If the right leg swells, this means that fluid stagnation has formed in its tissues, which can cause pain. Why do such phenomena occur?
When one right leg swells, the reasons can be different. Factors that lead to swelling of one leg, in particular the right one, are as follows:
The disease can occur under the influence of various infectious lesions and inflammatory processes. The following diseases may appear:
Depending on the disease that is diagnosed in the presence of swelling in the leg, adequate treatment is prescribed.
When a leg is affected by varicose veins, the patient is first treated with various medications. If the disease is at an early stage of development, the patient may be prescribed a variety of tablets and ointments. Often, various traditional medicine recipes are used for these purposes, for example, compresses and baths with apple cider vinegar, sea salt, etc. If the disease has reached a stage of development in which swollen veins are clearly visible, then surgery is performed.
Thrombophlebitis at the initial stage is treated with antibiotics, and if the disease has progressed, then surgery is performed. Lymphedema is a practically incurable disease; all existing methods of combating it have a short-term effect.
Myxedema is curable as a type of thyroid disease.
Doctors recommend treating erysipelas with various antibacterial medications.
Infectious arthritis is treated with antibiotics, and soft tissue inflammation is treated with surgery.
Legs and ankles can swell for many reasons. Trauma, oversprain, arthritis, arthrosis, venous insufficiency, thrombosis, phlebitis most often cause unilateral edema. Bilateral edema is usually the initial sign of heart failure.
Ankle swelling can be unilateral or bilateral. Swelling in both legs is more often a symptom of a general illness, and swelling of the left or right leg is associated with damage to one of these limbs.
Let's look at the reasons why ankles swell, occurring on the right or left leg.
For example, ankle fractures and sprains. With a closed fracture or sprain in the ankle area, sharp pain and swelling occurs. The cause of edema is hemorrhage from damaged vessels.
This is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) in a vessel. Thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities occurs more often. Characterized by impaired blood flow. The reasons are narrowing or complete blockage of the lumen of the vessel. There is pain. The leg swells a lot. Thrombosis may be accompanied by inflammation of the vein (thrombophlebitis).
Infectious skin lesions in the ankle area lead to inflammation and swelling of the tissue. These are diseases such as abscesses, phlegmon, and some skin diseases.
Diseases of the ankle and knee joints (arthritis, arthrosis) lead to the formation of swelling of the ankle not only due to the inflammatory process, but also due to a violation of the distribution of load on the joint.
Insects and amphibians, which release poisons when bitten, develop a swollen ankle if the bite was in this area or slightly higher. This swelling is of allergic origin.
Disease of the veins of the lower extremities, venous insufficiency, is a common cause of swelling in the legs. Varicose veins are a fairly common disease. This can happen on either the left or right ankle. Edema is explained by a violation of the movement of venous blood through the vessels to the heart due to the failure of the valve apparatus. Stagnation occurs in the veins, and the liquid component of the blood penetrates the surrounding tissues through the walls of the vessels.
Staying in a sitting or standing position for a long time. People who spend most of their time sitting or standing may notice swelling in their ankles towards the end of the day. This occurs due to disruption of venous and lymphatic edema from the lower extremities due to forced posture.
Exercising in uncomfortable shoes can cause swelling. Sports training should only take place in special sports shoes. Such shoes allow you to correctly distribute the load on the spine. Adequate venous and lymphatic drainage from the lower extremities depends on this. If you wear uncomfortable shoes, your feet may become very swollen.
Due to excess weight, the distribution of the load on the lower limbs changes, and there is pressure on the joints and poor circulation in the legs.
In late pregnancy, swelling of the ankles may occur. This occurs from compression of the inferior vena cava by the enlarged uterus, which disrupts venous outflow.
Malfunctions of the kidneys lead to disruption of water and electrolyte balance. As a result, vascular permeability increases, fluid accumulates in the tissues. Most often, renal edema occurs in the upper body and face. But if the disease is in an advanced stage, then swelling may also appear on the legs.
High blood pressure and heart failure lead to edema. Cardiac edema occurs most often towards the end of the day and in the lower part of the body, on the legs.
This pathology is explained by a violation of lymphatic drainage from the extremities. Most often, the vessels of the legs are involved in the process. Lymph accumulates in the tissues, forming dense swelling on the ankles and legs. This can subsequently lead to elephantiasis.
Antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs, hormonal drugs can provoke the accumulation of fluid in tissues.
If swelling in the feet is not a consequence of any acute condition or serious illness, then you can reduce them yourself.
Edema can be permanent or episodic and is the body’s response to an internal disease or external irritant. They should be treated symptomatically, with special attention to causal therapy.
Why do my feet swell? The triggering mechanism for this phenomenon may vary, but pastiness is always the result of increased pressure in the capillaries or a decrease in oncotic pressure in the blood plasma with the exudation of excess fluid into the tissue. Swelling of the legs is often adaptive in nature, but can occur as a manifestation of a serious illness.
What causes the top of the feet to swell in completely healthy people? In this case, the malaise is caused by overload of the limbs or deterioration of blood circulation in the tissues.
Common causes of leg swelling in the foot area include the following:
If the foot of only one leg is swollen and painful, the cause of the ailment most likely lies in a rupture of the muscles or ligaments of the ankle. With fractures or injuries to joints and after surgery, swelling of the foot is a very common phenomenon. The pastiness in this case lasts up to several months.
All the considered factors are temporary and after their elimination or a short rest, the swelling subsides.
Pastosity caused by internal diseases does not go away quickly. To get rid of it, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the underlying ailment.
What can cause chronic fluid accumulation in tissues? Among the most common causes of foot swelling are the following:
The limbs may swell in other cases, for example, with adrenal hyperfunction, anorexia or severe cachexia, and neuroparalytic disorders.
Often, swelling in the foot appears in patients suffering from malignant tumors. Pastosity forms after surgery or a course of chemotherapy. When the lymphatic system is affected, edema develops at the very beginning of the disease.
During pregnancy, leg swelling plagues almost every woman. Especially often the outflow of blood is disrupted in the II-III semesters. During the same period, in addition to pasty feet, night cramps in the calf muscles, pain and numbness are observed.
There is more than one reason for this condition of women’s legs during pregnancy. An unpleasant symptom can be caused by several factors:
If such symptoms appear, it is recommended to consult a doctor to prescribe therapy. If the doctor has not prescribed anything, you should not self-medicate. Swollen legs in the last trimester are not considered a pathology, so to eliminate the problem, a woman just needs to rest more with her limbs elevated, drink less and eat salty foods.
In practice, edema is usually divided into unilateral and bilateral.
Such pastiness develops against the background of articular pathologies, lesions of the lymphatic system and varicose veins. It manifests itself as swelling of only one limb.
Bilateral edema develops due to serious damage to the cardiovascular system or renal failure. Characterized by uniform pastiness of the legs.
A pathological cause of edema can be suspected based on additional symptoms. They can have varying degrees of intensity, progress or remain stable.
In diseases of the heart muscle, edema is accompanied by blueness of the legs, shortness of breath, fluctuations in blood pressure, sweating, fatigue, and chest pain. By the evening, the pastiness intensifies, and by the morning it subsides.
If varicose veins become the cause of the discomfort, fatigue and heaviness in the legs, the appearance of tortuous veins, and darkening of the skin are added to the swelling on top of the foot. By evening, my limbs hurt unbearably. At an advanced stage of illness, dermatitis occurs and trophic ulcers develop.
With liver pathologies, swelling of the feet is accompanied by yellowing of the skin and itching, general exhaustion, nausea or vomiting. With damage to the endocrine system, pastiness develops simultaneously with weight gain, lethargy, and constipation.
The inflammatory process in the legs causes redness and painful swelling on the top of the foot, and an increase in temperature. General intoxication of the body, fatigue, and drowsiness appear. With lesions of the central nervous system, accompanied by unilateral paralysis, swelling of the right or left limb develops.
If your leg is very swollen and hurts, you need to see a therapist. The doctor will order tests and, based on their results, refer you to a specialist - a cardiologist, endocrinologist, phlebologist or traumatologist.
During a diagnostic examination, the doctor interviews the patient, asking about his diet, lifestyle and habits. After palpation of the swelling, the specialist prescribes a series of studies:
The results of the studies help to identify the cause of edema and prescribe adequate treatment.
What to do if your feet are constantly swelling, how to help yourself? First of all, you need to prepare a cool bath, and then take a horizontal position, raising your limbs. After 20 minutes, remove the swelling by rubbing special ointments or an ice compress. A foot massage from the toes to the groin helps a lot.
Physical exercises that improve blood circulation - squats, swings, cycling - will also help relieve swelling. You can just sit on a chair and dangle your legs, like in childhood.
How to treat swelling? It should be noted that targeted therapy for pastiness is a thankless task and, from a medical point of view, not entirely correct. The exception is temporary edema that occurs in healthy people. In this case, it is recommended to reduce physical activity, give your legs rest and use compression stockings.
If the cause of pastiness is internal diseases, symptomatic therapy must be combined with causal therapy.
If the kidneys and heart are damaged, the following medications will help relieve swelling:
The frequency of administration and duration of treatment is determined by the doctor and depends on the severity of the patient’s condition.
Swelling in the foot area of venous origin is treated by bandaging the legs or wearing compression garments (stockings, knee socks). In addition, the patient is prescribed medications:
All these drugs differ in the speed of action, duration of influence and effectiveness, have contraindications and are prescribed only by a doctor.
Avoiding the appearance of temporary swelling is not so difficult. To do this, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
To prevent chronic edema, it is necessary to promptly treat pathologies that can provoke malaise.
Only a caring attitude towards your health will help you get rid of an unpleasant condition and prevent serious illnesses. Therefore, if even mild swelling appears, you should be wary and consult a doctor.
It is important to understand that swelling of one or two feet manifests itself as a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle or a disruption in the functioning of the body.
When the right leg or left leg swells, swelling of the tissues is observed due to the accumulation of excess fluid in them.
Swelling of the right or left foot occurs regardless of age or chronic diseases. Often, swelling can appear in a completely healthy person. The pathology can appear periodically or be chronic due to an imbalance in the functioning of internal organs and hormonal imbalances.
If the left or right leg swells, this is accompanied by the following symptoms:
Depending on the nature of the course, there is a classification of types of edema of the foot of the left or right leg.
The foot of the right foot or left foot is swollen and may be due to the following phenomena:
Important! The characteristic features of this type of swelling of the feet are their temporary nature and the absence of painful sensations. Often, such swelling appears in the morning or evening, not every day, but only in the presence of the provoking factors listed above.
To eliminate temporary swelling, it is necessary to exercise, give up bad habits, reduce the amount of salt consumed, and drink at least 1.5 - 2 liters of clean water in the first half of the day.
If your foot is swollen, the problem may be caused by complex disorders of the internal organs. In this case, you will need to visit a specialist and formulate an effective treatment regimen for the disease.
Possible causes of foot swelling:
Chronic edema is characterized by a constant presence (increased swelling in the morning and evening hours) or periodic manifestation (inflammatory diseases).
Important! In cases where swelling is a symptom of pathological malfunctions in the functioning of internal organs, it will often appear not only on the legs, but also on the face and hands.
If the cause of swelling of the left or right foot is an inflammatory process (arthritis, arthrosis, gout), then the swelling will be chronic, these diseases occur with a certain frequency and, in addition to swelling, are accompanied by severe pain.
The name “idiopathic edema” indicates an unclear cause of this condition. Idiopathic swelling occurs spontaneously or can be caused by atypical factors.
Doctors divide this swelling into the following types:
This condition is characterized by weight gain, for no apparent reason, periodic swelling of the feet, arms, legs, and occurs mainly in women. If the indicators are completely normal, the patient may suffer from this condition for years.
One type is Quincke's edema, which manifests itself as an allergic reaction. This condition can be provoked by:
If your left or right leg is swollen, it is important to provide first aid in a timely manner to reduce the swelling:
Treatment for foot swelling depends entirely on its cause. The following medications are used to treat swelling of the legs:
Traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of swelling of the feet are highly effective. The most famous and effective recipes to treat swelling of the foot:
When foot edema develops, it is necessary to first determine why the foot is swelling and what the nature of the disease is. The risk of foot swelling can be reduced by normalizing your diet, playing sports and having a healthy lifestyle.
Very often, people may experience that their legs begin to swell. Swelling in the feet is one of the symptoms that warn a person about the development of certain diseases. There are many reasons that can cause swelling, but in any case, effective treatment requires consultation with a doctor.
According to medical research, foot swelling is common in people regardless of their age. But most often such changes are observed in older people.
Swelling can occur due to many reasons. The appearance of edema can be affected by medications, excess weight and certain diseases. The foot begins to swell due to fluid accumulated inside, discomfort, itching, pain, and redness appear. Swelling in the ankle area can lead to problems walking.
Swelling can be either episodic or chronic. Temporary swelling may occur due to certain situations, such as injury or insect bites. Chronic edema is a symptom of disturbances in the functioning of the body.
In a healthy person, swelling occurs temporarily and quickly subsides. The main causes of swelling are hidden in excessive stress on the lower limbs. This problem may be encountered by people who, for certain reasons, spend most of their time in an upright position. However, swelling can also occur in people who spend most of their working time in offices at a desk.
The main causes of foot swelling lie in the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. Due to gravity, fluid is pulled downward, causing the feet to swell. Swelling can also occur after injury or inflammatory diseases.
Trauma to the lower extremities is one of the most common causes of edema. Swelling can appear both with a bone fracture and with a dislocation. If, with swelling, sharp pain is observed at the site of injury, urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary. It is recommended to take an x-ray. After contacting a doctor who will prescribe the necessary treatment, the swelling gradually subsides.
The causes of leg swelling may be hidden in the use of certain medications.
Violations of diet or water balance in the body can cause swelling of the legs. The reason is the excessive consumption of salt, which causes a person to feel thirsty, which he cannot satisfy. This leads to the fact that a person begins to drink more fluid.
In hot weather, a person begins to consume more fluid than the body may require. Of course, most of it is excreted with urine and then, but excess water accumulates in the body and, under the influence of gravity, falls down, which is why the legs swell.
Pregnant women often experience swelling of the lower extremities. The appearance of edema can be affected by a disturbance in the outflow of blood, which occurs as the uterus increases in size.
Also, the appearance of swelling on the right or left foot can be affected by excessive consumption of salty foods, which most pregnant women crave, especially in the first months of pregnancy.
Swelling that occurs after the 5th month of pregnancy is especially difficult to tolerate. At this time, in addition to edema, a pregnant woman may suffer from migraine attacks. A woman may experience leg cramps that cause severe pain, especially at night. Sharp pressure surges are observed. In this case, the pregnant woman should consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary treatment. In particularly advanced cases, treatment can take place in a hospital.
It should be remembered that pregnant women are strictly prohibited from taking medications and traditional medicine without consulting a doctor, as this may lead to undesirable consequences.
Swelling of the feet can be a sign of heart problems. With such diseases, swelling most often appears after lunch. The skin has a bluish tint. Swelling is observed throughout the foot, even on the toes, but in some cases it can rise higher. During sleep, blood is distributed evenly throughout the body, as a result of which by the morning there is no trace of edema. In addition to swelling of the legs (left or right), heart disease causes chest pain, shortness of breath, pressure surges, and increased fatigue.
Swelling in this case serves as a kind of signal. Initially, a feeling of heaviness appears in the legs, the person begins to get tired quickly, pain occurs, and spots form on the skin. If treatment is not started on time, varicose veins of the lower extremities can provoke the appearance of edema and thrombophlebitis (blood clots begin to form in the lumen of the veins).
The thyroid gland and liver may not function properly, resulting in signs of swelling. Thyroid gland dysfunction is accompanied by a sharp change in body weight. A person’s facial features change, his tongue swells. The patient suffers from constipation.
Swelling of the feet also occurs in severe liver diseases. In this case, in addition to swelling, symptoms such as jaundice, exhaustion, and itching are observed.
The following reasons can lead to the development of edema on the left or right leg:
Redness of the skin due to swelling of the feet is a serious reason to consult a specialist. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is recommended to undergo a series of procedures.
Redness of the skin accompanies pain and occurs when:
If during swelling there is not only redness, but also a rash, then various skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema, neurodermatitis, erysipelas, lichen, etc.), as well as diabetes mellitus and diffuse toxic goiter, can manifest themselves.
Swelling of the foot, regardless of which leg it appears on, the right or left, can be noticed without the use of special devices. The legs around the feet begin to swell, increasing in size. The toes also swell, the color of the skin changes, redness and cyanosis are observed.
In addition to swelling, discomfort, heaviness, and, in rare cases, pain are felt. The patient has an irresistible desire to take a horizontal position, with the legs positioned above the head.
Treatment for swelling of the legs depends on what causes its appearance. If the cause is an imbalance of water balance, the patient is advised to reduce salt intake and, if possible, completely eliminate it from the diet. In order to facilitate the functioning of the kidneys, the maximum fluid intake per day should not exceed two liters.
If the causes of swelling lie in a sedentary lifestyle, it is recommended to periodically stretch your legs. At home, you can massage your left and right legs, starting from your calves to your toes. Contrast baths have proven themselves well.
If the reasons are hidden in heart problems, consultation with a cardiologist is necessary. After the examination, based on the test data, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment. Diuretics and drugs that stabilize heart function are usually prescribed. The patient is advised to follow a diet, carry out a set of special gymnastic exercises and wear elastic stockings or bandages. But in this case, you should not self-medicate, as this may worsen the situation.
Treatment of varicose veins, regardless of the stage of the disease, occurs under the supervision of a doctor. Only a specialist can accurately determine the stage, find out the cause and trace the dynamics of the development of the disease. After conducting the necessary studies, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Today, you can buy many medications in pharmacies that help cope with foot swelling, relieve pain and itching. But it is necessary to remember that swelling is a symptom of certain ailments, and the ointments used will not help cope with the causes of swelling.
When a person's legs swell, discomfort appears. Often women are more worried, unable to put on their favorite shoes, and have complexes about the swelling that has arisen. If the day before a healthy person ate salty food or drank excess water, swelling is natural. But the causes of edema are more diverse.
Every person in life has encountered swelling of the legs. Possible reasons: standing for a long time, wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes, tiring trips. One-time swelling can appear for other reasons:
Drinking large amounts of water after eating too salty foods. There is a disruption in the process of natural removal of fluid from the body. If a woman is pregnant.
Calves vary slightly in size
There are alarming cases of edema of the lower extremities, which have become symptoms of diseases:
Heart failure. The disease can cause swelling of the legs. The disease can be identified by gradually increasing symptoms. The phenomenon occurs on the ankle, then the swelling spreads upward. Affects the calves of the left or right leg, reaching the thigh. Such swelling becomes pronounced in the evening; when pressure is applied to the leg, a hole will remain that does not go away for a long time. A sick person must often lie down, relieving swelling, or the process will spread to the lumbar region, making walking difficult. Lymphatic drainage is impaired. Lymphedema most often affects the lower extremities, swelling occurs, and fluid accumulates through the lymphatic vessels. A person suffering from the disease has swollen legs, he feels heaviness, weakness, and there is a feeling of distension in the limbs. As a rule, one leg is affected. It is possible to determine the presence of the disease using the exact parameters of swelling. Swelling is immediately noticeable near the ankle joint, then spreads higher up the leg. In the evening it becomes noticeable, after a night's sleep it completely disappears, the person gains the ability to walk easily and quickly. Kidney failure. When the kidneys do not function correctly, the calves and legs begin to swell and excess fluid is not removed from the body. Swelling can appear on the face, hands, and is extremely noticeable on the legs. It looks especially pronounced in the morning and evening, but will disappear when the person gets rid of the liquid. The patient should try to remove swelling in the legs.
Swelling due to pregnancy
Pregnancy. During pregnancy, many women complain of severe swelling of the legs. Such swelling may not be related to diseases. During pregnancy, some women willingly eat salty foods and then drink plenty of water. Swelling appears due to a woman’s active weight gain. The only exception is edema associated with increased protein in the urine. In this case, you need to immediately consult a doctor; such swelling is recognized as a serious danger for the baby and mother. You should not refuse to go to the hospital. The venous outflow is impaired. The disease has causes and characteristics that are different from other types of edema. Varicose veins. The disease begins with severe swelling of the feet. The lower parts of the legs become most pronounced in the evening on the right and left legs. Thrombophlebitis. The disease affects the left leg and the right, and the legs swell differently. The asymmetry is extremely noticeable; it is possible to identify the disease without much effort. Symptoms are typical: fever, pain in the calf area, it is difficult for a person to walk. Post-thrombophlebitis syndrome. The disease is characterized by swelling in the knees, which turns into swelling of the legs in different directions. In the evening, the swelling often becomes greater, and after a night's rest it disappears. The vena cava is inferior. A characteristic sign is that swelling appears in the gluteal area and spreads to the peritoneum and genitals. The process causes a lot of inconvenience, and some swelling causes pain.
Swelling in the lower leg area
Diseases of the nervous system. Diseases include stroke and leg paralysis. The disease provokes the appearance of edema due to the leakage of fluid through the capillaries. Symptoms also develop when the endocrine system is disrupted. Injury. Swelling often appears if a person is injured: a dislocation, bruise or fracture. The traumatic type of swelling will go away after the damage is healed.
We will pay special attention to swelling of the legs and calves in older people. More often, the main cause of edema of the lower extremities is a sedentary lifestyle. The calves may swell due to the presence of a disease - cirrhosis, lung disease.
If we talk about swelling in the legs of women and men, it is possible to name the main reasons:
Work involving heavy physical activity where the legs are constantly under strain. Eating large amounts of unhealthy food, including excess fat and salt, which greatly affects the calves.
Edema in women occurs due to pregnancy, after childbirth, and during menopause. These processes are natural, will pass quickly, and the swelling will disappear on its own.
Let's talk about diagnostic methods. Similar diagnostic methods have become available:
general blood test. ultrasound examination. hormone testing. x-ray. tomography.
Each of the above methods for diagnosing swelling will take time, the result will be relief from external discomfort and removal of swelling.
There are a number of known ways to get rid of edema of the lower extremities. Let's highlight simple methods:
Limit the consumption of salty and fatty foods. Do not drink a lot of liquid. The daily volume of water is no more than 2.5 liters. Take water procedures more often. Water helps you relax and gets rid of swelling. Rest often; when you rest, the swelling of your legs decreases.
Rest while walking
When swelling of the calves and legs is associated with a disease, treatment is prescribed strictly by a doctor, and individually. More often, doctors recommend that patients adhere to a healthy lifestyle and wear special compression garments.
If you are prescribed to wear compression garments, you do not need to wear them for the whole day; swelling of the legs should go away on its own, with proper rest. The doctor prescribes the use of a special gel or ointment that relieves swelling and reduces inflammation. The doctor will prescribe a diuretic drug, the fluid will begin to be eliminated from the body faster.
When treating cardiac edema, it is necessary to carry out complex treatment, where drugs to relieve edema and drugs affecting the heart are prescribed.
It is possible to use folk remedies that remove swelling. This includes foot baths and the use of herbal infusions. When using decoctions, be careful; selected herbs can cause nausea if the components are intolerant. Water procedures will help relieve inflammation, remove swelling, and relax your legs, including your calves.
If you do nothing, swelling will cause discomfort and provoke the transition of the disease into an acute form that is difficult to treat.
For preventive purposes, remember, movement is life. Walk more and have fun.
Do not eat a lot of salty and fatty foods; such food not only delays the removal of fluid from the body, but also negatively affects your health.
The gastrocnemius is a biceps muscle located at the back of the human lower leg. The calf is responsible for the stability of the body during movement and for the motor function of the foot. Pain in the calf muscle is a common occurrence in the adult population. Often, along with pain, the calf becomes swollen (edema). Often pain and swelling affect both calves at the same time.
Most suffering people do not attach importance to swelling and swelling of the legs, blaming the process on fatigue or a temporary excess of water in the body. The calf can get sick suddenly, as a result of the slightest discomfort, then quickly go away. But the phenomenon is a consequence of a serious illness. If the calf of the leg is swollen or pain appears, you need to seek the help of a doctor to identify the cause of the symptoms and prescribe subsequent measures for recovery.
Causes of pain and swelling in the calves:
Dangerous heart diseases or diseases affecting blood vessels; Serious diseases of the liver, kidneys; Diseases of the venous vessels; Pathology of the arterial vessels; Diseases of the calf muscles; Damage to the nerve trunks approaching the lower extremities; Diseases of the surrounding tissues; Pathology of the spine.
Swelling of the calves
Other factors are known that influence the appearance of swelling in the calf of the leg:
abuse of drugs, diuretics and laxatives; taking contraceptives or hormonal drugs; pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome; improper, unbalanced diet with excessive carbohydrates and salts; slow elimination of salts by the body; allergic reactions; leg injury.
Many diseases have been described that are accompanied by pain and swelling of the calf muscle:
Acute occlusion of the artery of the legs; Inflammation of skeletal muscles - myositis; Neuritis (osteochondrosis) and polyneuritis (diabetes, chronic alcohol poisoning, degenerative pathologies, infectious diseases); Osteomyelitis; Pathology of the joints of the legs; Damage associated with ruptures or tears of the Achilles tendon; Inflammatory processes on the skin, in the subcutaneous tissue of the leg; Inflammation of the sciatic nerve on the right, left side, other diseases of the spine.
Let's name common cases of swollen calves with pain.
Calf muscle pain
The disease affects predominantly the female half of the population (it also happens in men) after 20 years of age, and is often hereditary in nature. The reasons for the occurrence are different: prolonged stress on the legs, wearing shoes with heels higher than 5 cm, pregnancy, injuries, smoking and others. As the disease progresses, the superficial veins are affected, which is noticeable visually.
In the aggravated stage, a feeling of heaviness in the legs, frequent fatigue, cramps (usually at night), and pain appear. At times, the affected area of the calf becomes swollen, dermatitis can develop, and long-lasting trophic ulcers occur. Varicose veins do not always affect both legs equally; sometimes the disease is more pronounced on the right or left leg. If the preconditions for varicose veins appear on one limb, it is worth taking enhanced measures to prevent the appearance of varicose veins on the second leg.
In addition to these general recommendations, for varicose veins it is necessary to follow simple rules, the implementation of which will help slow down the development of the pathology or help avoid its occurrence:
Do not get carried away with taking hot baths; Lose weight (if you have extra pounds); Do not wear excessively tight clothes or clothes that compress blood vessels (for example, too tight jeans); Alternate exercise; Introduce fiber-enriched foods into your diet; Douse your feet with cool water at the end of the day; Try to walk more often in the dew or along the edge of the water; Do special exercises for the legs.
Leg exercises
A common vascular disease in which the calf muscle pulsates and the sensation gradually turns into a burning sensation. The pain is constant. With thrombosis, the calves of the legs swell, heaviness appears, the skin at the site of the lesion takes on a smooth, shiny appearance, and veins become visible. The pain is distributed along the back of the lower leg from the foot to the thigh, and increases with flexion. Similar to varicose veins, thrombosis can develop in the right, left leg, or both.
Thrombophlebitis is dangerous. Blood clots or their particles that form in blood vessels can travel along with the blood, causing blockage of the vessel and possibly death. If you notice signs that are similar in symptoms to thrombosis, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Drink water in the amount required by the body; water effectively prevents the appearance of blood clots. Introduce into the diet foods that have properties that help thin the blood: ginger; sunflower seeds; beets; fish oil; flaxseed, olive oil; tomatoes and tomato juice;
rolled oats porridge; lemon; garlic and onion; cherries, sweet cherries, cranberries, raspberries, wild strawberries, strawberries.
It is recommended to eat these products constantly, at least 2-3 units from the listed ones.
Reduce the consumption of foods that affect blood clotting: broths cooked with meat; sausages, smoked meats, jelly; wheat flour products; heavy cream; lentils, peas; rose hips, chokeberries; mango, bananas; herbal decoctions that reduce bleeding and blood fluid. Stop drinking alcohol and smoking. Reduce the amount of salt; Try to avoid the use of diuretics, contraceptives, hormonal drugs, supplements aimed at increasing libido. Lead an active lifestyle, go out into nature more often, breathe clean air, play sports.
Reducing calf swelling is the most important goal for calf swelling. Elevating your legs will help. It is recommended to place the feet on an elevation, at a level higher than the level of the heart, so that the load and pressure on the lower body is minimized. It is permissible to use special devices.
When sleeping, place your feet on pillows to ensure an elevated state.
To prevent edema, use special tights, socks, stockings, which can be easily purchased at a pharmacy or specialized orthopedic stores.
It is important to wear the correct shoes that fit in size: they should not squeeze or put pressure on the heel or toe. To choose a comfortable size, it is recommended to purchase shoes in the afternoon, when your feet are already tired and slightly swollen.
To reduce swelling in your calf(s), it is recommended to follow these tips:
increase the load on the leg muscles by walking; avoid a static state, stand less; do not sit in a “leg-to-leg” position, without pinching the veins of the back of the leg; reduce salt intake, prevents water from leaving the body; do not take excessive medications, diuretics, laxatives, hormonal and contraceptive drugs; drink more plain clean water (the average human water consumption is 2 liters per day).
An alarming sign is that the swelling of the legs does not disappear with the use of preventive measures. Then you should consult a doctor.
These measures are advisory in nature.
Most diseases of the calf muscle can be easily eliminated with treatment at home or in a hospital setting. However, there are diseases, for example, acute vascular pathologies, myositis, complicated chronic vascular insufficiency, and certain pathologies of the spine, which require the intervention of a surgeon or constant medical supervision.
It happens that complete relief from pain and swelling of the legs is impossible. Then traditional methods of treatment (injections, tablets, heating) are used to maintain and weaken the symptoms of the underlying disease. For example, for diabetes - insulin, for varicose veins - special elastic tights or stockings.
Of course, you need to understand an important thing - under no circumstances try to solve a leg problem on your own. Only a doctor can correctly determine the causes of pain and swelling in the legs through examination and testing. Following prevention recommendations in order to reduce the risk of disease is valuable and correct. It is also necessary to carry out certain measures to reduce pain - do exercises and massages, use special devices, but only after establishing a specific diagnosis and consulting a doctor.
There are many reasons why your calves swell. Some of them are harmless, while others require special attention and medical intervention.
Non-hazardous ones include:
drinking large amounts of fluid in hot weather, after overeating salty foods; standing on your feet for a long time during the day; intense physical activity; wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes.
These factors can cause swelling in any person. But such swelling is easy to overcome on your own if you eliminate its cause.
But sometimes they are caused by diseases:
Heart failure. Swelling appears not only on the calves, it can reach the very thigh. Impairments in the functioning of the kidneys. The kidneys function poorly, cannot cope with their work, and excess fluid is retained in the body. Swelling appears not only on the legs, but also on other parts of the body. Problems with lymphatic drainage. With lymphedema, fluid accumulates in the lymphatic vessels. Swelling appears in the late afternoon and disappears the next morning (this is repeated daily). Problems with venous outflow. We are talking about diseases such as varicose veins, thrombophlebitis. Disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Problems with the endocrine system.
All of the above pathologies require medical intervention. Therefore, if swelling of the calves of the legs is a constant phenomenon, then you need to urgently consult a doctor.
Pregnant women deserve special attention. Their swelling can be both physiological and pathological.
If swelling appears systematically, then you need to consult a doctor. He will prescribe an appropriate examination that will show why the calves are swelling. If the cause lies in pathology, then the only way out is to treat the underlying disease.
In cases where swelling appears occasionally and disappears within a short time, there is no cause for concern. Most likely, this is a natural reaction of the body to certain non-hazardous factors. To alleviate the condition, you can self-massage your calves, lie on your back, raise your legs up for 10-15 minutes. In the future, it is better to stop wearing uncomfortable shoes, you need to monitor your drinking regime (do not drink large amounts of liquid), and give your feet a rest during the day.
Legs can swell for both physiological and pathological reasons. The main thing is to seek medical help in time if this happens systematically.