Any deviation in the body leads to discomfort. Swelling of the legs is no exception. Knowing its types and causes, you can get rid of this disease.
Here we tell you why one leg swells.
Swelling of the legs in the evening has two causes: physiological and disease.
They affect completely healthy people.
The main reasons in this case are:
If the listed reasons do not apply to the patient, then the swelling of the legs is caused by diseases. Edema with them is divided into two forms: acute and chronic. The acute form develops over several days.
And if we consider it by defeat, then they can be:
The chronic form lasts a long time.
Myxedema of the limbs can be caused by disruption of the heart muscle and the following diseases:
Venous diseases occur in the swelling of the extremities:
The inflammatory process is accompanied by swelling near the insect bite, which may appear in the evening and last until the next day. The cause is the secreted poison. The swelling area is itchy and red.
The listed diseases are caused by a disease of the nervous system leading to swelling of the legs. Since through weakened capillary walls, blood enters under the skin.
Swelling can cause thyroid insufficiency, which damages the subcutaneous tissue of the lower leg.
The lack of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland leads to changes in blood composition. There is an accumulation of special substances in it, leading to fluid retention in the tissues.
Evening swelling occurs due to poor lymph drainage. The first cause is lymphangitis. During the disease, the lymph nodes are affected. Their deep location is expressed by swelling of the extremities.
The second reason is elephantiasis. Affected deep lymph nodes lead to swelling of one limb, then the other.
Three stages of development of this disease have been identified:
The second half of pregnancy for many women is accompanied by swelling of the legs. Why do women's legs swell?
This is explained by a violation of the water-salt balance. At week 30, the foot begins to swell, then the lower leg, then the thighs.
The cause of graying may be congenital kidney pathology. Or hormonal changes in the body.
In the early stages of pregnancy, swelling occurs due to heart failure.
From using medications, a patient may get an allergic reaction that leads to swelling of the legs:
Throughout the day, blood moves throughout the body. As a result of impaired blood outflow, hydrostatic pressure rises in the veins. Large veins and small vessels are affected.
The intercellular space has less pressure and draws fluid into the tissue. Therefore, swelling occurs in the evening. A healthy body copes with swelling on its own, although not always. The reason may be tight shoes or long flights.
Unilateral swelling occurs due to:
The following factor may be impaired hemodynamics:
When a doctor cannot make a diagnosis based on symptoms, the patient is offered a more in-depth analysis, that is, differential diagnosis.
It includes the following disease studies:
Based on all studies, treatment is prescribed and an accurate diagnosis is determined.
You should perform exercises to relieve swelling:
Among the medical products we can mention:
Find even more medications for leg swelling in our similar article.
Swelling of the legs in older people is quite common.
Many argue that this happens to all old people, they associate the appearance of swelling with the characteristics of the body, so they are in no hurry to fight the disease.
However, doctors and traditional healers claim the opposite. Any disease can be overcome if it is not neglected, early prevention is carried out, and timely treatment is carried out.
Then old age will not be terrible. And at the age of 70, optimists travel, delight their grandchildren, enjoy socializing, because they knew that they needed to worry about their health in advance.
No matter how old you are or how you feel, we suggest you find out the causes of leg swelling in older people, how to treat the disease if it could not be avoided.
Swelling of the feet is most common in older men and women.
Less commonly, fluid stagnation is observed in the area of the ankle, thighs, and sometimes only the fingers are affected. Suffering from swelling in both one and two limbs.
The first sign of swelling is an increase in the volume of the limbs. Swelling appears when the bones become invisible.
Other symptoms noted:
Symptoms are especially pronounced in the summer, during the period of exacerbation of diseases that lead to fluid stagnation. The disease not only looks unpleasant in appearance, but also creates difficulties when choosing shoes.
It is known that with age the body wears out. Diseases come and the condition worsens.
An alarming signal indicating the presence of malfunctions in the functioning of the body are severely swollen legs in elderly women and men.
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the cause.
Doctors name different reasons why legs swell in older people. These are not only diseases, but also physiological factors that depend directly on the behavior of the pensioner, his habits, and the actions he performs.
Often, swelling of the feet in older women is caused by improper selection of shoes. Despite my age, I want to walk in heels, which tires my limbs.
Stages of development of leg swelling
The habit of wearing tight shoes leads to swelling. Severe swelling of the legs in the elderly, people of pre-retirement age and young people is caused by excess weight.
Heaviness puts pressure on the limbs, the load on the foot increases, and the veins become deformed. This leads to the formation of swelling in the evening.
There are other physiological factors that cause severe swelling of the legs in the elderly:
When the physiological causes are eliminated, the swelling quickly disappears without the use of medications. If you do not pay attention to the factors, the condition will worsen.
Few old people manage to maintain good health into old age.
If swelling of the legs occurs in older people, the cause can often only be determined by a doctor after diagnosis.
The sooner the patient sees a specialist, the greater the chance of a quick recovery.
In advanced conditions, when swelling has risen to the thighs, tachycardia and shortness of breath have been added, it will be possible to get rid of the disease in a hospital setting.
Swelling of the legs is most often observed due to heart failure in older citizens.
Pain during leg swelling
Fluid accumulation in the lower extremities is observed due to slow blood flow. An increase in volume is detected in the area of the foot and ankle.
Pain is often felt when walking. With varicose veins, “swelling” may appear on one limb. First, hemodynamics are disrupted, then the deep veins are affected.
Gradually, a change in skin color is added to the swelling. Dark skin color in the area of the veins indicates the formation of blood clots. Immediate assistance is required to save the limb and the patient's life.
Injuries to the limbs, blows, and muscle strains lead to slight swelling of the feet in the elderly. Most often it is noticeable only on one foot.
When swelling of the legs appears in the elderly, both the patients themselves and their relatives think about what to do.
The right decision cannot be made until the cause is identified, and for this it is necessary to undergo diagnostics or eliminate physiological factors.
Having identified what caused swelling in the legs of older people, treatment is prescribed by a specialist. It will be aimed not only at eliminating swelling, but also at getting rid of the pathology that led to such a condition.
For varicose veins, it is prescribed to wear compression underwear if the disease has just begun to develop, or to use gels, creams, ointments for external rubbing (Troxevasin, Venitan, Lyoton, Venozol). If cardiac edema of the legs is detected in the elderly, the treatment offered is completely different.
The patient is prescribed cardioprotectors and diuretics are used to remove excess fluid.
Asparkam - as a remedy for edema
To avoid hypokalemia, in such cases Asparkam or Panangin is additionally prescribed. Swelling may appear when blood pressure rises.
It is necessary to undergo treatment for hypertension. Drugs that lower blood pressure and diuretics help alleviate the condition.
You cannot purchase drugs on the advice of friends, relying on advertising, or on the recommendations of pharmacists.
Before undergoing diagnostics, you can do a massage for swelling of the legs, take a comfortable position, raising your limbs on a pillow or bolster to increase the outflow of blood.
For prevention purposes, daily physical exercise and frequent walks are suitable.
Traditional medicine offers proven ways to help when an elderly person's legs swell.
Healers prepare herbal decoctions, and at home make ointments and tinctures that can reduce or completely eliminate swelling.
Many methods seem strange, but in practice they prove their effectiveness and therefore deserve attention.
Without taking pills, it will be possible to alleviate the condition if you treat swelling of the legs in the elderly with folk remedies.
Effective procedures include:
Massage helps relieve swelling of the legs. You can perform it daily, 2 – 3 times a day.
It is advisable to wash your limbs thoroughly before use and apply massage or regular baby cream to the skin.
Massaging swollen feet and legs helps quickly normalize blood circulation.
Massage of the lower extremities for swelling
It is unlikely that anyone will have the opportunity to visit a specialist’s office every day or invite him home for the procedure. A worthy replacement for a massage therapist would be a foot massager for older people.
A small device quickly relieves the feeling of heaviness, improves well-being, and removes swelling. After the massage, older people are recommended to lie down for 25 to 30 minutes.
Black radish juice mixed with honey is used not only for coughs, but also for swelling in the extremities.
Relieves swelling by removing excess fluid from the body and restores water-salt balance.
Juice is prepared from root vegetables of any size. They must first be thoroughly washed, peeled and grated.
Therapeutic baths to relieve swelling of the legs
The resulting juice is mixed with bee honey (3:1). You can drink a spoon in the morning and evening or apply compresses. Taking the drug internally is contraindicated for some elderly people.
This treatment method cannot be used if you have a stomach ulcer or after a heart attack. In such cases, massage for older people is better.
People use leaves and birch buds to treat edema caused by kidney or heart disease.
A decoction or infusion is prepared from young leaves or buds that are just beginning to bloom.
They have more power to overcome the disease. Possessing a powerful diuretic effect, the decoction quickly removes excess water from the body.
Preparing the infusion is quite simple. 1 spoon of birch buds is poured with a glass of boiling water and simmered in a water bath for about 14 - 15 minutes.
Then the product should sit for another 1 hour under the lid. If the liquid has evaporated, then increase the volume to 200 ml. Drink 4 times throughout the day before meals (about 50 g each).
If the feet of elderly people swell in the evening, it is necessary to add movement during the day. The ideal way to move painlessly is Nordic walking.
Steps are easy due to the presence of support.
Nordic walking to treat swelling of the legs
Constant exercise trains the body and develops endurance. Weight gradually decreases due to the burning of calories during intense movement.
Swelling is reduced due to improved cardiac activity. Over time, it will be possible to increase speed by improving lung function.
At any age it is necessary to eat properly, but in old age this rule is inevitable.
You will have to adjust your diet to avoid swelling. Old people should have more foods on their tables that remove fluid from the body.
Watermelons do an excellent job. Rowan berries, blackberries, and persimmons have a diuretic effect.
You will have to give up smoked and salty foods. You should not drink green tea or fruit juice at night if swelling of the legs occurs in older women.
By adjusting their lifestyle, taking medications prescribed by the doctor on time, and doing whatever they can at home or in the country, old people ensure themselves a comfortable old age, in which there will be no place for bad habits, swelling, or illness.
Why do my legs swell? An increase in the volume of the lower extremities occurs due to excessive accumulation of fluid in the tissues. This may be caused by environmental conditions, when swelling is the body's reaction to external factors. But sometimes such a symptom accompanies diseases of internal organs and systems, as well as mechanical injuries to the legs.
The fluid is contained in the intercellular space and blood vessels, and its required volume is maintained due to the normal functioning of the circulatory system. The main parameters ensuring fluid exchange are the following:
Any changes in this mechanism lead to disruption of fluid movement and swelling. The lower limbs are the first to suffer, since they are at the very bottom and experience significant stress when standing and walking. Therefore, the lower leg and legs at the bottom of the foot swell first, and the swelling can appear from time to time or persist constantly and even progress. If swelling appears regularly and becomes larger, then we can talk about pathology.
Edema can be:
One leg may swell due to injury when ligaments or bones are affected: the pain increases with walking and movement
Pastous edema is a pre-edema state of tissues, almost imperceptible and characterized only by increased smoothness of the skin relief. There is no depression left after pressure, but elastic bands from socks and shoes can leave marks on the skin.
Local, or local, swelling may affect one or both limbs around the ankle or ankle. It is typical for widespread edema that the depression after pressing remains for a long time, when the skin does not recover immediately, but after a few minutes.
The cause of severe edema is usually venous insufficiency and thrombophlebitis, which mainly affects older people.
With edema of lymphatic origin, high density is noted, as fluid with a high protein content accumulates in the skin. In addition, the swelling lasts for quite a long time and causes significant discomfort to its owner, making it difficult to wear usual shoes and move normally.
Lymphostasis can affect one limb or both; the disease goes through 3 stages and is treated with both conservative and surgical methods
The combination of direct lymphatic drainage with segmental lymphangiectomy is especially effective.
According to medical classification, there are several types of edema:
Congestive edema occurs with increased permeability of the vascular wall, impaired circulation and lymphatic drainage, and also accompanies chronic venous insufficiency.
Physiological causes of edema include:
Pathological causes of edema are:
With erysipelas, the legs not only swell, but also turn red, which is caused by the destruction of red blood cells by streptococcal infection
To determine the cause of edema, you need to have an idea of how a particular disease manifests itself. This will help not to miss dangerous symptoms or eliminate swelling that appears from external causes.
The cause of varicose veins is venous insufficiency, which has a chronic course. This condition causes not only swelling of the lower leg, but also a feeling of heaviness in the legs and pain. The legs get tired quickly, but the symptoms are especially severe in the evening after a hard day.
A characteristic sign of varicose veins is unilateral edema, that is, only one limb can swell. If both legs are affected, the swelling on one of the legs is always more pronounced. It is worth noting that swelling is most noticeable in the ankle joint. In addition, a venous pattern formed by dilated and tortuous veins clearly appears on the skin.
After resting or taking a horizontal position, swelling and pain subside, and the condition is alleviated especially quickly in a lying position with elevated legs. This is due to increased venous outflow from the lower extremities to the center of the body.
If varicose veins are not treated, the symptoms will worsen - in addition to poor circulation and pain, the formation of trophic ulcers on the calves is possible. A complication of varicose veins can be thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities, in which the veins become inflamed and blood clots form in the lumens of the blood vessels.
Thrombophlebitis is characterized by widespread swelling and periodic loss of sensation in the legs. General symptoms also appear: malaise and fever. Lack of adequate therapy at this stage can lead to thromboembolism, an extremely dangerous, life-threatening condition.
With thromboembolism, blood flow stops due to blockage of the vessel by a thrombus, and ischemia of the surrounding tissue quickly develops. In case of obstruction of the main arteries of the lower extremities, there is a high probability of developing gangrene.
Swelling in the ankle joint can occur due to cardiovascular diseases, since the main function of the heart muscle, pumping, is disrupted. The heart stops supplying the tissues with blood in the required quantity, and congestion begins to develop. Signs of cardiac edema are:
Edema syndrome is a rather complex pathological process in which not only the cardiovascular system is involved. First, blood circulation is disrupted, and then, due to stagnation of blood, malfunctions in the liver and kidneys occur. The composition of the blood itself also changes.
The following diseases can trigger the development of heart failure:
Leg swelling is one of the main signs of heart failure
It is worth noting that if the patient remains in bed, swelling will concentrate closer to the hips and lower back. Moreover, symmetry may be disrupted if the patient lies on his side. This feature is always taken into account during diagnosis.
An important difference between cardiac edema is the cooling of the skin, since oxygen starvation occurs in the cells and oxidative processes slow down.
Cold skin in the area of edema is observed only in heart disease. In all other cases, when the legs swell due to kidney problems or due to inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the temperature of the skin does not change (kidneys) or increases significantly (erysipelas).
It must be remembered that no heart disease is asymptomatic, and pay attention to the presence of the following signs:
What does swelling look like if the cause of its appearance is a disease of the urinary system? Unlike cardiac edema, renal edema occurs mainly in the morning, and during the day it gradually subsides. The lower extremities swell somewhat less frequently; the face is mainly affected - especially the upper and lower eyelids.
Swelling of the ankle joint can occur with heart disease and kidney problems. The characteristic features of the latter are the following:
As metabolic products and toxic substances accumulate in the body, nerve tissue reacts, and the following symptoms appear:
In advanced cases, it is possible to accelerate the heart rate and develop arrhythmia, which, if left untreated, can lead to fainting and even cardiac arrest.
Edema can be removed from the lower extremities only by eliminating the disease or provoking factor. If there are no pathologies, then it is enough to reduce the load on the legs, change shoes and do special gymnastics to relax the calf muscles and feet.
Bandaging for varicose veins significantly alleviates the patient’s condition by helping weak vessels contract normally
You can maintain fluid balance by wearing compression hosiery - tights and stockings, as well as massaging problem areas. It is allowed to use topical products - ointments. For this purpose, Lyoton gel, Troxevasin, Heparin or Hepatrombin ointment are suitable.
Cardiac and renal edema are relieved with the help of diuretics and cardioprotective agents, potassium supplements. Cardioprotectors do not have a direct anti-edematous effect, but help strengthen the heart muscle. Since its weakness is the main cause of heart failure, when the heart returns to tone, the swelling subsides.
To remove swelling of venous origin, the following therapeutic measures are carried out:
To know how to relieve swelling, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. This symptom can only be dealt with by treating the underlying disease and paying close attention to your health. Diseases, the symptom of which is swelling of the legs, must be treated as early as possible in order to prevent complications.
Even a healthy person at least once in his life felt heaviness in his legs and swelling of his feet after a long walk or hard work. This indicates edema, which by its nature can be harmless, and is associated with a difficult lifestyle or is a symptom of some kind of malfunction in the body.
The causes of edema and their nature are associated with many reasons. To combat edema, you need to know about the causes, symptoms and possible consequences of the disease.
Edema is the filling of cells and intercellular space of soft tissues with fluid localized in one area. When the foot is affected, fluid collects in the soft tissues of this particular area. The peculiarity of the pathology is associated with high loads on this part of the limbs.
The degree of edema depends on the balance of fluid in the vessels and the space between muscle tissue cells. Swelling of the feet causes discomfort when walking and is aesthetically unattractive, but does not cause pain. To combat the disease, you need to find out the cause of the pathology, the type of edema.
Despite the different causes of swelling of the feet, there are main types of edema:
Edema can occur on all parts of the body, but most develop on the soles of the right and left legs, since they are subject to greater stress and the area of the capillary network is much larger than in other areas. In case of heart disease, swelling is localized on the left leg, the left side serves as a kind of signal.
Swelling occurs suddenly and then goes away unnoticed. There are cases when edema is chronic, then the swelling appears gradually and does not go away without treatment, even for a while.
The main cause of foot swelling remains stress on the lower leg. This is especially true for people whose lifestyle or forced circumstances require constant mobility and being on their feet for a long time. Also, the feet of the feet often swell in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle and are always in one position.
Trauma as a cause of edema occurs in people of any age. The swelling occurs due to a fracture or dislocation of the bones of the foot. During the healing process, such swelling goes away on its own, unless accompanied by a complicated medical history.
The accumulation of fluid in the lower leg provokes poor nutrition and poor diet. A large amount of salt in the diet forces you to consume fluid above normal.
In the warm season, to cope with the heat, a person drinks a large amount of water, which leaves the body through sweat or naturally. If during the exchange process, for some reason, fluid remains in the body, swelling occurs. It can develop on both legs, but occurs more often on the left. This is explained by the difficulty of the heart during the heat period.
In their own experience, many pregnant women have felt all the discomfort and unpleasant sensations themselves. During pregnancy, the cause of swelling of the feet lies in a number of factors:
If the swelling does not go away after childbirth, this phenomenon is associated with changes in hormonal levels and psycho-emotional shock. The recovery period is long, but almost always passes without complications.
Swelling of the left leg due to compression of blood vessels by the uterus goes away immediately after normal blood circulation is resumed. Since in most people the left leg is less involved in movement, with the exception of left-handers, swelling on it is more extensive and occurs more often.
Allergic swelling is caused by an allergen, in this case the swelling goes away after the allergen is identified and removed. Very often, edema is caused by medications that may not be tolerated individually. Risk groups for medications include:
Swelling of the legs occurs as symptoms of a disease of the cardiovascular system. This kind of swelling appears towards the end of the day and disappears in the morning. The phenomenon is associated with free blood circulation at night. The pathology is accompanied by pain in the chest, frequent shortness of breath, and increased fatigue.
Blockage of blood vessels in the legs, narrowing of their lumens, caused by varicose veins, is also the cause of swelling of the feet. The danger lies in the possible and sudden occurrence of blood clots, which can be fatal.
Liver failure is a common cause of edema due to alcohol intake. Liver diseases and severe pathologies cause a gradual accumulation of fluid and, as a result, swelling, which does not go away on its own, and without proper treatment causes serious complications.
Rare, but still possible reasons include:
Treatment of swelling of the feet is based on eliminating the cause of their occurrence. There are many options for combating the disease, ranging from special gymnastics and exercises, as well as changes in habits or lifestyle, ending with complex treatment and surgical intervention. The treatment regimen depends on the type of edema.
With constant sitting or standing work, blood circulation is disrupted, which causes stagnation of fluid in one place. An effective treatment method would be regular walks and exercises to normalize blood circulation.
Massage or physiotherapeutic procedures will also help relieve swelling. Eliminating the cause returns normal blood circulation to the feet.
In case of injury, swelling is relieved with ice and ointments with a cooling effect. If an inflammatory process develops, an additional course of antibiotics is prescribed.
Mostly occur due to sudden weight gain or stress on the lower limb. Both legs are affected by enlargement. To prevent or get rid of swelling and heaviness in the legs, walking short distances with constant rest breaks is recommended.
You cannot stay in one position for a long time; you can compress the blood vessels and thereby cause swelling. During pregnancy, due to an enlarged uterus, the veins in the pelvis are compressed, which often leads to swelling of the left leg.
In this case, a full comprehensive examination with the appointment of an individual treatment regimen is necessary. After defeating the main ailment, fluid stagnation will go away on its own.
Depending on the location of the organs damaged by the disease, an enlargement of one or the other limb occurs. The left side often swells with heart disease, so it is an important symptom of the disorder.
For each disease and specific case, the treatment method is different. You should not self-medicate, and at the first signs it is better to immediately contact a specialist.