Before measuring the pressure on your legs, you need to remember the acceptable standards, since there are differences in measuring pressure on the ankle and on the shoulder, as well as small errors.
The indicators also differ - when measuring blood pressure on the legs, the indicator on the tonometer will be higher than on the upper extremities: about 30-50%.
The blood pressure indicator allows you to monitor the functioning of the cardiovascular system of the human body, monitor and correct problems in a timely manner. Blood pressure that is outside the normal range may indicate a condition that leads to a stroke or heart attack.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters and is divided into 2 types:
And if you conduct research, you need to take both parameters into account, since the procedure for measuring pressure reflects the state of the cardiovascular system. In addition to studying blood pressure, the state of the capillary and venous system can be studied, however, unlike arterial pressure, complex invasive diagnostics must be performed to study venous and capillary pressure.
Hypertension – arterial hypertension (not only systolic or diastolic, but concomitant) – can be diagnosed when blood pressure is stable at 140/90 and above. The clinical picture is the same for most patients:
With high blood pressure of 135 over 85, your feet may freeze; it is absolutely necessary to combat this problem, but under the supervision of a specialist:
According to medical research, 120 to 80 mm Hg is considered normal. Art. However, small deviations in both directions of 3-5 mmHg. Art. quite acceptable. And also, before measuring the pressure in your legs, you need to understand that for each age category the concept of normal is different. You should also take into account style and lifestyle, gender, and personal characteristics.
Your blood pressure will always be 120/80 if you drink in the morning.
Indicators may be outside the normal range for the following reasons:
Important! Normal blood pressure does not guarantee a pulse within normal limits, and therefore tachycardia with normal blood pressure is not a new phenomenon. If a patient has a rapid heart rate with normal blood pressure readings, it is recommended to be checked for problems with vegetative-vascular dystonia, the thyroid gland, and the cardiovascular system.
Systolic hypertension - ISH - is typical for elderly people aged 60-65 years and older: with elevated readings of brachial artery blood pressure, the threshold in the lower extremities is in the range of 78-84.
There is a difference in the indicators on the arms and legs, although it is small: the indicators on the lower extremities of a healthy person are higher than in the upper extremities. However, it should not exceed the threshold of 20 mmHg. Art. With low pressure in the legs, the doctor may note a narrowing of the main arteries.
If you have hypertension, visiting a bathhouse or sauna is undesirable, since there is an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to a worsening of the condition:
In order to measure the pressure in your legs, you will need a tonometer with a cuff (the optimal width of the cuff should vary between 70-75 mm). There is also an alternative option - an ultrasound machine.
It will not be possible to independently measure the pressure in the legs, since the diagnosis is carried out on the patient who is in a horizontal position. It is forbidden to hold your arms and legs in the air, as this may affect the accuracy of the result.
Important! For greater accuracy, measure the pressure in the legs at least 2 times, after which the arithmetic average is calculated. You should also first measure the pressure on one leg, then repeat the procedure on the other.
To measure blood pressure in the lower extremities, it makes no sense to use a wrist tonometer, since the indicators will not convey an accurate picture. An electronic tonometer for the shoulder will most accurately check your blood pressure and show the results of your blood pressure and pulse.
Heart pain and low blood pressure (hypotension) are symptoms that are felt together. In medicine, the diagnosis “vegetative-vascular dystonia” is used to describe this condition, but the symptoms may indicate severe disturbances in the functioning of the heart and other lesions not related to it.
Hypotension and heart pain develop against the background of functional and organic damage. If in the first case there are no organic lesions, then the second group of factors is associated with internal problems, which are easy to identify after diagnosis.
In case of organic malfunctions in the body, pain and hypotension occur against the background of diseases:
Heart pain and low blood pressure may be the result of an allergic reaction or the influence of toxins. Symptoms may be a side effect of taking medications.
Another cause may be somatized depression. Its peculiarity is that the diagnostic process does not reveal organic pathologies, but the patient is confident of their presence. He denies the mental factor and insists that he has a disease that causes heart pain and low blood pressure. He convinces himself of the presence of pathology and clearly sees these signs. Moreover, they develop against the background of a mental disorder.
Risk factors for the development of symptoms are identified:
Low heart pressure and pain can occur with tachycardia, when the heart rate accelerates. This can occur after stress or physical activity. In this case, the signs disappear on their own. But tachycardia sometimes indicates a serious malfunction of the heart, intoxication, and high blood loss. The reason may lie in pregnancy, since during this period the action of the hormone progesterone leads to a decrease in vascular tone.
Often patients complain of constant pain in the heart, which is aching in nature. Sometimes they turn into an attack, which is helped by validol. You may feel a rapid beating of the heart, malfunctions in its work, then a person hears the work of his own heart, feels heaviness in the stomach area, and pain in the head. In this case, dizziness occurs, and with low pressure, the pulse increases and anxiety appears.
When blood pressure drops, a person feels drowsiness, trembling, and increased fatigue. He complains of loss of strength. The first thing to do with such signs is to measure your blood pressure. If the level is very low, nausea develops, darkening occurs in the eyes, the person may lose consciousness, and the extremities become cold.
Each of these signs requires attention, as they may indicate a serious pathology. But one should not draw premature conclusions, as it is necessary to carefully examine. When there is pain in the heart or low blood pressure, the cause is not always identified immediately. Sometimes diagnosis takes time, but it should not be neglected.
After establishing a diagnosis using tests, ECG, ultrasound of the heart and other examination methods, the doctor prescribes treatment. It directly depends on the reason. It is important that treatment is carried out in a complex manner.
From the very beginning, it is necessary to improve the quality of the rest and work regime. You should often walk in the fresh air, it is recommended to do moderate gymnastics and exercise therapy. Diet is of great importance, you need to give up fatty foods, do not overindulge in sweets, spicy and salty foods. Experts note that positive dynamics are observed in the case of normalization of sleep.
After determining the causes of heart pain and low blood pressure, the doctor often prescribes medication. Under no circumstances should you make appointments yourself, this leads to dire consequences. When choosing drugs, important factors are taken into account, such as the patient’s age, indications and contraindications, symptoms, etc.
Physiological conditions often require the use of sedatives to achieve sedation. The attending physician prescribes motherwort, valerian, and herbal teas. They are usually combined with tonic drugs, for example, Eleutherococcus. It has been noted that this combination of drugs is beneficial for heart pain and low blood pressure.
If your blood pressure drops significantly, it is important to take specific actions before the ambulance arrives. You need to put the person in a horizontal position, raise your legs and give sweet tea. It’s good if it contains ginseng tincture. Do not serve coffee or alcoholic beverages!
If your pulse quickens with low blood pressure, valocordin and motherwort can help. Taking a deep breath and holding your breath helps restore your heart rhythm. If the patient suffers from diabetes, the condition can be improved by correcting glucose levels.
A contrast shower has a positive effect. Doctors advise to have breakfast and take tonic drinks.
The following recommendations help reduce the risk of pain in the heart, low blood pressure, and the development of certain diseases:
If heart pain appears from time to time and blood pressure drops, measures need to be taken. These include seeing a doctor, getting a diagnosis, and following your doctor's recommendations.
Heart pain and low blood pressure, are these concepts compatible, and what does this mean? The cause of this condition is vegetative-vascular dystonia. Often this disease affects the female population at a young age. Deterioration of the condition in hypotensive patients more often manifests itself in the spring and summer, after suffering from colds. Therefore, if your heart hurts and your blood pressure is low, you should consult a doctor for appropriate treatment.
With low pressure, heart pain differs from other serious pathologies, for example, myocardial infarction. Hypotension is usually characterized by a dull sensation in the chest and does not extend to the left arm and shoulder blade. The pain appears suddenly in the morning or after intense physical activity. The attack may occur several times a day, then subside.
This is often influenced by:
Some people experience increased heart rate after eating, psycho-emotional stress and the influence of weather conditions.
May cause pain in the heart and decreased blood pressure:
Decreased vascular tone disrupts the functioning of the heart, and therefore chest pain appears. Such sensations occur periodically; the heartbeat increases on its own; this is not associated with nervous or physical stress. In such patients, the hands become cold, the limbs become numb, and frequent pulsations occur.
Symptoms of low blood pressure and high pulse:
With a strong decrease in blood pressure, the functioning of the heart and brain is disrupted. Therefore, hypertensive patients often experience dizziness and may lose consciousness.
There are also factors that contribute to the appearance of heart pain:
Exacerbation of hypotension is influenced by the use of certain medications and cardiovascular diseases.
To get rid of heart pain, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the disease and give up bad habits. It is recommended to strengthen the heart through physical exercise and give up negative thoughts and bad habits. If a person feels good with low blood pressure, but during moments of anxiety or fatigue, discomfort occurs in the chest and does not go away after taking the pills, you should pay attention to this and consult a doctor.
For calming, herbal medicines (valerian, hawthorn, motherwort), as well as mixed preparations (persen, trypsidan, barboval) are prescribed. For low blood pressure, you should take Chinese lemongrass, ginseng, and vitamin complexes.
The following medications may also be prescribed:
For heart pain and low blood pressure, doctors recommend using a special pillow that helps normalize blood pressure and avoid myocardial infarction. There are also traditional ways to regulate blood pressure; it is important not to self-medicate, but to consult with your doctor before using medicinal herbs.
With hypotension, it is necessary to control the pulse; when it increases, the heart suffers, and tachycardia may occur. In this condition, you should stick to your daily routine, eat right, don’t worry, and follow other doctor’s advice. You should also give up alcohol and smoking. Taking a deep breath and holding your breath can restore normal heart rhythm.
Low blood pressure is characterized by slow blood flow, which disrupts the functioning of important organs. It is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and identify the cause that reduces blood pressure and provokes pain in the heart.
To improve your condition with hypotension, you should follow simple rules:
Monitoring your health status with low blood pressure plays an important role. With proper nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced mental state, complications can be prevented.
Headache, dizziness, nausea - all these are symptoms characteristic of sudden surges in pressure. Pain in the back of the head and pressure are connected; often such pain syndrome is present with hypertension. With low blood pressure, the pain is, in most cases, localized on the sides of the head.
Pain in the back of the head can manifest itself in different ways. It is both acute and aching in nature. Symptoms are often accompanied by nausea and dizziness.
The symptoms of headaches with low and high blood pressure differ. With hypertension, the pain is accompanied by a burning sensation, the patient complains that the back of his head is burning. It seems that the temperature at the back of the head is higher than in other areas. Pain syndrome is also accompanied by:
Often patients feel irritation, groundless anxiety or sudden fear. With very high blood pressure, the pain syndrome has one significant feature - it cannot be relieved with the help of conventional analgesics.
Headache caused by very high blood pressure is not relieved by analgesics
Pain in the back of the head with low blood pressure is usually aching and dull. Accompanied by disorientation and dizziness. The discomfort is symptomatically similar to migraine. At the same time, an aura may also appear - the flickering of flies before the eyes. With hypotension, the pain syndrome is often aggravated by intolerance to loud sounds and increased light sensitivity of the eyes.
Pain in the occipital part of the head with increased pressure has a number of characteristic features:
In hypertension, pain is difficult to treat with analgesics. If blood pressure is only slightly higher than normal, you can get rid of the discomfort with the help of conventional antispasmodics, for example, No-shpa. These drugs have a mild hypotensive effect, therefore, in addition to relieving pain, they additionally lower blood pressure.
If you have very high blood pressure, you can get rid of pain only by taking antihypertensive drugs recommended by your doctor. Long-acting and immediate-acting drugs are used for treatment. The treatment regimen depends on the characteristics of the patient’s body. It is often recommended to supplement one type of medication with another type of medication, for example, the patient takes a quick-acting medication, and a few hours later takes an additional tablet with a prolonged effect.
We normalize the pressure surge - the headache will go away too
Symptoms of a hypertensive crisis are a rapid rise in blood pressure and deterioration in well-being. Patients report tachycardia and pain in the chest, breathing problems, a feeling of fear and increasing anxiety. All this indicates a crisis.
During a crisis, headache is a nonspecific symptom, but can be observed from time to time. Discomfort in the back of the head intensifies many times over, spreading to the area near the temples. The pain syndrome becomes unbearable and can cause nausea. Additionally, there are dark spots in the vision area, which is caused by impaired blood circulation in the brain.
The first action in this condition is to assume a semi-sitting position. The patient should try to calm down and relax. It is necessary to immediately take an antihypertensive drug, which the patient drinks as prescribed by the doctor. If you have nothing at hand, you can take half a Captopril tablet. You should be careful with this medicine, as taking it may cause a sharp decrease in blood pressure.
For tachycardia, you can take Anaprilin. To normalize the pulse, the tablet should be placed under the tongue, but not swallowed with water. This will ensure the rapid action of the drug. If you feel pain behind the chest and there is severe shortness of breath, you need to put one nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue.
Pain in the occipital region of the head with hypotension is rare. In most cases, low blood pressure discomfort is similar to a migraine and is localized to the right or left side of the head. Pain in the back of the head can appear due to overwork, stress, or poor sleep.
With hypotension, pain is always accompanied by loss of strength, drowsiness, and apathy. In most cases, the pain is aching, pressing. Often, due to overwork, there is an increase in pain. This may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
With hypotension, pain often occurs in the forehead area
The causes of discomfort with low blood pressure are the lack of oxygen supplied to the brain. This may be accompanied by visual impairment - the appearance of floaters, transparent spots, and deterioration in vision sharpness. As a rule, with hypotension there is increased sensitivity to light and intolerance to loud sounds. Any irritation leads to an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome.
In this case, analgesics with caffeine help relieve pain. This substance stimulates blood circulation and raises blood pressure to normal, which is especially important for hypotension. The drugs chosen by hypotensive patients to treat headaches are Citramon or Farmadol. Both drugs have identical composition - paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid and caffeine. This provides a complex effect - the drug simultaneously relieves pain and increases blood pressure. For severe pain, it is enough to take two tablets of the medicine to feel significant relief after just 10-20 minutes.
Coffee helps some patients. A strongly brewed drink (3-4 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup) rapidly increases blood pressure, relieving discomfort.
Hypotonic people are very sensitive to changes in weather conditions. Sometimes the headache may be present for several days in a row. In this case, it is recommended to supplement the treatment with alcohol tinctures of ginseng or lemongrass. Dosage – 20 drops of medicine before each meal for a week. Such tinctures stimulate blood circulation and normalize vascular tone, also being natural stimulants.
In some cases, 25 grams of cognac helps get rid of headaches. The method is simple, effective and safe, but it only helps with a slight decrease in blood pressure.
For severe migraines due to low blood pressure, you can take a Cinnarizine tablet. This medicine improves cerebral circulation, improves oxygen transport and normalizes vascular tone. May cause drowsiness, so use in the afternoon. The drug also helps fight other symptoms of low blood pressure - dizziness, loss of energy and nausea.
If you have a migraine attack, you should drink 40 drops of valerian tincture before going to bed. It does not affect blood pressure, but normalizes the pulse and reduces tension in the nervous system. Having a sedative effect, valerian tincture improves the quality of sleep.
Pain in the back of the head does not always indicate hypertension. This symptom may be a sign of various neurological disorders and spinal diseases.
Pain in the back of the head may indicate problems in the spine
Pain in the back of the head occurs when there is poor circulation. This may be due to:
Discomfort may accompany vegetative-vascular dystonia. Often, occipital pain appears in weather-dependent people, even with normal blood pressure.
Sudden surges in blood pressure happen to everyone and do not indicate diseases of the cardiovascular system. A sudden increase or decrease in blood pressure can occur in a healthy person as a result of prolonged stress or severe fatigue. This condition can also be accompanied by headaches, including in the back of the head.
High blood pressure and sudden changes in blood pressure are typical for teenagers. Due to hormonal changes, discomfort may appear in the back of the head. This condition does not pose a health hazard and is fleeting.
With osteochondrosis, headache appears after being in one position for a long time. In the morning, the symptom is accompanied by dizziness, which is caused by compression of the spinal artery during night sleep. The disease is treated with medication and physical therapy to normalize blood flow.
Only a neurologist can accurately identify the cause of a headache. If no pressure fluctuations are detected in a person, and discomfort in the occipital region appears frequently, it is recommended to consult with a specialist, but not to self-medicate.
Honored cardiologist: “Surprisingly, most people are ready to take any medications for hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia and heart attack, without even thinking about the side effects. Most of these products have many contraindications and become addictive after just a few days of use. But there is a real alternative - a natural remedy that affects the very cause of high blood pressure. The main component of the drug is simple. "
In the modern world, one of the common diseases is low blood pressure or hypotension. Moreover, more and more young people suffer from this disease. Accompanying symptoms of this disease are dizziness, lethargy and drowsiness, and complaints of headache. Unfortunately, the situation of low blood pressure and headaches is increasingly worrying both the adult population and the younger generation. This greatly interferes with normal life. What to do in this case? Why does my head hurt?
Young people suffer from hypotension or low blood pressure without even realizing it. As a rule, their blood pressure normalizes over time. In people suffering from tuberculosis, peptic ulcer disease, or heart disease, hypotension may also be present. Pregnancy in women is often accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure, since during pregnancy the hormonal background of the female body changes, and progesterone becomes predominant. Its action causes blood vessels to dilate, and as a result, blood pressure drops.
If you get a headache during pregnancy, this is due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. It happens that a woman experiences headaches throughout her pregnancy.
There is no need to worry too much about this. When the baby is born, everything will return to normal.
If a person suffers from hypotension, in this case hormonal and autonomic regulation is disrupted, swelling and swelling of the walls and tissues of blood vessels occurs.
The human body responds to this with the appearance of a headache.
Hypotension is accompanied by many symptoms: nausea, dizziness, fainting, increased fatigue, decreased performance, the patient experiences psycho-emotional instability, and increased heart rate. This is not a complete list of symptoms observed in people with hypotension. But the main thing is a severe headache with low blood pressure.
How does a headache hurt with low blood pressure? When you visit a doctor, you must describe to him exactly where and how your head hurts, how it starts to hurt, what type of pain it is, etc.
This is the only way to help you choose the right course of treatment.
For headaches caused by low blood pressure, the following are typical:
If you feel that you have low blood pressure and a headache, then you can try to raise it at home and thereby relieve the pain.
Here are the most popular ways to quickly increase blood pressure.
Low blood pressure and a headache are already a reason to seek help from a specialist. Hypotension can cause serious illness.
Pregnant women should definitely see a doctor, especially if their pregnancy is accompanied by low blood pressure and headaches. People with hypotension do not often go to see a doctor; they try to fight this disease themselves, but if you have the symptoms listed below, then you need to contact a medical facility for help:
What to do if you suffer from low blood pressure with a headache, and home remedies do not help? Medicines prescribed by a doctor should come to the rescue.
The most common medications are the following:
Headache, which is the cause of low blood pressure, is a complex issue that necessarily requires treatment from specialists.
Therefore, if it occurs, it is necessary to consult a doctor, accurately determine the reasons for its occurrence, and not allow the pain to become chronic.
And of course, it is necessary to pay attention to preventive measures, which include:
All this will help raise low blood pressure and headaches will leave you.
A feeling of heaviness in the legs, including heaviness in the legs below the knee, is a symptom that almost the entire population of planet Earth knows about. The degree of severity depends on a host of factors, ranging from a strong single load from walking to serious venous pathologies affecting the cardiovascular system as a whole.
In which part of the legs is it most often located and what happens, the time frame for the manifestation of symptoms and are there any patterns in this that indicate differences in pathologies? How to relieve fatigue and pain in the legs - everything is detailed in this article.
The causes and symptoms of heaviness in the arms and legs are varied, but, in fact, there is only one serious cause, and it is associated with a violation of blood flow in the human body. When you deviate from the norm and the force of gravity decreases, swelling and heaviness appear in the legs. You need to start treatment as early as possible; various external (ointment, gel, anti-fatigue cream) and internal medications (injections, tablets) are used, and folk remedies are not left out.
If treatment is not started on time, an unpleasant sensation and vascular problems will lead a person to the operating table.
For what reasons does it occur:
Taking medications can cause heaviness and pain in the legs, this can be interpreted as a side effect; when the drug is discontinued, fatigue, pain, weakness, and swelling go away. Pain and heaviness in the legs can almost always be felt by a woman during pregnancy; in this case, some external agents (gel, ointment or cream) can be used as treatment.
When heaviness in the legs is the leading symptom, people usually attribute it to fatigue; it can be observed in the evening, after a tired person comes home from work. “Legs are buzzing” is a fairly common symptom; there is strong tension and at the same time weakness, which forces a person to simply collapse into the nearest chair and stretch out his legs.
Let's consider several pathological conditions, the symptom of which will be heaviness in the lower extremities.
Heaviness in the legs with varicose veins is a symptom familiar to almost everyone who has problems with blood vessels. Unpleasant sensations are localized in the left leg and right leg; there may be heaviness in the knees with a feeling of fullness (swelling) or radiate to the thigh. External symptoms are the formation of spider veins on the skin and the appearance of vascular nodes along the veins. The disease is characterized by congestion, decreased elasticity of blood vessels and increased permeability. In the later stages, complications develop in the form of thrombophlebitis (formation of blood clots), which provokes constant pain, cramps, and swelling. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the symptoms and causes of varicose veins and can be either conservative or surgical, depending on the severity of the disease.
Characterized by the presence of cholesterol plaques on the inner wall of blood vessels. The reason for this is lipid metabolism disorders and smoking. Due to blockage, the blood supply to tissues and organs deteriorates, the lower extremities are especially affected, heaviness appears in them, and a “symptom of intermittent claudication” is formed. The calf muscles are severely affected; in a person with atherosclerosis of the arteries, the limb is cold, there is a feeling of numbness, and cramps. After rest, fatigue and discomfort disappear.
Flat feet are a serious reason for the characteristic signs of discomfort in the legs. When flattening of the arch of the foot occurs, its shock-absorbing properties decrease; in fact, a person does not have a light and springy gait, which is fraught with problems with the musculoskeletal system in general and blood vessels in particular. “Heaviness in the legs of lead”, cramps even in the morning, the knee joint swells, pain, widening of the foot, shoes wear out on the inside - these are the most characteristic symptoms.
The echoes of pathology in the lower back reach the legs, due to pinching of the sciatic nerve and as a result of the development of inflammation, a number of characteristic symptoms arise. There may be heaviness in the legs in the morning if the bed is not as comfortable as needed, pain spreading to the lower limbs, a feeling of numbness and pins and needles. If there is no treatment for radiculitis, the symptoms worsen until a complete loss of sensation in the legs and the ability to move. To relieve heaviness and remove discomfort, it is necessary to visit a doctor in a timely manner and undergo complex therapy. Treatment with folk remedies (hot brick on the lower back, gel, warming ointments, decoctions and compresses) does not always bring the expected results.
Sometimes the drug can cause unpleasant symptoms of heaviness in the legs. In this case, it is necessary to remove from the medicinal complex the drug that caused the accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues of the lower extremities and discomfort. This should be done by the attending physician after the patient’s complaints; when adjusting treatment, the following are “expelled”: antihypertensives, hypoglycemic agents, NSAIDs and hormonal drugs.
Do not put off going to the doctor, this symptom can lead a person to the operating table
A lot of external and internal reasons can provoke a feeling of weight in the legs. In each specific case, detail is needed; you should not attribute everything only to widespread reasons: fatigue, uncomfortable low or too high heels, during pregnancy, etc. Long-standing injuries can also make themselves felt, especially if there is a history of an open leg fracture .
Poor sleep or a night spent without sleep also affects the vascular system; if heaviness occurs after sleep, then this is a reason to contact a cardiologist and phlebologist.
Frequently recurring infection, viral flu, low threshold of the body's resistance (decreased immunity) - all these are reasons that can indirectly influence the appearance of characteristic symptoms.
What treatment is given for such complaints? Any medal has a reverse side, and if there is heaviness in the lower extremities, you should not remove it only with external means (gel, ointment). It is important to identify the cause of this condition and direct treatment efforts towards its elimination.
People who complain of heavy legs experience constant discomfort when walking or standing. Sometimes pain and fatigue persist even in a horizontal position. The cause may be a serious illness that requires immediate treatment.
Distension, swelling, weakness, feeling of stiffness - these unpleasant symptoms bother about a third of the world's population. To identify the causes of this condition and find appropriate treatment, it is necessary to pay attention to all accompanying symptoms. However, having figured it out, it is possible to improve the situation in cases with minor disorders in the body.
Common causes of discomfort in the legs are:
Women often complain of heaviness in their legs during pregnancy. This is not surprising, since it is associated with serious stress on the kidneys and cardiovascular system. Blood volume and body weight increase, and a woman’s body is sometimes unable to cope with such changes. As a result, swelling forms on the legs, which can be harmless and natural, or serve as a signal to take action.
Most often, heaviness in the lower extremities accompanies varicose veins. This pathology is multifactorial and is associated with weakening of the walls of the superficial veins and insufficiency of their valve apparatus. The early stage is characterized by fatigue and discomfort, but swelling in the legs is still mild. As a rule, aching pain is felt in the evening and at night. In the morning the symptoms go away. This stage must be identified in time, otherwise the pathology will take a more severe form.
If the problem is left to chance, its progress will be accompanied by complaints of pain under the knees, cramps in games, and visually noticeable dilation of veins. In the future, aches in the hips and pain in the joints may occur. Swelling, which initially passed painlessly, now becomes more pronounced. Gradually they become permanent, and the skin above the dilated veins becomes inflamed. Ulcers occur that are difficult to heal, internal bleeding occurs, and varicothrombophlebitis may develop.
However, varicose veins progress relatively slowly and even with its extensive nature, patients feel quite well for many years. However, despite its apparent harmlessness, it is important to remember the risks of varicothrombophlebitis, which occurs as a result of the formation of blood clots in the veins. If one of them breaks off and begins to move through the venous system, it will lead to pulmonary embolism and then death.
This condition is characterized by a narrowing of the lumen of the vessels of the arms and legs, up to their absolute blockage, which causes various disturbances in blood circulation in the extremities. This group of diseases includes obliterating atherosclerosis, thromboangiitis, nonspecific aortoarteritis, diabetic arteritis as a result of diabetic microangiopathy, and connective tissue diseases. Symptoms are varied, but, as a rule, they consist of signs of insufficient blood supply to the legs.
At first, the disease manifests itself exclusively during physical activity. There may be weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, coldness in the extremities, paresthesia in the calves (a feeling like goosebumps), pain in the hips and behind the knees.
A typical symptom is intermittent claudication, which can only be detected after a long walk: over time, the patient can walk only one and a half hundred meters without pain. The skin of the affected area is pale, sometimes has a bluish tint, baldness in some areas, brittle nails, and trophic disorders are expected.
This pathology is characterized by the accumulation of lymph in the intercellular space and complete blocking of its movement through the lymphatic vessels. The disease is accompanied by swelling, fatigue, pain and ulcers. The swelling is located on the back of the foot or in the lower part of the leg, intensification is observed after physical activity and in the summer. The skin is soft and natural in color, and the patient does not experience pain when pressed.
There is a tendency to inflammation of the diseased limb, as a result of which the disease progresses, accompanied by a more severe course. The most terrible complication is gangrene.
Often, spinal pathology manifests itself in the form of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region. Initially, there is pain in the lower back, cramps in the calves and thigh muscles. Neurology depends on the stage of the disease. With exacerbation, pain, lumbago, and weakness become more frequent. During remission, everyone's symptoms go away.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis are joint diseases that cause not only pain, but also increased fatigue, poor mobility and crunching. Typically, these diseases occur in older people, and they occur with minimal symptoms.
Pathology of the foot, as a result of which its arches decrease, is called flat feet. It can be longitudinal and transverse, and a combination of these types is also often found. A mild disorder is characterized by heavy leg syndrome, fatigue, dizziness, pain in the feet, and loss of plasticity in gait.
As the disease worsens, the resulting pain increases, focusing in the feet and legs, swelling of the feet and ankles intensifies in the evening. Wearing orthopedic shoes is recommended as treatment.
Complex pathologies, including heart failure, cause swelling in the legs, dizziness, shortness of breath and other unpleasant symptoms. Since cardiac complaints come to the fore, heaviness in the legs is considered a symptom. The cause is eliminated, and the symptoms go away.
There are several kidney pathologies that result in swelling. These are chronic glomerulonephritis, diabetic glomerulosclerosis, renal failure. The above diseases provoke heaviness of the legs in the initial stages, when swelling is just beginning to form. Patients suffer from dizziness, itchy skin, weakness, poor appetite, extreme thirst, and high blood pressure. This includes low blood clotting and decreased immunity.
Consequently, swelling of the legs is not a separate syndrome, but only one of the signs of a disease associated, perhaps, with the kidneys, the heart, and the joints. If heavy legs are a consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle, then exercise and limiting salt intake will help. Also, if there are no kidney problems, it is recommended to drink more water. Since the body, which is constantly thirsty, begins to accumulate moisture, as a result of which the lower limbs swell.
In women, swelling usually goes away after childbirth. But there are cases when the problem is eliminated with medication, namely when gestosis or preeclampsia is detected. Before and during pregnancy, folk remedies, for example, a decoction of lingonberry leaves, can be used to treat edema.
Heaviness in the legs will go away if you remove excess body weight, add cardio training, do lymphatic drainage massage, review your diet, trying to avoid foods high in cholesterol. Also helping to improve the condition is not walking in high heels, purchasing orthopedic insoles and choosing comfortable shoes as an ongoing prevention of flat feet.