When swelling of the foot occurs, the reasons can be different - from an insect bite to various diseases associated with internal organs. Swelling of the feet not only makes it difficult to put on shoes, your legs feel like logs, but also makes you think about your health. If the condition recurs too often, you should be wary, because often swelling of the limbs is a symptom of a serious disease. How not to miss a serious pathology and what to do if your foot is swollen?
Before prescribing treatment, your doctor will try to find out why your feet are swelling. There are many causes of edema:
An experienced doctor will determine why the legs and feet swell by their appearance. The diagnosis depends on the location of the swelling. It can be observed above and below the ankle, the legs swell in the area of the foot, on the toes, and often the swelling rises to the ankle. The skin color ranges from pale to purple. Depending on the cause, the intensity and localization of pain, the feeling of heaviness in the foot, and the frequency differ. It’s easy to check for swelling: if after pressing with a finger a notch remains for some time, this is swelling.
To understand the difference between edema of various etiologies, we offer the following table.
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment of edema occurs at home or in a hospital. Swelling is only a symptom of one of the diseases. If the cause is treatable, the swelling will soon go away. But each diagnosis requires special methods - either conservative therapy or surgical intervention. What is usually prescribed for the most common diseases that cause swelling of the limbs.
In each case, individual therapy is selected; self-medication is unacceptable.
There are a number of methods of folk and traditional medicine that alleviate the discomfort of swelling, as well as special exercises. They are intended for people whose feet tend to swell.
Gymnastics to relieve swelling of the limbs.
Methods offered by alternative medicine.
These methods are included as additional ones in the overall treatment package and help only with uncomplicated course of the disease.
If the legs periodically swell in a healthy person without the listed diagnoses, simple tips will come to the rescue.
The tips are suitable for people who do not suffer from diseases of internal organs. In other cases, only a doctor can prescribe treatment. It depends on the complexity of the diagnosis. To determine the degree of pathology, an examination is prescribed. The course of therapy takes place only under the supervision of a specialist.
Swelling on the legs looks unattractive. But the worst thing is that they often indicate various problems in the body. Although the lower extremities can swell in healthy people for physiological reasons, regardless of gender and age. Also, this problem often accompanies women during pregnancy and disappears only after childbirth.
What is leg swelling? This is liquid accumulated in the intercellular space as a result of stagnant processes. Edema occurs when the function of small capillaries is disrupted and they stop taking up and moving waste fluid further through the veins. This can occur due to poor permeability of the vascular walls, increased protein and sodium content in the blood plasma, and impaired vascular pressure.
We can say that the movement of liquid through vessels and capillaries is an established mechanism. And when it fails, stagnation and swelling occur.
If your legs suddenly become swollen, there is no need to panic immediately. You should only start worrying if this phenomenon has become chronic. It’s very bad when your legs swell constantly and for no apparent reason - then you can suspect that there is some kind of disease.
In healthy people, edema appears for several reasons:
Causes of edema as a result of pathological conditions of the body:
Swelling of the legs increases gradually as the disease that provokes it develops. Often the first symptom that makes you notice swelling is pronounced marks from socks that do not go away for a long time. An unpleasant burning sensation and pain also appear not only when walking in heels, but also when wearing comfortable shoes. Then the swelling becomes visually noticeable, the shape of the lower leg and the surface of the foot change noticeably: swelling and bloating appear.
Most often, the symptom of swelling occurs in the late afternoon, intensifying in the event of extreme heat, stress, or poor eating habits. No matter how severe the swelling is, it does not rise above the lower leg. Swelling and the discomfort that accompanies it can decrease if you lie down for a while with your legs raised up.
Legs can swell not only in the evening, but also at any time of the day - this largely depends on the disease that caused them. The fact is that with each disease this symptom manifests itself differently and has its own characteristics:
If your legs regularly swell, do not try to diagnose yourself and do not self-medicate under any circumstances. In any case, even if you understand what you are sick with, without the help of a doctor you will not be able to determine the severity of the disease. Therefore, in order to find out exactly why the feet and legs swell and how to deal with this problem, you need to visit an experienced doctor, undergo an examination and pass all the necessary tests. First, make an appointment with a therapist, and then, if he finds it necessary, he will refer you to a specialist doctor: an endocrinologist, cardiologist, nephrologist, etc.
It should be understood that chronic swelling of the legs is not a disease, but a symptom. And in order to eliminate it, you must first direct your efforts to treating the underlying disease. Diuretics in combination with other medications that improve fluid microcirculation will help reduce swelling of the extremities.
If swelling is caused by heart or kidney problems, then any medications should be taken with great caution. In such cases, in parallel with medications aimed at treating the underlying disease, the patient is also prescribed diuretics (diuretics). It is strictly not recommended to be treated with diuretics on your own, without the supervision of a doctor. Moreover, there are several groups of them, and each group has its own properties, indications and contraindications.
This type of diuretic includes Lasix, Furosemide, Torasemide. Their name comes from the fact that they affect a part of the kidney called the loop of Henle. Their action is fast and effective, and the main task is to remove excess water and sodium from tissues. They are injected intravenously in emergency cases, for example, with pulmonary edema. They are also taken orally. Since these drugs are classified as potent, they should not be taken for a long time. The most common reason for using loop diuretics is heart or kidney failure. This medicinal group has two serious disadvantages: firstly, their effect, although effective, is short-lived (only about 6 hours), and secondly, under their influence the level of potassium and magnesium in the blood decreases sharply.
This type includes Hypothiazide, Indapamide, Hydrochlorothiazide. Thiazide drugs have a vasodilating effect, due to which they quickly enter the blood and begin to act within 50-60 minutes after use. Their action is to remove excess sodium from the body along with urine. This group of diuretics is not as pronounced as the previous one, but they can be taken in longer courses. They reduce the volume of circulating blood, due to which the patient’s blood pressure decreases. Therefore, they are prescribed mainly for cardiovascular diseases - hypertension and insufficient heart function. Their overdose is very dangerous - it leads to disruption of the level of electrolytes in the blood and to a severe decrease in potassium and sodium. And this, in turn, is fraught with disruption of the heart. But if you strictly adhere to the permissible doses, then you don’t have to worry about such side effects.
Unlike the two previous types of diuretics, potassium-sparing agents have a great advantage - they preserve potassium in the blood. Medicines in this group are divided into two subgroups: the first subgroup (“Amiloride”, “Triamterene”) act only on the nephron tubules, and their diuretic effect is moderate. The second subgroup (for example, Spironolactone) are antagonists of the hormone aldosterone, and their action is to fairly effectively remove sodium while preserving potassium. Potassium-sparing diuretics are often prescribed when the risk of myocardial infarction is high. If the patient’s heart is healthy, medications from the two previous groups are more often prescribed, since they are still more effective.
When the legs swell due to venous stagnation, it has nothing to do with excess fluid in the body. Therefore, diuretics will not help here. In addition, it is strictly not recommended to abuse diuretics and drink them in case of edema without a doctor’s recommendation, since these tablets are not safe. It should be borne in mind that diuretics strongly thicken the blood, which can result in the formation of a blood clot. Legs with varicose veins swell due to decreased flexibility of the walls of blood vessels, which begin to let blood through more slowly. Accordingly, treatment should be aimed at normalizing the condition of blood vessels and improving blood circulation in them. For this purpose, doctors prescribe the following drugs: angioprotectors “Dioflan”, “Venozol”, “Phlebodia”, “Detralex”, as well as “Indovazin” gel and “Troxevasin” ointment. If these medications are used for a long time, the tone of the veins increases, congestion in them decreases, the capillaries become more flexible - as a result, the swelling begins to gradually disappear.
To normalize their condition and get rid of chronic swelling of the legs, patients have to take a whole range of medications:
In addition to the above medications, the doctor in such cases prescribes diuretics, vitamin complexes and immunomodulators that improve the functioning of the immune system.
It is possible to completely remove swelling of the lower extremities at home only if they are not a symptom of a serious illness. Otherwise, they can only be reduced slightly for a while.
Here is a list of the most effective ways:
With the help of folk remedies, you can treat both the swelling itself and the reasons that caused it. For example, diuretics containing birch buds, horsetail, flax seed, and elderberries are very effective. The juice squeezed from black radish is very useful - it should be diluted with water and drunk with honey. The juice and decoction of regular parsley have a good effect on blood vessels and kidneys. To prepare parsley broth, not only greens are used, but also roots.
Folk remedies are relatively safe, unless you take them in too large doses. People suffering from serious diseases of internal organs should definitely consult a doctor before being treated with herbal infusions.
If you are periodically bothered by swelling in your legs, follow these rules:
Do not try to get rid of swelling by reducing the amount of water you drink per day. Firstly, this is very harmful, and secondly, swelling can only intensify, since the body, deprived of fluid, will begin to accumulate it in reserve. Remember that on average you need to drink one and a half to two liters of water per day.
In order to cure leg swelling, you need to know the causes of its occurrence. The method of treating the disease will depend on this. Along with pharmaceutical drugs, there are many folk remedies for getting rid of edema.
What to do when your legs become very swollen depends on the cause of the swelling. Edema occurs due to disruption of intracellular processes or a pathological increase in the permeability of cell walls. Very often the lower parts of the legs - feet and ankles - swell. This is a serious reason to seek advice from a specialist.
The legs can become very swollen in men, in women during pregnancy and before menstruation, in young and elderly people, in the mornings and evenings, in the summer in the heat and in the cold season, with various diseases. First, the cause of the disease is determined, then treatment begins to eliminate it. In this case, both strong drugs and folk remedies can be used.
What needs to be done in such a situation must be decided by the doctor. Why is it so dangerous to self-medicate? It is impossible to do anything without knowing the cause of severe swelling of the legs. You can suppress swelling with various means, but if it is a symptom of a disease, then precious time for treatment will be lost. Once complications arise with constant severe swelling, it will be very difficult to do anything.
In women, ankles and feet often swell. Many people experience severe swelling in their legs during pregnancy, but sometimes the swelling persists after childbirth. Usually the cause of swelling lies in hormonal changes.
Pregnant women very often suffer from dropsy. Why this happens, a possible reason is kidney disease suffered a long time ago, in early childhood, for example, pyelonephritis. Dropsy can pose a threat to the life of the expectant mother if she does nothing and does not follow the simplest doctor’s instructions. The child is at risk of hypoxia, which can subsequently cause delays in the baby’s development. Very often, severe swelling of the legs due to dropsy is the reason for hospitalization of a pregnant woman.
Some people's legs may become very swollen due to PMS - premenstrual syndrome or during menopause. This phenomenon is not very common, it all depends on the woman’s hormonal background.
Very common causes of edema are various diseases. They can be divided into pathologies of different organ systems:
Mechanical edema appears during pregnancy, as well as with severe injury. In some of these diseases, ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, develops first, and only then swelling.
Ailments such as allergies, dropsy, benign and oncological tumors can affect any human organ. They are often accompanied by its increase due to the accumulation of edematous fluid - transudate. Diseases that arise from metabolic disorders, for example, elephantiasis, are difficult to treat. They require a whole system of strong therapeutic measures.
The reason that the leg swells greatly may also lie in medications. With long-term use of Aprezoline, Aspirin, Reserpine, Aldomet, Ezimil, Prednisolone, Prednisone, Triamcinolone, Dexamethasone, Diltiazem, Nifedepine, Amlodipine, Verapamil and other drugs, edema can become a constant problem. What to do in this case is clear, you need to get rid of the cause of the disease - stop taking the provoking drug. Then some organ systems need to be cleaned.
In older people, edema is most often caused by cardiac diseases. In the evenings, the legs may become very swollen due to varicose veins or thrombophlebitis.
Treatment of edema consists of normalizing metabolic processes and preventing the accumulation of excess fluid in the intercellular space, as well as strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
The doctor may prescribe medications such as Asklesan A and Venozol. To relieve severe swelling of the legs, diuretics are prescribed orally. In addition to these products, gels and ointments - venotonics - are applied externally:
They contain substances that strengthen the circulatory system: heparin and rutin. This is necessary to improve blood microcirculation and activate tissue metabolism. Horse chestnut-based ointments also have a strong anti-edematous effect.
It is of great importance to follow a salt-free diet and consume the following foods with a diuretic effect:
To relieve severe swelling of the legs, it is highly recommended to drink herbal teas. With infusions of a mixture of medicinal herbs, you can make rubbings, compresses, and foot baths. It should be borne in mind that for some diseases, doing warming procedures is very dangerous. The following plants have the necessary beneficial properties:
If severe swelling bothers you in the evenings, it is better to go to bed with your legs higher than your heart. You can use bolsters or pillows for this. It’s good to do lymphatic drainage massage more often. It requires special equipment.
Traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of severe swelling of the legs
Regardless of the cause of swelling of the legs, you need to contact a specialist and undergo the course of treatment prescribed by him to eliminate this problem. Why is it necessary to do something to get rid of puffiness? Over time, severe swelling of the legs can even lead to erysipelas, gangrene and other serious diseases. The organs of movement play such an important role in human life that it is impossible to be inattentive to the health of the lower extremities.
Swelling in the legs occurs when the lower limbs noticeably increase in volume when a person drinks a lot of liquid, constantly stands, and walks. Please note that swelling in the legs can accompany some serious disease of the body; it is important to diagnose it in time and begin timely treatment. Edema occurs when a large amount of fluid accumulates between the cells.
Problems with the drainage of fluid in the blood and lymph, when the substance accumulates in large quantities in the legs. May compress the lower extremities. Edema appears due to the fact that the venous vessels are strongly compressed; in pregnant women, this is done by the uterus; this condition is also typical for a malignant tumor, blockage of the veins, if the outflow in the lymphatic system is impaired. In this situation, the pressure in the capillaries increases, and the amount of fluid in the surrounding tissue increases.
Liquid can remain in the blood without salts or protein for a long time. If a person does not have enough protein, fluid ends up in the tissues.
Some medications can lead to edema; they often retain fluid in the body. Glucocorticoids, which are prescribed for the treatment of an allergic reaction, inflammation in the joints, bronchial asthma, and malignant tumors, are especially harmful.
Edema is caused by hormonal drugs that contain a large amount of female progesterone or estrogen. In men, swelling is caused by increased levels of the hormone testosterone. Various medications that are prescribed to treat hypertension lead to swelling.
1. Due to hormonal imbalances, in this situation, in order to preserve the fetus, progesterone begins to be actively released, because of it, the smooth muscles of the uterus relax, after the blood vessels, as a result, fluid is retained in the body.
2. Blood flow is disrupted; in the veins that are located in the lower extremities, the pressure rises sharply, problems with blood flow arise, so frequent swelling is observed.
3. Often edema can be one of the symptoms of gestosis, when a woman develops toxicosis in the late stages, it is dangerous for the life of mother and baby.
Due to varicose veins, they are vessels that drain blood from tissues to the heart area. Deep, superficial veins can be seen on the legs. If the veins are blocked, the muscles weaken and the valve apparatus is disrupted. Fluid is retained in the blood, the woman’s tissue nutrition is disrupted, oxygen starvation and varicose veins occur.
Swelling of the legs is most often characteristic of women; it first occurs during pregnancy, when a woman constantly lifts weights, works on her legs, or takes oral contraceptives. If varicose veins occur, in addition to swelling, the person quickly gets tired, the right or left leg may be affected, and the veins can be seen. The skin of the legs is covered with spider veins, some areas of the lower leg darken.
One of the dangerous diseases for humans, due to which swelling occurs, is lymphedema, when the outflow of lymph in the lower extremities is disrupted. Intercellular fluid collects in large quantities in the lymphatic vessels, then is transported in one direction. Vessels become thin and fragile when something gets in their way; a large amount of fluid accumulates in the tissues. On the legs they occur as a result of an erysipelas inflammatory process.
After the disease has been cured, a compaction still appears in the connective tissue; it can compress the lymphatic vessels. If swelling appears once, it is not treated and remains for life. The leg becomes like an ivory leg.
Legs may swell due to serious heart disease. The heart refers to a muscular organ that has 4 parts. The left one is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. The vessels fill all tissues with oxygen and nutrients. If a large amount of edema occurs, this indicates heart failure. In heart disease, atherosclerotic plaques become clogged because the heart cannot function properly. Due to insufficient work of the heart, blood flow to the lower legs is disrupted. With heart pathology, swelling occurs in the evening, it can leave a hole, and the liver enlarges. In this situation, an urgent consultation with a doctor or cardiologist is necessary.
Legs swell due to kidney disease. The symptoms in this case are rapid - lower back pain, body temperature rises, urine changes - color and quantity, a lot of swelling appears on the face in the eye area. Such symptoms indicate that the person has had a sore throat or a cold. Edema is a consequence of impaired excretion of salt and water by the kidneys, due to the fact that the level of protein in the blood sharply decreases.
Swelling may be a manifestation of liver cirrhosis due to impaired albumin production. Such a patient has been suffering from viral hepatitis for a long time, which can affect not only the liver, but also the heart.
In order for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to immediately find out the cause of the edema, after which a group of drugs is selected that can be used to normalize the heart, kidneys, and liver. Avoid salty foods, as they cause fluid to accumulate in the body; you should not drink large amounts of water.
Herbalists for edema recommend herbal tea with jasmine, lemon, mint, cranberry, and lingonberry. Avoid high-heeled shoes. At home, put your feet up on a hill and rest. Diuretic medications should only be taken after medical consultation. If you do this on your own, potassium may be removed from the body in large quantities, which will lead to serious heart problems.
So, in order to get rid of edema, you must first find out what caused it.
Most often, the lower parts of the legs—the feet and ankles—swell. This localization is caused by a natural reason - gravity.
When swelling occurs, fluid accumulates in the tissues. Excess fluid is easily determined. If you press firmly with your finger on the swollen area, then after you remove your finger, a depression will remain in this place for some time.
Often the cause of swelling of the legs is venous diseases (chronic or acute thrombophlebitis, varicose veins of the saphenous veins, phlebothrombosis. Due to these diseases, the outflow of blood from the feet and ankles is disrupted, and intracapillary pressure increases.
Edema develops on the affected leg. It is often preceded by the onset of pain. With acute thrombophlebitis, the skin in the affected area may turn red.
Fluid accumulation in the tissue as a result of heart failure can also cause swelling in the ankle area. In case of serious lung diseases, for example, severe bronchial asthma, the heart also cannot work effectively, the blood stagnates, venous pressure increases, which leads to swelling, including in the ankles. Often, swelling can be caused by kidney and even liver diseases. In liver diseases, fluid usually first accumulates in the abdomen (ascites), and later swelling appears in the legs.
If swelling is caused by diseases of the internal organs, you should consult a doctor, but you can take some measures yourself.
A salt-free diet and reduced fluid intake can help reduce fluid retention and swelling.
If your legs are swollen, you can lie down with one or two pillows under your shins so your legs are higher than your heart, but don't put pillows just under your knees.
Those who have swollen legs should not wear stockings or stockings with elastic bands.
Don't sit or stand for long periods of time. If you have to stay in one of these positions for a long time, from time to time let your lower leg muscles work by moving your feet and toes. It is also useful to wear special therapeutic elastic stockings or tights, which help reduce swelling.
If swelling occurs, be sure to consult your doctor. The doctor will do a thorough examination, including of the heart and lungs, as well as the legs, and take blood tests to check kidney and liver function and determine protein levels. If necessary, diuretics (diuretics) may be prescribed. They are effective, but also have some side effects. For example, the leaching of potassium from the body, which is necessary for normal heart function. Therefore, when taking diuretics, add potassium-rich foods to your diet (apricots, dried apricots, pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon, apples, raisins, milk).
Leg swelling can also be caused by an ankle injury. The degree of swelling in this case does not indicate the severity of the injury. The leg can become very swollen if it is sprained, if the ligaments are torn, or if there is a fracture.
When the bones of the ankle are fractured, the leg swells less than when the ligaments are sprained. A sprained or torn ligament is usually accompanied by bleeding into the surrounding tissue, causing the skin in that area to turn blue-black.
If there is no fracture, then a cast is not required. But treatment should begin immediately - ensure the joint is immobile, apply ice, etc. For mild ligament damage, this is sufficient. However, if there is no improvement after 1-2 days, you should see a doctor.
To determine the type of injury, the doctor will check the mobility of the leg at the ankle joint and may also recommend an X-ray examination. If there is no fracture or a non-displaced fracture that is not dangerous, you will probably be advised to continue treatment at home. For other fractures, a plaster cast must be applied.
The injured leg should be kept elevated. Immediately apply ice, wrapped in a towel and plastic bag, to the injured area and leave it on for at least 30 minutes. If after the first half hour there is even slight swelling, then apply ice for the next few hours for 30 minutes at 15-minute intervals. If the ankle joint stops hurting when elevated, you can carefully try to step on that leg. If the joint still hurts during loading, then it is better not to do this for the first day. Warm compresses can only be applied after 24 hours. An elastic bandage also helps. Do not stretch it when applying a bandage - it should not be too tight and interfere with blood circulation. There is no need to bandage children yourself, as an incorrectly applied bandage can interfere with blood circulation in the foot. If the skin below the bandage turns blue or pale, it means the bandage is applied very tightly. In this case, loosen the bandage.
After about 10 days, the ankle joint should return to normal. However, please note that complete healing can only be expected after 4-6 weeks. If you need to move at this time, for example, do therapeutic exercises, then the ankle joint must be bandaged. However, the bandage will not protect against re-injury if you return to full weight bearing.
In healing and folk medicine, considerable experience has been accumulated in the use of natural remedies that help quickly relieve swelling of the legs. Some simply eliminate this unpleasant symptom when the legs swell after heavy physical exertion (this happens especially often with a lot of weight), others are aimed at normalizing water-salt metabolism. There are also recommendations that help improve the functioning of the kidneys, heart, and liver, which directly affect the removal of excess fluid from the body.
If your feet are tired and swollen in the evening, it is very useful to take warm foot baths. For such baths, you can use an infusion of chamomile, sage, horsetail flowers: 100 g of dry herb is poured with a liter of hot water, boiled for 15 minutes over low heat, left for 45 minutes, filtered. The resulting infusion is diluted with 3-4 liters of water.
When your feet are burning from fatigue, a foot bath made from an infusion of black elderberry flowers is a great help.
It is useful to wipe swollen and tired feet with ice. It’s even better to make ice from an infusion of sage leaves, chamomile flowers, cornflower or yarrow herb.
Massage has a beneficial effect on the legs. You should massage your feet daily with a hard towel from your toes up. The foot can be massaged strongly, but the knees and hips - less. You can use two brushes with medium-hard bristles for massage. In this case, rub the legs from the feet to the inguinal folds with synchronized circular movements. Continue the massage until the skin becomes red. Afterwards, lubricate the skin with a special foot cream or vegetable oil.
To make your legs less tired, you can strengthen them with the following gymnastics: balance first on one of them, then on the other. Do this several times. This exercise restores blood circulation in the legs well.
If your tired feet hurt, rub them with a mixture of olive oil and salt (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of oil, stir until the salt is completely dissolved).
For the same purposes, use lemon juice or a mixture of lemon juice half and half with vegetable oil.
Tired feet with rough skin are well soothed and softened by a wheat bran compress. Dilute the bran with warm milk until you get a paste. Apply this paste to your feet and keep it until it dries. Then rinse with water and lubricate your feet with cream.
If you have thrombophlebitis, rubbing and steaming your legs is not recommended.
A good remedy for pain and swelling in thrombophlebitis is mumiyo. Mumiyo is taken orally at 0.25-0.3 g 2 times a day for 25 days, adding it to a mixture of honey and milk (1:20). After a 10-day break, the course can be repeated.
If your legs hurt due to thrombophlebitis (or varicose veins), it is useful to take warm foot baths up to the knees from willow and oak roots (50 g per 10 liters of water). The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. Water temperature - no more than 38°C.
For swelling of the legs, drink a decoction of flaxseed. It is prepared at the rate of 4 teaspoons of seeds per liter of water. Boil for 10-15 minutes, then leave in a warm place for an hour. To improve the taste, you can add any fresh fruit juice (for example, lemon) to the broth. Drink half a glass every 2 hours 6-8 times a day, preferably hot. The result can be felt after 2 weeks.
For liver pathologies with poor circulation and edema, the following herbal collection is recommended: spring adonis - 20 g, horsetail - 30 g, yarrow - 30 g, celandine - 20 g. The infusion is prepared as follows: 1-2 tbsp. spoons of the mixture are poured into a glass of hot boiled water and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then cool for 45 minutes, strain and squeeze. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. Take half a glass 2 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
For edema of cardiac origin, it is useful to take a tincture of birch buds: 20 g of buds are poured into 100 ml of 70% alcohol. Leave for 3 weeks, squeeze, filter and store in a dark container in a cool place away from light. For cardiovascular failure accompanied by edema, the following collection is recommended as a diuretic: silver birch (leaves) - 50 g, cinnamon rose hips (fruits) - 25 g, field steelhead (root) - 25 g. The infusion is prepared as follows: 1- 2 tbsp. spoons of the mixture are poured into a glass of hot boiled water, placed in hot water for 15 minutes (but not heated!), cooled for 45 minutes, and squeezed. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. Take 1/3-1/4 cup 3 times a day.
For edema associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system and kidneys, watermelon is an indispensable diuretic. Watermelon juice not only removes excess fluid from the body, but also provides it with easily digestible sugars. Nutritionists believe that you can consume 2-2.5 kg of watermelon per day.
For kidney diseases, grape juice is useful, as it is an effective diuretic. You need to drink it an hour before meals 3 times a day. Start with half a glass and by the end of the course (after 1-1.5 months) increase the intake to two glasses. It is also useful for diseases of the liver, lungs, gout and hypertension; it is a good general tonic.
For heart disease accompanied by edema, pumpkin is very good. Pumpkin pulp enhances the excretion of chloride salts from the body and increases diuresis without irritating the kidneys.
One of the best diuretics is cucumbers. The juice from them strengthens the heart and blood vessels. You can drink up to 100 ml of pure cucumber juice per day.
Parsley juice helps well with many kidney diseases: urolithiasis, nephritis, etc. It is successfully used for dropsy. This juice is one of the most powerful diuretics, so it is better to drink it not in pure form, but in a mixture with others: carrot, lettuce, spinach or celery.
prepared by Tatyana Popova
Swollen feet are a problem of both a medical and aesthetic nature. If a healthy person's leg is swollen, it is unsightly and unpleasant. Feet may swell during menstruation in women, after a long flight, prolonged exposure to the sun or alcohol abuse, as a result of disrupted sleep patterns. To relieve swelling, healthy legs only need to rest for a couple of hours.
If your feet become swollen and swollen too often, you should be concerned and consult a doctor. Leg swelling is a symptom of a number of pathologies and a serious problem requiring medical attention.
The causes of swelling of the legs are different: allergies, injuries, vascular somatic and endocrine diseases. Infection often leads to swelling of the lower extremities: abscesses, cellulitis and some skin diseases. Only a doctor, after conducting a comprehensive diagnosis, will be able to determine the etiological factor of the pathology in each specific case.
Ankle swelling can be unilateral or bilateral. Swelling of two limbs is a sign of a developed pathology that needs to be treated. If only the right or left leg swells, there is most likely an injury or local lesion.
manifestations of severe heart failure
Heart failure is a dangerous disease that manifests itself with many symptoms and often leads to the death of the patient. One of them is painless swelling of both legs at once - right and left. They become cold, freezing and numb all the time. The legs usually swell after sleep or in the evenings. Prolonged horizontal position of patients contributes to the spread of edema to the lower back, arms and face.
Along with swelling, the pathology is manifested by periodic pain in the heart, shortness of breath that occurs even with mild overexertion, and arrhythmia. If such signs appear, you should immediately contact a cardiologist. Heart disease weakens the myocardium, it stops fully pumping blood. Impaired blood circulation leads to dilation of the veins in the legs, and blood accumulates in them, which manifests itself as swelling. Plasma leaves the vascular bed into the tissue. Cardiac edema is motionless. When they are squeezed, pain appears. The skin of the swollen area is cold and bluish.
Treatment of chronic heart failure includes diet therapy, optimization of physical activity, psychological rehabilitation, drug therapy, physiotherapeutic methods and surgery.
rheumatic inflammation of the heart membranes and joints - a possible cause of edema
Pericarditis is a disease of viral or bacterial etiology in which the pericardial sac becomes inflamed and becomes dense and tight. Often develops as a result of rheumatic fever. The work of the heart is disrupted: the myocardium contracts weakly, blood circulates poorly. As a result of such pathological processes, the veins of the legs swell. Due to chronic rheumatism, the joints become inflamed and swollen.
Treatment of pericarditis is complex, consisting of symptomatic, pathogenetic and etiotropic therapy. Patients are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Indomethacin, Voltaren, Diclofenac, antibiotics taking into account sensitivity, hormonal drugs: Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, cardiac glycosides - Korglikon, diuretics: Furasemide, Veroshpiron " They are also indicated for dietary nutrition and vitamin therapy.
Diseases of the venous system always manifest as swelling of the legs.
Thrombosis and thrombophlebitis are dangerous pathologies leading to dire consequences. Pain and swelling are their main symptoms. The legs swell constantly, hurt, become hot to the touch and tight. Patients complain of heat in the lower extremities. If the disease is not treated, it will lead to serious consequences - gangrene, sepsis, pulmonary embolism.
Treatment of venous diseases of the legs is complex and serious.
Patients are recommended to wear compression garments, use tonic gels, strengthen the walls of blood vessels through physical exercise, take medications if necessary, and undergo a massage course.
Patients are prescribed phlebotonics - tablets "Detralex", "Venarus" and ointments "Troxevasin", "Lioton". If conservative treatment does not produce results, proceed to surgical intervention.
Kidney disease is also a cause of swollen feet. Inflamed kidneys cannot cope with excess fluid, and swelling occurs. They are localized on the face around the eyes and gradually spread down to different parts of the body. A pathognomonic symptom of kidney pathology is “bags under the eyes” caused by edema. The cause of fluid retention in the body is a lack of albumin protein, which is excreted in the urine. Renal edema is mobile; when squeezed, it can move. Externally, the swollen area is slightly paler than the surrounding areas of skin.
Edema is always accompanied by other symptoms of the disease: oliguria, pain in the lumbar region, characteristic changes in the urine. When kidney function improves after treatment, swelling quickly disappears.
To treat renal edema, patients are prescribed diuretics “Lasix”, “Veroshpiron”, “Mannitol”, etiotropic drugs - antibiotics and NSAIDs, diet therapy, and administration of saline solutions.
Severe thyroid dysfunction often manifests itself as swelling of the legs. With hypothyroidism, little thyroid hormones are produced. In patients, the leg swells at the ankle. When you press on the swollen area, there is no hole left. This is a characteristic sign of edema when the thyroid gland is damaged.
Myxedema occurs when there is significant damage to the thyroid gland. In this case, almost all tissues of the body swell. The skin in the area of swelling becomes rough, flaky and yellowish. Patients gain weight. Swelling is well expressed on the face, which becomes mask-like: puffy and lifeless. The general condition of patients worsens: hair, eyebrows and eyelashes fall out, nails break and peel. With myxedema, the skin, muscles, ligaments, nerves and even internal organs swell. Treatment of the disease consists of additional administration of thyroid hormones.
Injuries are one of the common causes of swollen feet. If your leg is swollen after a fall, you should find out the nature and result of the injury.
Swelling, increasing pain, hematoma, dysfunction and unnatural position of the limb are signs of a fracture. When a bruise occurs, swelling of the injured area appears and the pain gradually subsides. A hematoma forms a couple of days after the injury. Swelling prevents full movement of the injured leg.
Traumatic swelling of the foot can be determined visually: it swells and increases significantly in size. The toes become swollen, the skin becomes bluish. Patients experience a feeling of heaviness in the legs, discomfort, and pain.
Allergic reactions develop to certain medications, insect bites, and foods. One of the manifestations of allergies is local swelling of the legs. To get rid of it, you need to eliminate contact with the allergen: stop taking medications or eliminate other sources of irritation.
Allergic swelling of the legs is a pathological condition also called allergic arthritis. This is a clinical sign of Quincke's edema or other allergic reaction, as well as any joint pathology.
Symptoms of allergic edema: swelling of the limb, redness of the skin, a small rash and severe itching. Pain syndrome is another clinical sign of pathology. The pain intensifies after a long stay in an uncomfortable position, physical activity, or heavy lifting. In severe cases, swelling can spread to surrounding tissues and internal organs. Such changes are quite serious and can lead to fainting and even death.
Swelling of the extremities is caused by hormones, antidepressants, steroids, beta blockers and other antihypertensive drugs.
swelling due to portal hypertension
Cirrhosis or liver cancer leads to the death of liver cells and organ dysfunction. The body's metabolism is disrupted and fluid is retained in the body. Affected hepatocytes cease to fully produce the protein albumin, blood stagnates in the systemic circulation, and ascites develops. With cirrhosis, connective tissue fibers prevent the outflow of venous blood; it stagnates in the veins of the legs, which is manifested by edema. Patients develop yellow skin, enlarged breasts, reddened palms and difficulty breathing.
As a result of compression of the inferior vena cava, the legs also become swollen. Portal hypertension is manifested by swelling of the ankles and anterior abdominal wall, as well as hepatosplenomegaly.
Gout is a common cause of swollen legs. The body's metabolism is disrupted, and uric acid salts accumulate and settle in the joint capsule. Urates enter the body with food: meat, mushrooms, herring. Their deposition leads to redness and swelling of the joint. Patients suddenly experience paroxysmal pain in the joints, they become red and swollen. Patients complain that their legs are “burning with fire.” Gout usually affects the large joints in the legs. Therapeutic measures for gout are aimed at relieving inflammation and eliminating swelling and pain.
The cause of lymphatic edema of the legs is impaired lymphatic drainage, leading to the accumulation of lymph in the tissues. Primary lymphostasis develops from birth and is caused by a congenital predisposition. Secondary pathology occurs as a result of excessive stress on the legs, excessive fluid intake into the body, and metabolic disorders.
manifestations of lymphostasis by stages
At the first stage of the disease, swelling in the legs occurs periodically, usually in the late afternoon and disappears after waking up. In the second stage, pain, rapid fatigue of the legs appear, and cramps are possible. The third stage of the disease is irreversible. The limb ceases to function. Elephantiasis develops. Symptoms accompanying swelling with lymphostasis: weakness and fatigue, headaches, white coating on the tongue, inability to concentrate, arthralgia.
Treatment of lymphostasis is complex, including mechanical removal of excess lymph from the lymphatic system and drug therapy. Patients are recommended to keep the sore leg in an elevated position, and are prescribed manual lymphatic drainage massage or hardware pneumocompression, as well as the use of special bandaging. Drug treatment consists of the use of drugs: “Detralex”, “Troxerutin”, “Troxevasin”, “Lymphomiazot”, “Wobenzym”.
Causes of leg swelling: fasting, frequent fasting days, protein-free mono-diets, cachexia, vegetarianism. Due to protein deficiency in the body, fluid is retained in the tissues and the legs become swollen. To cope with leg swelling, you need to normalize your diet. To do this, you should visit a nutritionist who will help you correctly adjust your diet and individually calculate calories, as well as the optimal ratio of essential nutrients.
If your legs are swollen, you should not look for the causes and eliminate them on your own. It is necessary to consult a doctor who will identify and treat the underlying disease. Only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis after examining the patient and receiving test results. Self-medication often leads to serious consequences and even death.
Sprained your ankle, it's swollen and you don't know what to do? You can try to relieve swelling at home using traditional medicine recipes.
Regular gymnastics and light foot massage will help cope with swelling of the legs. It is useful to raise your legs to a vertical position for 10 minutes from time to time. Daily use of such measures is really effective for non-advanced edema, and at the same time, will alleviate the condition at any stage.
If the cause of swelling of the legs is gout, use an iodine-based solution, which is rubbed on the affected joints, or take foot baths with this remedy. Iodine disinfects open wounds and penetrates deep into tissue, reducing symptoms of internal inflammation.
You can use diuretic herbal remedies for swelling of the legs after consulting a doctor: infusion of birch leaves, parsley, kidney tea.
You should consult a doctor immediately if:
The main task of specialists is to identify the cause of leg swelling and correct treatment.