About 70% of women and 30% of men constantly suffer from various swelling, especially often from swelling of the legs. As you can see from these figures, it is women who most often suffer from this obsession; all this happens due to the characteristics of the female body.
Usually this is visible immediately, but with a slight swelling it can be quite difficult to understand “by eye” whether this is true or not.
If you have very strong painful swelling, then it will be noticeable and your legs will become painfully swollen and voluminous. With such edema, many patients also experience pain and severe heaviness.
Leg swelling can occur for many reasons. If you have not had any health problems before, but your legs suddenly become a little swollen, then there is no need to “sound the alarm”; most likely it will go away in a couple of hours, and the swelling itself arose due to some auxiliary reasons. In this case, swelling in the legs may appear because:
It’s very easy to deal with all these reasons, just wait out the pregnancy (although even during pregnancy you can follow a diet and regime), air travel, try to stretch your legs more often (especially during “standing” work) and lose excess weight.
In such cases, swelling occurs in almost everyone, including representatives of the stronger sex, so there is no need to worry about this. Come home, raise your legs up and hold them there for a while, the swelling will “flow” down, it is also useful to take a contrast bath with lemon oil.
However, unfortunately, legs can swell for much more serious reasons. In such cases, simple baths will no longer help; you need to visit a doctor and apply medication.
Here are the 5 main reasons for swelling in the legs:
For some, summer is associated with fun, long walks and beach parties, while for others it is associated with health problems, heaviness in the legs and other discomfort. The prerequisites for such painful conditions may be hidden in various diseases.
Identifying and eliminating the causes of swelling will not only help you get rid of this problem, but will also improve your overall health. So, if your legs swell in the heat, what should you do?
Swelling of the legs in hot weather is a very common phenomenon that is known to many. Women are mainly affected by this phenomenon. They are the ones who often complain that by the end of the day their feet feel like lead, and their favorite shoes turn into instruments of torture. Of course, wearing high-heeled shoes in such situations is out of the question.
An increase in the volume of the lower extremities, a feeling of heaviness and fatigue occurs, as a rule, in the evening. By this time, the cells and intercellular space of the tissues of the legs and feet are filled with fluid.
This process occurs independently and is not easy to regulate.
The frequency and intensity of edema that occurs in the heat depend on the individual characteristics of each individual organism. When examining and prescribing treatment, the initial reasons why this happens are important.
It often happens that the swelling that appears in the evening leaves no trace in the morning. The intensity of this phenomenon does not change over time, and it becomes habitual. Many doctors agree that such leg swelling is not a pathology and does not require serious treatment. However, the situation cannot be ignored; it must be monitored. If heaviness in the legs, an increase in their volume and other discomfort lasts for a long time or swelling becomes more and more, you should approach the problem responsibly and understand its causes.
So, why do the legs swell a lot - the reasons for the phenomenon:
In some cases, swelling of the lower extremities indicates serious illnesses requiring medical intervention. Therefore, it is important to identify why the discomfort occurred. If such phenomena become frequent and cause significant inconvenience, consult a doctor for advice.
The treatment regimen depends on the prerequisites for the occurrence of this problem. In cases where swelling of the legs in the heat is not accompanied by serious illness, you can get by with simply resting in a supine position. If we are talking about the pathology of vital organs and systems, then getting rid of the underlying disease will lead to the elimination of such a symptom as swelling of the legs.
If the tissues swell due to the heart-kidney tandem, then a whole range of medications is used.
Swelling caused by venous diseases also requires intensive complex treatment.
In order to choose the optimal treatment regimen, you should not trust television advertising or the advice of others. It is better to seek qualified help from a doctor.
If your health condition allows you to do without medications, you can use traditional methods for treating leg swelling. Sometimes, to alleviate the condition, it is enough to lie down with your legs on a pillow so that your feet are higher than the level of your body. If this does not help, you will have to take more active steps.
Make the product according to the suggested recipe:
This solution is very useful and pleasant to soak tired feet after a hot day. In addition, such foot baths are recommended to improve blood flow in the veins and reduce fatigue and swelling.
Physiotherapy exercises have also proven effective in treating edema of the lower extremities.
It is recommended to do the following exercises:
These simple exercises aimed at improving blood circulation will help relieve heaviness and swelling.
In addition, in hot weather, you should adhere to a diet that involves avoiding fast food, fried, fatty and excessively salty foods. Alcohol consumption should also be kept to a minimum. This will help relieve your feet from discomfort and improve your overall condition.
Swelling of the legs in the hot season is an unpleasant phenomenon.
To avoid encountering it, there are a number of measures.
In most cases, swelling of the legs in the hot season is a normal physiological phenomenon that should not be alarmed. However, if it causes inconvenience, then simple preventive measures will help you forget about the discomfort associated with swelling.
Swelling in the ankles and legs is not uncommon in both women and men. But not everyone knows why legs swell and what this may indicate. Doctors recommend that at the first symptoms characterized by swelling of the lower extremities, seek advice, as this may indicate the progression of various pathological processes in the human body.
Swelling in the legs can appear both in a healthy person and be evidence of serious diseases progressing in the human body.
In a healthy person, the reasons for swelling of the legs can be:
Causes of swelling in the legs, which resulted in pathological processes in the body:
Experts identify the following symptoms of leg swelling:
Swelling of a pathological nature (as a result of diseases) can be observed not only at the end of the working day, but throughout the day and even at night. Therefore, everyone should know and understand how edema manifests itself in one case or another in order to recognize the disease as soon as possible and begin its treatment.
The appearance of edema as a result of diseases of the cardiovascular system is a rather complex and lengthy process. Edema begins to appear during concomitant diseases of heart failure.
Possible causes of leg swelling:
In the early stages of disease progression, only the legs become swollen, but over time they can also be observed under the eyes. Initially, the patient sees swelling only as a cosmetic problem, which goes away with rest.
If the pathology in the heart is serious and the disease progresses, not only the legs, but also the abdominal cavity begin to swell. The stomach inflates like a balloon. When fluid accumulates in the lungs, the patient has obvious wheezing and a strong wet cough.
If a disease of the cardiovascular system is not treated and its symptoms are ignored, then rest for edema will no longer help and the patient needs drug treatment.
If you compare cardiac edema with other similar ones (hepatic or renal), then you can find characteristic differences among them. Initially, swelling appears exclusively on the feet and ankles. After which the legs above the ankles swell, that is, the fluid rises up. In some cases, in patients with heart disease, swelling appeared on the calves, indicating progression of the disease.
Swelling of the legs due to venous insufficiency is a common phenomenon.
Experts highlight the main causes (diseases) of venous edema:
Studies have shown that predominantly women are susceptible to venous edema. According to the nature of progression and occurrence, venous edema can be acute or chronic.
Doctors identify primary and secondary symptoms of venous insufficiency, which require special attention. In the first stages of the disease, the patient experiences the following symptomatic manifestations:
Doctors include secondary symptoms that indicate progression of the disease:
A number of factors can cause venous insufficiency:
Swelling of the legs due to pathological processes occurring in the kidneys often occurs in the face, as well as on the feet, less often in the abdominal cavity or chest. Doctors include a number of diseases and pathological processes in the kidneys as the main reasons that can cause swelling in the lower extremities:
In addition, intoxication of the body, as well as abnormal kidney structure, can also lead to swelling of the legs. The presence of swelling in kidney pathology is observed exclusively in the morning, and not, as in other cases, in the late afternoon. If your legs swell heavily, mainly in the morning, this indicates disturbances in the protein composition of the blood, as well as the accumulation of sodium ions. During such disorders, a large amount of fluid accumulates in the human body, which does not leave with urine as expected.
In addition to swelling, people with kidney disease may experience nephrotic syndrome. That is, in the process of urination, the body loses a large amount of protein (up to 60 g).
Factors contributing to the development of pathologies in the kidneys and, as a result, the presence of edema:
Initially, swelling appears on the lower legs (feet, ankles), and over time moves to the face. If the disease is not diagnosed in time and treatment is started, swelling can spread to the stomach, arms, and chest. In areas of swelling, patients experience pale skin and dryness. The most dangerous manifestation is laryngeal edema, which can be fatal.
Liver diseases are characterized by disturbances in the functioning of the organ. At the same time, the body begins to accumulate water and salt in the tissues, as a result of which swelling occurs in the legs. Edema occurs with the following liver diseases:
Swelling due to liver diseases affects not only the legs, but also the arms, and in men also the scrotum area. But only a specialist can determine the cause that led to such complications.
The following reasons cause severe swelling of the legs:
Swelling occurs due to liver dysfunction mainly in the evening, after a working day.
It is not uncommon for legs to swell with severe thyroid dysfunction. A characteristic sign of edema in diseases of the thyroid gland is the presence of edema mainly in the ankle area; when pressing on the swollen area, no indentation remains.
In addition to swelling of the legs, swelling of the entire body is observed as the disease progresses. If the thyroid gland malfunctions, the patient begins to rapidly gain weight, the general condition worsens significantly, hair begins to fall out, nails break and peel. In addition to visible swelling, internal organs may also swell. Treatment in this case consists of taking hormonal drugs, prescribed exclusively by the attending physician.
Swelling of the legs during an allergic reaction is also accompanied by itching and peeling of the skin. The causes of swelling of the legs during an allergic reaction are:
An allergic reaction can occur in two forms: chronic and quickly reversible. The rapid form is characterized by the following symptoms:
For the chronic form, in addition to the above symptoms, urticaria, Quincke's edema, and bronchial asthma are added.
As a result of a strong blow, a person experiences pain, which often causes swelling of the lower extremities. The main causes of swelling in the legs resulting from injuries:
The most common are fractures and bruises. The legs may suddenly swell in the lower leg or foot as a result of fluid accumulation in the soft tissues, which occurs as a result of poor blood circulation. The patient does not notice swelling of the lower leg immediately, but after some time. It is quite difficult to restore blood flow and thereby reduce swelling, but you should not give up.
Swelling can become permanent; this occurs as a result of not seeking help from a doctor in a timely manner, as well as unqualified medical care when bones (in the event of a fracture) heal incorrectly.
If, in the event of an injury, special attention is not paid to the treatment of swelling, the patient may face:
Lymphatic swelling of the feet is called lymphostasis or lymphedema. This disease is diagnosed in every 10 people on the planet. If lymphedema is not diagnosed and treated in time, it will bring the patient not only psychological and physical suffering, but may even result in disability.
The main causes of leg swelling (impaired lymphatic drainage):
In addition to swelling of the lower extremities, the patient experiences accompanying symptoms:
Almost every pregnant woman complains that her limbs are swollen. During the normal course of pregnancy, swelling appears no earlier than the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, but if swelling appears earlier, this may indicate the presence of kidney or heart disease, and in this case the woman should immediately see her doctor.
Pregnancy with edema is not always a mandatory phenomenon, but still quite common. The fact is that during this period of time the female body accumulates a large amount of sodium, which attracts all the liquid to itself, which is why there is a delay in the excretion of liquid, which manifests itself in edema.
If a woman has a history of kidney, liver or heart disease, then edema should be monitored under strict medical supervision. Since during this period, some medications are contraindicated for a woman and treatment should be without harm to the life of the expectant mother and child. If there are no serious illnesses, rest, a balanced and proper diet, and comfortable shoes will help a woman cope with swelling.
If the legs swell for no apparent reason, the patient should immediately seek advice from his local doctor, who will help deal with the problem and prescribe the correct treatment. Treatment of pain and swelling in the legs will directly depend on the diagnosis, so it is very important in this case not to self-medicate.
You should not purchase or use medications without a doctor's prescription. Therefore, you should first consult about a particular remedy.
When your legs swell, doctors prescribe the following medications:
In addition, all ointments and creams that contain horse chestnut have a positive effect on swelling.
It is possible to relieve swelling of the legs using alternative medicine, but before using them you need to consult your doctor so as not to further aggravate the situation (if the swelling was caused by the progression of serious diseases).
You can relieve swelling in the following ways:
It is better to prevent than to treat leg swelling after a long time. Therefore, if you have experienced swelling of the lower extremities at least once in your life, then you should adhere to a certain diet.
Diet for swelling and pain in the legs:
If your legs periodically swell and this is not associated with pathological processes in the body, but rather with your daily routine, then in this case doctors recommend doing simple, but also quite effective exercises every day.
You can relieve swelling and pain in your legs at the end of the working day by raising your legs above your head. To do this, lie on the bed and place your feet on a pillow or wall, this will improve blood circulation and you will feel much better.