each age has its own characteristics. In old age, the body's metabolic processes slow down, and the endocrine glands gradually lose their former functions. This provokes water retention in the body, which ultimately leads to swelling of the limbs.
After 45 years, there is a risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system, which can also cause a similar symptom. In any case, you should not put off going to a specialist until tomorrow. The most precious thing at stake is your own health.
There can be many reasons for leg swelling in older people.
Let's list some of them:
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment for leg swelling will vary. However, you can help yourself by taking diuretics, which help remove excess fluid from the body. Herbs that have diuretic properties are also good.
Swelling of the legs in old age is not a problem if you pay enough attention to the body by periodically carrying out preventive procedures.
One of the main signs of heart failure is stagnation of fluid in the body, which causes swelling. Right ventricular failure leads to pulmonary edema. Left - to swelling of the legs. In most cases of heart disease, both legs are affected.
In the early stages of the disease, swelling of the legs seems common to many. The feet and legs swell, but after a little rest everything returns to normal. This is what misleads most people: the symptom is mistaken for ordinary fatigue.
If timely medical care is not provided, the disease can progress, and swelling can take on new forms and move from the legs higher to the hips. At this stage, other symptoms appear: shortness of breath, high fatigue, pain in the right side, yellowed whites of the eyes and facial skin.
It is easy to control swelling of the legs in the early stages of the disease: baths, lotions, rest in a horizontal position, herbal decoctions and diuretics. All this allows you to get rid of trouble in the shortest possible time. But in advanced stages of heart failure, everything is much more complicated. First of all, in this case, the main source of the problem – the heart – is taken under control.
Here you cannot do without medications that have a complex effect on the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Often in such cases, diuretics and so-called cardiac glycosides are prescribed. They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart, while at the same time stimulating the process of removing fluid from the body, restoring the legs to their former health and pleasant appearance.
As you can see, leg swelling is not always purely physiological. They may well be a symptom of a serious disease such as heart failure.
To date, doctors have not yet invented a single cure for swelling of the legs. Depending on the type of disease, a specific treatment is prescribed, which includes special medications.
Swelling of the legs is usually divided into three types:
For this type there is no need to use special drugs. The impact is directly on the legs (massages, wearing compression stockings, elevated position of the legs when resting). It is also possible to apply topical ointments and gels, such as:
This requires an integrated approach to solving the problem, aimed primarily at combating venous insufficiency. Special stockings or bandages with a compression effect are recommended. The drugs are prescribed by a specialist, but they usually look like this:
Treatment involves direct medicinal effects on the kidneys and heart. In combination with diuretics, it is necessary to take drugs containing potassium. For example, asparkam. The fact is that the body, along with urine, loses valuable potassium ions, which must be constantly replenished.
In case of renal failure, potassium supplements are contraindicated.
At the same time, it is important to stimulate the proper functioning of the heart. This is where cardioprotective agents that strengthen the heart muscle come to the rescue.
A combination of drug treatment, traditional and folk remedies is quite acceptable. Thus, along with drugs, the use of medicinal decoctions based on herbs and berries is allowed.
Whatever the causes and methods of treating swelling of the legs, all of them must be approved by a specialist after a full examination and diagnosis.
Diuretics (diuretics) are a group of drugs whose actions are aimed at removing excess fluid from the body, as well as increasing urine output. Since swelling of the legs is nothing more than unnecessary water in the tissues, a diuretic is the most effective panacea for this problem.
The action of the drugs is one, but their composition varies. Some of them have their own unique properties. Depending on the underlying problem that caused the swelling of the legs, one or another medication is prescribed. Diuretics are divided into three main groups:
The most powerful effect is exerted by the latter, loop diuretics. Their duration of action is not long, but they are the ones who deserve recognition. As people say: “Quality proven by experience.”
One of the most popular drugs in this group is furosemide. It has proven itself to be an excellent diuretic. It is often used in complex treatment, having a beneficial effect on the heart, liver and kidneys.
Along with medications, folk remedies with a diuretic effect are actively used. They are safe and much cheaper than their “official” counterparts.
A universal remedy for edema, which, in addition to its main task, copes quite successfully with strengthening the vascular wall.
Preparation: pour 1 tablespoon of chopped root with a glass of boiling water and leave for about 30 minutes in a steam bath. Then leave for 20 minutes, then strain. Add enough boiling water to the resulting broth to make a full glass. Take 3 times a day, 2 teaspoons before meals.
Also an excellent remedy, actively used in folk medicine.
Preparation: mix the plants (one teaspoon at a time) and add a glass of water. Place on the fire and boil for 20 minutes. Leave for 30 minutes. Take half a glass in the morning and evening.
Another popular remedy, the raw materials for which are not difficult to obtain.
Preparation: pour a teaspoon of burdock into 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave to steep overnight. Take the product in small portions throughout the next day.
There are also a number of natural diuretics “from the garden”: cucumber, melon, watermelon, tomato, etc.
If your legs are swollen, you can't do without diuretics. It is not at all necessary to take medications (if your health condition and specialist allows), since there is an effective alternative - traditional therapy.
Even if swelling is an infrequent phenomenon that does not cause discomfort, it is important to follow preventive measures that will preserve the beauty and health of your feet for a long time.
Swelling of the legs is a problem familiar to many. Do not be afraid to visit a specialist, because it is quite possible that this is just the tip of the iceberg. In case of a serious illness, self-medication is harmful and even dangerous. If swelling is a common consequence of fatigue, then there are a huge number of ways to eliminate this problem. The main thing is to monitor your body and notice the signs it gives every day.
The resulting swelling of the legs cannot always be removed with medications. In individual cases, drugs are not used due to the patient’s personal immunity. Then folk remedies for swelling of the legs come to the rescue. Such medications allow you to achieve stable results. The action requires strict adherence to the instructions and rules for preparing the substrate from plants.
Traditional medications are powerless against selected manifestations of leg swelling. Home medicine gently eliminates the causes if the measures taken do not help. To prescribe the correct treatment, you need to understand the causes of the pathology.
Frequent causes of leg swelling are:
In some cases, it is necessary to do a comprehensive examination of internal organs. This concerns the violation of internal systems. The purpose of treatment is complex.
Traditional methods are aimed at eliminating external manifestations. The herbal remedy can solve a number of problems in restoring health.
Eliminating edema, based on folk recipes, can activate the mechanisms for relieving edema in the legs. The course of treatment is aimed at relieving the consequences of most diseases. They can be made effective by active biological compounds that specifically influence the cause of the disease.
Age-related changes provoke swelling of various configurations:
The circulatory system experiences stress at different stages of life, leading to the appearance of edema. It is permissible to fight against violations using folk remedies. Official medicine does not deny this possibility of treatment.
If you plan to treat with herbs, you must consult with your doctors. Because the chosen herbal remedy may not be suitable for the situation. The traditional method requires strict adherence to the recipe.
Edema illustrates the involvement of the legs; methods for determining the cause begin with laboratory tests. If you make a diagnosis in time, you can remove most of the factors that provoke treatment.
The presence of edema in both legs reflects:
Traditional medicine has developed methods of combating such processes using potent drugs. Treatment is aimed at the use of active biological substances. These remedies provide an opportunity to get rid of the cause of edema.
Swelling of one leg shows:
A herbal remedy taken internally helps relieve such manifestations. At the same time, the drug relieves additional swelling of the internal organs. Eliminating the cause makes it possible to get rid of fluid accumulation in the legs.
Modern medicine welcomes the combination of traditional medicines and treatment with traditional recipes, if the use of herbs does not counteract the active substances of the prescribed medication.
Decoctions of diuretic herbs help against the accumulation of fluids in tissues. They reduce the level of intoxication and activate the removal of the edematous process. These remedies are considered folk recipes based on:
Decoctions of these herbs can relieve swelling that affects the legs. The prescribed treatment involves making decoctions once a day. Take before meals. When the legs swell, the following is used to prepare the remedy:
If swelling is caused by improper functioning of the kidneys, elderberry is the best way to relieve severe swelling using traditional methods. Severely damaged vessels may not be able to remove excess fluid on their own. If you make decoctions, the amount of moisture will begin to decrease naturally.
It is important to observe the frequency of doses, otherwise the treatment method will be ineffective. Anti-edema products can be used at any age. Properly formulated recipes relieve most swelling.
Treatment with lotions made from elderberry leaves is used against varicose veins. Traditional medicine suggests eliminating the causes of the appearance of large veins on the legs by applying steamed leaves, bark and berries.
Without proper treatment, excessive varicose veins can cause swelling. The muscles of the affected areas swell in the legs, leading to stagnation of fluids. People's proven solutions will help you get rid of the ailment.
Removing dilation from veins in the legs is possible with simple steps:
The product is extremely effective, and the result is visible after just a few uses. Helps against fluid accumulation as the active substances in elderberry stimulate blood flow.
Traditional recipes allow you to create multiple forms of treatment for edema associated with severely damaged blood vessels. Traditional medicine suggests using similar horsetail lotions to remove accumulations of spider veins.
Folk remedies offer treatment for tired muscles that are very swollen. Possible causes of such edema lie in the weak tone of the vascular walls. The gentle influence of herbal decoction baths will help relieve swelling:
Muscle tension is relieved by steaming and reducing the amount of lactic acid in tissues. The product eliminates swelling. To remove, simply brew the plants with boiling water and dilute with cool water to the desired temperature.
When lowering your feet into a damp environment, make soft massaging movements from your feet to your knees. Relieving tired leg syndrome and treating swelling leads to amazing results.
Natural products will help you get rid of heaviness in your legs and treat swelling. One method is to prepare a decoction for a compress. If your feet are swollen, the culprit may be ill-fitting shoes.
Relieving the feeling of buzzing, unhealthy elasticity of the calves and legs will give a compress at night. The remedy often chosen for treatment is:
Traditional healers suggest making a steep decoction of these remedies and dissolving a packet of rock salt in it. Afterwards, soak a terry towel in the resulting infusion and wrap it around the limbs.
The product will help relieve swelling and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. Alternative medicine knows a lot of remedies that help relieve swelling.
Vodka tinctures are considered folk remedies; they help treat trophic varicose veins. This phenomenon often hides the real reasons why your legs become swollen. This treatment allows for complete relief of swelling and inflammation.
Vodka tincture-based products mainly consist of:
The usual proportion of a combination of plants is 20 g to 0.5 l of vodka. Infuses for two weeks. Take 2-3 teaspoons before meals.
Edema is a condition in which fluid in the body accumulates in increased quantities in the intercellular space, leading to an increase in the volume of a particular part of the body. Swelling of the legs in women is a fairly common complaint with which they consult a doctor (in about 25% of cases).
This is due to the fact that this symptom is clearly visible, is a cause for concern due to possible diseases, and also causes cosmetic discomfort, especially for women wearing high-heeled shoes.
The causes of leg swelling in women are very diverse. But in the first place are disturbances in the venous bed, which must be immediately excluded or confirmed. This approach is justified, as it allows us to minimize errors associated with underestimation of threatening or developed thrombosis.
If this complication is not diagnosed in time, then there is a high probability of amputation of the limb, and this is already a disability. However, venous disorders are not the only cause of swelling. Many diseases are manifested by this symptom. In addition, they can overlap with venous causes.
Therefore, a detailed examination of the patient is always carried out to identify all possible causes. Only by reliably knowing why women’s legs swell can you know what to do.
The main disorders that cause swelling of the legs:
The main diseases leading to edematous syndrome may be the result of damage to blood vessels, the musculoskeletal system or internal organs:
But this list is not exhaustive. So why do women's legs still swell?
In addition to the factors listed above, taking certain medications, in particular nifedipine, may predispose to a similar condition. This remedy increases tissue pressure by directly attracting fluid.
Another reason is swelling of the legs in pregnant women. This can be considered a variant of the norm if it appears in the evening and is not combined with protein in the urine or increased pressure in the arterial system.
Otherwise, we are talking about preeclampsia - a formidable complication of pregnancy that requires immediate help.
Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of edema syndrome caused by circulatory disorders. This is one of the significant causes of leg swelling in older women (up to 80% of cases). Swelling develops due to:
A less common cause associated with poor circulation leading to edema is heart failure. In this case, the fluid leaks into the tissues due to the fact that the heart does not have time to pump it - its systolic and diastolic functions are disrupted.
In the primary diagnosis of edematous syndrome, 8 questions are important. With their help, the doctor is able to suggest the most likely cause of this condition. Further diagnostic search is based on confirmation or refutation of a possible causative disease.
1. When did swelling first appear?
2. Are they accompanied by pain in the leg?
3. Does swelling decrease overnight?
4. Is there shortness of breath in a horizontal position or during physical activity not exceeding normal?
5. Have you ever had a kidney infection or episodes of protein in your urine?
6. Is there a history of jaundice or hepatitis?
If the answer is positive, there is a high probability of liver failure, which is characterized by a low level of protein formation and, accordingly, an increased ability of plasma to leave the vessels and accumulate in tissues.
A similar situation occurs with regular alcohol abuse.
, appetite and bowel habits changed recently
If there is a change in at least one parameter, then the most likely cause is a pathology of the digestive system, in which the absorption of protein in the intestines is affected.
8. Are you treated with any medications?
The use of testosterone, progesterone, estrogens, methyldopa, clonidine, nifedipine, non-steroids and antidepressants testifies in favor of medicinal edema.
In addition, you should focus on other diagnostic criteria for edematous syndrome, which can be identified during an objective examination of the patient:
Thus, a woman who consults a doctor about edema is prescribed a series of examinations to clarify the cause of this condition:
Treatment of edematous syndrome is carried out by the specialist whose profile includes the causative disease. Since the most common cause is chronic venous insufficiency, the treatment algorithm for this pathology will be discussed in detail. It is based on a combination of 2 methods – medication and compression.
Drug therapy normalizes the structure and functioning of the venous wall, and also reduces the aggressive action of leukocytes, which leads to trophic changes in the skin.
The most effective drug is Dectralex (a representative of the phlebotonics group). It was recommended for use in 2007 (including for the treatment of lymphedema) after a series of clinical randomized studies (the drug has proven its effectiveness at the highest level of evidence).
Detralex leads to a decrease in the severity of symptoms such as:
Compression therapy is the wearing of preventive or therapeutic anti-varicose jersey. It is selected individually, focusing on the pressure exerted in the area above the ankles. Before wearing, it is necessary to exclude possible contraindications:
In 10-15% of cases, surgical treatment may be required. It is indicated when the above treatment methods are ineffective or in an advanced stage of the disease. The operation is performed by a phlebologist (angiosurgeon).
Traditional methods of treating edema syndrome can only be recommended if it is caused by chronic venous insufficiency or iodine deficiency, leading to hypothyroidism. And even in these cases, traditional treatment is additional to traditional therapy - it cannot be recommended as an independent method.
For vein insufficiency, it is recommended to use chestnut tincture or decoction. This plant contains certain chemicals (bioflavonoids) that strengthen the vascular wall. To exhibit therapeutic properties, taking the tincture or decoction should be continued for 3-4 months. Then a break is taken and the course of treatment is repeated.
Hypothyroidism requires not only taking hormonal medications, but also consuming iodine in food and water:
Physical exercises are effective in the initial stages of varicose veins. Their task is to improve the outflow through the veins by contracting the muscles of the lower leg and thigh. Therefore, the recommended complex includes:
If edema is caused by myocardial insufficiency, then heavy loads should be avoided. The best option in this case is considered regular, measured walking. It has a mild training effect on the heart muscle without causing ischemic damage.
The choice of medication to eliminate edema depends on the specific disease:
Prevention of edema is multifaceted, because the list of reasons causing them is very huge. Therefore, in order to prevent this syndrome, it is recommended:
Any swelling is not a disease, but only a symptom that sometimes indicates quite serious illnesses.
It is possible with some degree of probability to guess what is causing the swelling in a particular part of the body.
• Loose swelling on the face retains pressure for a long time, appears in the morning and subsides slightly in the evening, accompanied by pallor - kidney problems.
• By the evening, the legs swell, the neck veins swell, there is shortness of breath and cyanosis of the extremities - heart disease.
• A feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs, accompanied by redness of the feet and swelling, which increases in the evening - varicose veins.
• The anterior abdominal wall swells, spider veins appear on the skin of the abdomen, itching occurs - ascites, a condition associated with serious diseases and requiring urgent medical attention.
• Redness and pain in the joints, accompanied by swelling - arthritis, gout.
• Rapid swelling, redness and itching of the skin, runny nose, sneezing or coughing, sore throat - an allergic reaction. A life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention is Quincke's edema. With it, literally within a few minutes, the lips, eyelids, cheeks swell, but the worst thing is the larynx and tongue, which leads to severe difficulty breathing.
These remedies can help with swelling
If you have not been able to find out the cause of edema, then try to resort to the help of such a universal plant as sageweed. Cupyr strengthens the walls of blood vessels and has a strong diuretic effect. The plant will help you forget about the diuretics that you take to eliminate swelling.
The name of the plant seems unusual. But each of us has met him more than once in the forests or meadows. It’s enough to look at any reference book on herbs and see an image of sageweed to say: “Yes, I know it well!” Root decoction: brew 1 tbsp. l. raw materials with 1 cup of boiling water, boil in a water bath for 30 minutes, leave for 20 minutes, strain through 2-3 layers of gauze and bring the volume with boiled water to the original volume. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. Young marigold leaves can be added to salads. But before using, it is better to soak the leaves of mature marigold in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
You may not like this recipe, but it is a very effective remedy for swelling. Crush the head of garlic to obtain a homogeneous mass. Add a small amount of urine to it and rub the whole body with this mixture. Put on cotton pajamas and go to bed. Do the procedures at night, because... The product begins to act after 6 hours. This remedy removes fluid in the usual way, acting as a diuretic, but it also removes it through the skin in the form of sweat. 3 procedures are enough and the swelling will subside.
Pumpkin juice with honey helps with puffiness under the eyes. Is it enough to drink before bed? a glass of pumpkin juice with a teaspoon of honey.
The following collection helps with swelling: collection: agrimony (1 part), gray jaundice (2 parts), horsetail (1 part), bedstraw (0.5 parts), cress (2 parts), annual immortelle (1 part), oats (3 parts), Leuzea safflower, root (1 part). Pour one tablespoon of the mixture into 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours. Take 1/3 cup 4 times a day.
For dropsy and edema of cardiac origin: mix rose hips (10 parts), spikelets of oats (10 parts), flax seeds (5 parts) and chicory root (5 parts). Grind the mixture in a coffee grinder. Then 1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of the mixture into a glass of boiling water and leave in a thermos for 6 hours. Strain and take 3 times a day, 1/3 cup, 30 minutes before meals.
Take 1 tbsp. spoon of plantain leaves, calamus root, arnica and calendula flowers, mix them with 50 g of chestnut flowers. Pour the mixture in the amount of 5 tbsp. spoon 5 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes. Soak gauze strips in the liquid and apply to the swollen areas for a while, 2 times a day.
• When you get home, remove all clothes that are tight (with elastic bands). Stretch on the floor. Spread your feet to the sides, relax your arms, turn your palms up. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
• Without lifting your back from the floor, bend your legs and pull your knees to your chest, helping yourself with your hands. Stay in this position for several minutes.
• Raise your legs at right angles. Slowly bend and extend your toes upward. Bring your legs together and spread them, lightly hitting your calves together. Make a “candle” (“birch tree”), helping yourself with your hands.
• Using smooth sliding movements, massage your legs from the ankles up, along the calves and thighs.
• Relax your calf muscles by gently and very slowly kneading them with your fingers.
• Shake your legs one at a time.
The use of adonis, as well as medicinal plants that have a diuretic effect - knotweed grass, leaves and young shoots of lingonberry and bearberry, bedstraw grass, birch leaves, etc., will help reduce swelling in the lower extremities. It is very good, as an affordable and effective means to reduce swelling, to use knotweed and birch leaves as follows: pour 1 teaspoon of the raw material into 200 ml of water. Boil for 15 minutes. Leave for 30 minutes. Drink 1/2 glass in the morning and afternoon, regardless of food.
If the heart cannot cope with the load that is necessary to deliver blood to organs and tissues, if the blood flow is slow and the pulse is frequent and weak, blood retention occurs in the vessels. As a result, some of the fluid penetrates through the walls of the vessels into the surrounding tissues, and edema forms. Under the influence of gravity, fluid moves downwards, so cardiac edema most often occurs in the legs, and in bedridden patients - in the lower back and back.
With such symptoms, apple-curd fasting days will help you. You can only eat 600-800 g of apples and 300-400 g of cottage cheese per day. For large edema, such a diet is prescribed for 5 days.
On other days, don't forget about apples and other fruits and vegetables. They remove water from the body well. It is necessary to eat as much raw cabbage, cucumbers, citrus fruits and berries as possible, such as lingonberries. Stewed, baked or boiled vegetables are healthy, especially pumpkin and potatoes, zucchini and eggplant.
Try to use table salt in minimal quantities - no more than 1.5 g per day.
To improve the taste of foods and prevent swelling, use finely chopped garlic and onions, parsley, cinnamon, ginger and fennel. These seasonings have a diuretic effect.
What folk remedies are used to relieve edema and prevent it?
• Pour in 4 tsp. flaxseed 1 liter of water. Boil for 5 minutes, let the broth brew for 3-4 hours. Then strain and add lemon juice and honey for taste. Take 1/2 cup 5-6 times a day every 2 hours. But don't expect quick results, they will be noticeable in 1-2 weeks.
• Pumpkin and black radish juices with honey have diuretic properties. At first, drink these juices 1/2 glass per day, gradually increasing the daily dose to 1-2 glasses.
• Pass the parsley root and greens through a meat grinder to obtain 1 cup of ground mass. Add 0.5 liters of boiling water to the container with this mass and wrap for 6-8 hours. Then strain, squeeze, add the juice of 1 lemon. The liquid should be drunk in 3 doses during the day. Take this medicine for 2 days in a row, repeat the course after 3 days.
When using diuretics (not only tablets, but also natural products), remember the need to replace the loss of potassium excreted in the urine. Eat foods rich in this substance: oatmeal, rose hips, raisins, rice, dried apricots, etc.
To combat swelling, porridge or a heat-treated pumpkin dish will give little results. It is the raw pumpkin pulp that is beneficial. Grind a piece of pumpkin weighing about a kilogram through a meat grinder along with 2-3 sour apples, add a glass of raisins and stir the mixture well. Put it in the refrigerator. Eat a few tablespoons before each meal. Pumpkin is one of the best diuretics that quickly eliminates swelling. It removes not only fluid from the body, but also excess cholesterol and toxic substances. It is important that pumpkin also compensates for the loss of iron, potassium, magnesium, which are necessary for heart health. And the vitamin E contained in pumpkin improves peripheral blood circulation and cures heart failure.
Parsley is the best remedy for edema that occurs due to poor functioning of the heart or kidneys.
The washed roots and parsley must be passed through a meat grinder. Then pour 1 cup of the resulting mass with 2 cups of boiling water and leave for 12 hours. Strain through 3-4 layers of gauze and add juice squeezed from 1 lemon. Take 2 times a day, 1/3 cup. Drink for 2 days, then take a break for 3 days. Continue this way until the condition improves and the severity of swelling decreases.
But you need to take into account that parsley, having a diuretic effect, removes a lot of potassium from the body. And therefore, on the days of taking this remedy, you should eat oven-baked potatoes (along with the peel!), dried apricots, prunes, raisins, nuts, and honey.
Pour 1 liter of water 4 tbsp. l. flaxseed, place on the stove and boil for 10-15 minutes. Then close the pan with a lid and leave, let it brew for 1 hour. The broth does not need to be filtered. For taste, you can add lemon or any other freshly squeezed juice. Take 0.5 tbsp hot. every 2 hours 6-8 times a day. The result will be visible within 2-3 weeks.
For urinary retention (diuretic) Drink 1 tbsp three times a day. decoction of oat straw. Pour 40 g of straw into 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, strain.
For dropsy (diuretic) Boil 40 g of chopped oat straw in 1 liter of water over low heat for thirty minutes. Place the broth under the pillow for two hours and strain. Drink 0.5 tbsp. three to four times a day.
Take 500 g of quince, finely chop and pour 1 liter of hot water, boil for 20 minutes, strain. Take 1/2 tbsp. 3 times a day before meals.
Edema is the name given to the accumulation of fluid in the intercellular space. And there can be a lot of reasons for swelling!
A couple of extra cups of tea at night threatens not only night runs to the toilet, but also puffy eyes in the morning. Excess water in the body leads to the fact that the liquid is not retained in the vessels and begins to flow into the intercellular space. In this case, the body “swells” quite evenly: excess water is found in all peripheral parts. Such swelling is a constant companion for lovers of spicy and salty foods, sweet soda and coffee. All these foods cause thirst and provoke excess fluid intake. In addition, supporters of too strict diets are also at risk, often “filling” the feeling of hunger with water.
Avoid sweet, salty and spicy foods at least in the afternoon. Control the quality and quantity of liquid you drink. Doctors believe that 1.5 liters of ordinary drinking water per day is enough for a person who is not engaged in physical labor. But energy drinks, coffee and sweet soda do not quench your thirst; after them you want to drink even more.
“Heavy” and swollen legs in the evenings are one of the main signs of poor circulation in the extremities. If blood stagnates in the veins, excess fluid is squeezed out of it through the vascular wall and enters the tissues. Mostly the feet and generally the legs below the knee swell, because it is especially difficult for blood to rise upward, overcoming gravity. Most often, feet swell in those who have to stand all day, especially in uncomfortable shoes. Spending the whole day sitting is also harmful. Additional risk factors are a chair that is too high and uncomfortable or the habit of constantly crossing your legs.
If you have a sedentary job, then it’s worth remembering the occupational safety instructions that HR officers so annoyed you with. There was a useful recommendation: take breaks. Step away from the computer and walk down the hallway for at least five minutes every hour. Regular movement stimulates blood circulation in tissues. And to help your veins stay in good shape, try to make friends with sports - even half an hour of light fitness a day will significantly improve the condition of your blood vessels. But if your legs swell very much and constantly, you need to urgently visit a phlebologist to check the condition of the blood vessels. It is possible that this is one of the symptoms of varicose veins.
Fluid retention is a natural reaction of the body to exposure to a wide variety of toxic substances: from drugs to exhaust fumes. The liquid is “driven” into tissues and organs in order to dissolve and remove harmful molecules as quickly as possible. Swollen fingers and bags under the eyes in the morning are typical consequences of yesterday's cigarettes or an extra cocktail. In addition, the same alcohol provokes dehydration of the body, which, in turn, begins to accumulate all the free liquid in reserve.
Lead a healthy lifestyle, no matter how trivial it may sound. This is the only way to minimize the entry of poisons into the body.
Is your metabolism ok?
Are you at risk for venous insufficiency?
Find the cause of swelling
During an allergic reaction, histamine is released, which increases the permeability of the capillary walls and leads to the release of fluid into the surrounding tissues. As a rule, swelling is a local reaction. It develops where the substance that causes the allergy gets in. For example, an allergic reaction to mosquitoes causes a small area of skin around the bite site to swell. The most dangerous situations are swelling of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, as this can lead to suffocation. This is possible if the allergen enters directly into the respiratory tract or in the case of angioedema, an acute allergic reaction that usually affects the tissues of the face and neck.
Local allergic swelling can be relieved with antihistamine ointments or over-the-counter medications. If there is serious swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, you should immediately call an ambulance - without help, a person may die.
In an “interesting situation,” most women experience swelling. This is a consequence of a variety of processes occurring during pregnancy. The load on the kidneys increases, and under the influence of hormonal changes, the water-salt balance in the body is disrupted. This leads to stagnation of fluid in a variety of tissues. Severe swelling of the legs, which occurs most often in pregnant women, is a consequence of a general deterioration in blood circulation. This is caused by the growth of the uterus, which simply compresses the veins and lymphatic vessels of the abdominal cavity.
Regularly consult with your doctor who is managing your pregnancy. It will help you adjust your diet and lifestyle so that swelling occurs as rarely as possible. Another good way to prevent edema during pregnancy is regular movement and proper rest.
With a severe bruise or sprain, the affected area swells. This is also swelling, but it is caused by damage to tissue or lymphatic vessels. As a result, fluid may accumulate. A similar picture is observed during inflammation, as a result of which substances are released that provoke the accumulation of tissue in the fluid. For example, severe swelling occurs with rheumatism or arthritis.
Traumatic or inflammatory edema is a fairly serious symptom that requires contact with a traumatologist or surgeon. However, while waiting for help, you can apply cold to the site of the bruise or sprain and raise the damaged area of the body higher to improve the outflow of fluid.
A pale and puffy face every morning is a possible symptom of kidney problems. It is especially important to be wary in case of severe swelling, when the mark from pressing a finger on the skin does not disappear immediately, but may persist for a minute or longer. When the kidneys do not work properly, the water-salt balance in the body may be disrupted, which leads to stagnation of fluid in the tissues. “Renal” swelling lasts a very long time and can subside only in the evening.
Consult a nephrologist immediately. Kidney disease is extremely dangerous and can be fatal if left untreated.
5 steps to healthy veins
6 steps to heart health
Water. How much to drink and why?
If in the evening not only your feet, but also your legs, thighs, and even the abdominal area swell, this may be a sign of heart problems. Insufficiency of blood circulation throughout the body can lead to the penetration of fluid through the vascular wall into the tissues - in much the same way as with obstructed venous outflow (reason 2), only on a larger scale. Additional signs that this type of edema is “cardiac” are shortness of breath, blue lips and fingers, and swollen veins in the neck.
Urgently see a cardiologist. Cardiovascular diseases can now develop in very young people. By the way, timely treatment will not only get rid of swelling, but also significantly prolong life.