What to do if your left or right leg swells from the knee to the foot? This condition usually does not cause serious discomfort, but medical attention is still necessary.
Edema is the accumulation of excess fluid in a certain part of the body. Most often, the legs behind the knee swell because they bear the bulk of the load. This can happen after being in one position for a long time, standing or sitting.
Important! Women wearing high-heeled shoes has a negative impact on the condition of their legs below the knee. Also at risk are people who drink more than two liters of water per day.
Negative factors can be corrected without the intervention of medical staff. But you need to be sure that they are the ones causing the swelling. Otherwise, the disease can progress, which can lead to the need for surgical intervention.
There are diseases in which leg swelling is only one of the symptoms. To find out what disease has affected the limbs, it is necessary to conduct an examination and take tests. X-ray, CT or MRI data may be required. All of them quite clearly reveal the picture of the disease.
The most common diseases accompanied by swelling of the leg below the knee include several types of pathologies.
It occurs when there is excessive formation of synovial fluid. The excess accumulates in the bag and becomes noticeable as a swelling under the knee, behind or in front. Treatment does not require major surgical interventions:
During treatment, it is imperative to reduce motor activity and the load on the sore leg.
The knee contains cartilage tissue in the shape of two crescents called the meniscus. A bubble with liquid can also form in their cavity. Sometimes there are several small formations; they are not always noticeable upon examination. If the bubble has reached a significant size, then it may cause pain under the knee.
Most often, such cysts occur due to overload of the joint. Athletes and people whose work involves heavy physical activity are at risk. If the damage to the meniscus is minor, then pain and swelling of the knee can be relieved with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs selected by the doctor.
A prerequisite for successful treatment is to reduce the load on the joint and ensure rest.
For reference! In advanced cases or severe damage to the meniscus, surgical intervention to stitch or remove part of it cannot be ruled out.
When a joint is sharply rotated or extended, adipose tissue enters the space between the condyles and is pinched by them. Then inflammation and deformation of these tissues occurs. Swelling, pain, and lameness occur. In addition, the cause may be arthritis or hormonal imbalance. It is treated by introducing corticosteroids into the joint cavity, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises.
Sometimes a pulsating lump can be found under the knee at the back. It indicates that stratification of the walls of blood vessels is occurring. Urgent surgical intervention is required, as delay threatens the aneurysm rupture.
As a rule, in such cases, the left leg from the knee to the foot swells, or the right leg, but rarely both at once. If two legs swell at the same time, then the cause most likely lies in other diseases.
Many pregnant women go through a phase where their legs become swollen. This is caused by greater pressure from the growing uterus on the inferior vena cava. This condition resolves without the use of medications, however, it is necessary to keep it under control.
Important! If swelling occurs in the last months of pregnancy, this may be a symptom of gestosis. In this case, the lack of treatment leads to negative consequences.
Since all systems in the body are closely connected, a disease of one organ can lead to disruption of the functioning of another.
Most often, disorders of the following body systems lead to swelling of the leg from the knee to the ankle:
To get rid of leg swelling in these cases, you must first treat the underlying disease.
What to do if your leg is swollen? This question torments everyone who regularly feels them. The answer is obvious: treat.
The remedy for edema is selected taking into account the cause of its occurrence. In combination with the main treatment, the following may be prescribed:
Physiotherapy has also proven itself well for edema. The most effective methods are recognized:
In some cases, mud therapy or paraffin therapy may be prescribed.
Important! Physiotherapy is contraindicated for malignant tumors and heart disease.
If there is poor lymphatic drainage, a course of lymphatic drainage massage is prescribed. And if swelling is caused by joint diseases, then a set of therapeutic exercises will be useful. It can be performed only after pain and inflammation have been relieved, if they accompanied swelling.
In some cases, only the surgical method will be effective. You should not refuse the operation; modern means allow it to be performed painlessly and with minimal trauma.
An important element in the treatment of edema is compliance with nutritional rules. You should definitely exclude from your diet or limit as much as possible:
But the body should be provided with sufficient amounts of protein and vitamins so that the swelling under the knee no longer bothers you.