Edema of the legs is a symptom that is manifested by visible swelling of the lower extremities, an increase in their circumference, and, as a rule, other symptoms and discomfort.
There are a huge number of causes of leg swelling. These can be general diseases (for example, cardiac edema of the legs), as well as direct pathologies of the lower extremities.
Swelling of the legs can be unilateral or bilateral, and have varying degrees of severity (swelling of the fingers and toes, or up to the thigh). Based on these signs, as well as additional symptoms, the doctor can give the patient a specific diagnosis. Below we will look at why legs swell and what to do in this case.
The causes of leg swelling can be of a completely different nature. Thus, according to the nature of occurrence, the following types of edema are distinguished:
Any of the above reasons can provoke both swelling of the foot of the right leg and swelling in other parts of the body. In general, edema most often occurs in the extremities, pleural and abdominal cavities.
To choose a treatment method for swelling on the right or left leg, you need to know the cause of its occurrence. In men and women, this phenomenon is observed when:
Also, swelling of the legs can be caused by fairly harmless reasons:
The causes of swelling of the legs can be various factors that interfere with the removal of fluid from the body. In most cases, it is difficult to immediately determine why fluid is retained and stagnated in the lower extremities.
Usually, for this purpose, you have to take tests, go for an ultrasound, or resort to other methods of finding out the cause of this condition. However, it is obvious that the body responded to some not very favorable effect in this way.
The most common cause of edema. Overstretching of the connective tissue of the veins and stagnation of blood in them turns the legs not only into an unattractive sight, but also causes a lot of trouble, fatigue and pain.
Along with the risk factors listed above for the formation of varicose veins, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atherosclerosis can also be noted. Undoubtedly, without understanding the cause of varicose veins, it will be impossible to get rid of edema, and therapy and prevention of diseases should be carried out in combination.
Cold foot baths, wearing special stockings and regular use of ointments for swelling of the legs and varicose veins will be a good help for relieving symptoms.
During thrombophlebitis, severe swelling of the legs may appear, which is accompanied by pain and other unpleasant sensations (numbness, tingling, “crawling”). There is an increase in body temperature and general malaise. In the absence of adequate treatment, thrombophlebitis can present with more serious symptoms than swelling of the legs.
The cause of leg swelling may be kidney disease. Both limbs suffer, while the eyelids swell and circles form under the eyes. The color of urine changes and its excretion decreases. Swelling may appear on the arms and abdomen. Sometimes renal failure manifests itself as a complication after a respiratory illness.
If “cardiac” edema appears closer to the evening, then “renal” edema, on the contrary, is more pronounced in the morning, and decreases in the evening.
Swelling of the legs in heart failure is a very common phenomenon, since pathologies of the cardiovascular system are generally very widespread in modern society.
Heart failure is accompanied by the following characteristic symptoms:
What to do if your legs are swollen and you are concerned about other causes of heart failure? It is worth visiting a cardiologist or therapist. The doctor will examine you and prescribe additional tests: ECG, ECHO-cardiography, chest x-ray.
The cause of leg swelling is hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland. Pressing on the swollen area does not leave pits, the tissues retain their elasticity.
This condition is characterized by drowsiness, chilliness, and frequent constipation. The tongue often swells in the shoulders.
Moderate swelling of the legs may also appear when using certain medications. Medicines that have a similar effect include estrogens, androgens, DOXA, licorice root preparations, and reserpine. After discontinuation of the appropriate medications, the swelling goes away.
People whose work involves standing for long periods of time (salespeople, elevator operators) may experience orthostatic edema. Such swelling appears on the feet and legs, mainly in the evening. They are moderately expressed and go away on their own after rest.
Healthy people experience swelling of the lower extremities after hard days at work or stressful situations. Often swelling occurs due to wearing uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels.
Getting rid of such phenomena is quite simple: you will need an hour's rest on the bed with your legs elevated, as well as a relaxing foot bath and plant-based creams for tired legs.
Medical practice shows that the question “Legs are very swollen: what to do?” more often worries women. In addition to the above pathologies that cause swelling on the left or right leg, the causes in women are supplemented by premenstrual changes and pregnancy.
A thorough diagnosis, consultation with a therapist and duplex scanning are required, which will show the condition of your blood vessels - thrombosis, areas of ischemia and cholesterol accumulation. The main question is what happens to blood flow and lymph flow? After which, it will become clear whether additional research is needed and in which direction to dig.
If the cardiologist, the neurologist, and the therapist shrug their shoulders, and the swelling continues, these are definitely renal issues; they are the most difficult to localize and find an explanation for. The general principle is that heart problems in the legs appear after heavy physical activity, in the late afternoon, in the morning, they subside, the kidneys are “visible” in the early morning, and varicose veins and blood flow problems appear during the day, in dynamics.
In the case of physiological edema, recommendations on how to relieve swelling in the legs come down to the following:
use compression hosiery (tights).
After consultation with a doctor, it is possible to use folk diuretics for swelling of the legs:
It is better to avoid diuretics. But if treatment without them is impossible, then you should take them with caution, especially if you have problems with the kidneys or heart. During pregnancy, diuretics are contraindicated. Even if they are of plant origin.
Various loop (furosemide, Lasix, Trifas), thiazide (indapamide, hypothiazide) and potassium-sparing (veroshpiron, spironolactone) diuretics are used. The frequency of administration, dosage form and duration of treatment depend on the degree of heart failure.
Severe edema is treated with injectable loop diuretics with a gradual transition to tablet administration of identical or drugs from a different group. For long-term decongestant therapy, thiazide diuretics in combination with veroshpiron are more suitable. Potassium preparations (panangin, asparkam). Must be included in loop diuretic treatment.
Regularly performing a set of simple exercises will help prevent leg swelling:
If you are faced with the problem of edema, this means that your body is prone to fluid accumulation. Remember that in this case you should exclude from your diet:
The surest way to cleanse the body of toxins is to go on a so-called “fasting” diet. It will help you remove harmful substances that burden your organs and disrupt the balance of the body.
List of messages in the topic “swelling and thirst” forum Pregnancy > Pregnancy
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 11:32 Date: November 30, 2002
and I am constantly tormented by thirst: (how to fight?
Author: Yulchik Status: User Time: 18:51 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: luchik Status: User Time: 21:09 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Vikcha Status: Veteran Time: 01:34 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: natas Status: User Time: 01:53 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: kupalinka Status: Experienced user Time: 06:43 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: Meline Status: deleted Time: 12:22 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Julia Status: Corypheus Time: 09:29 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced User Time: 12:16 Date: 30 Nov 2002
Author: Ksana Status: User Time: 17:15 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 09:45 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 10:00 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 10:18 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 10:58 Date: 02 Dec 2002
in fact, we really need to limit our salt intake (or rather, eliminate it altogether), but I eat lunch in the cafeteria, how can I eliminate it?
And at home I don’t have the strength to cook separately from everyone else :(
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 11:07 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 11:50 Date: 02 Dec 2002
How many kg did you manage to gain?
As for unsalted food, I probably would have agreed with my husband, but his brother is also staying with us temporarily.
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 11:55 Date: 02 Dec 2002
So let the husband and brother talk, it’s not every day that the wife is pregnant!
+11 was at 31 weeks or something :) I don’t know yet. But to each his own, I don’t set a goal to score as little as possible. I'm pregnant :)
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 13:17 Date: 02 Dec 2002
I still have this goal: the fact is that I am now pregnant for the second time, the first was a year ago (frozen), it + quitting smoking provoked a weight gain of 8-9 kg
I didn’t lose weight, I became pregnant for the second time, now I have a total weight gain of 18-19 kg, you understand.
It’s hard for me to even walk, it puts such a strain on my joints.
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 14:05 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 14:14 Date: 02 Dec 2002
or rather I can't do that
I leave home at 7.45, come home at least 7.45
How about eating fruit all day? :)
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 10:43 Date: 03 Dec 2002
Author: Kryska Status: Experienced user Time: 18:05 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Busya2 Status: User Time: 18:33 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Kryska Status: Experienced user Time: 21:38 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 22:39 Date: 30 Nov 2002
Author: Kryska Status: Experienced user Time: 23:12 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: AS'ka Status: Experienced user Time: 22:52 Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Manichka Status: User Time: 05:43 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: KOTbKA Status: User Time: 23:55 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: Manichka Status: User Time: 05:45 Date: 01 Dec 2002
Author: IrMachka Status: Experienced user Time: 10:11 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: AS'ka Status: Experienced user Time: 13:22 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: IrMachka Status: Experienced user Time: 14:36 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 11:47 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 13:28 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Sonca Status: Advanced user Time: 14:03 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Leto Status: User Time: 14:31 Date: 02 Dec 2002
sorry for the rambling :)
This is how I reassure myself :)
Author: Tanya3 Status: User Time: 13:51 Date: 03 Dec 2002
Author: IrMachka Status: Experienced user Time: 14:38 Date: 02 Dec 2002
Author: Alenka Status: User Time: 14:21 Date: 02 Dec 2002
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Edema is one of the most common pathologies of pregnancy. They are often caused by increased load on the kidneys and a sedentary lifestyle. You will find useful tips on how to minimize the likelihood of swelling and get rid of them in our article.
Edema is a condition in which excess fluid collects in the tissues. During pregnancy, the body's need for fluid increases, and sodium accumulating in blood vessels and tissues delays the excretion of water. This is how swelling of the arms or swelling of the legs occurs during pregnancy. Swellings that collect excess fluid can occur on any part of the body.
If fluid is slowly removed from the body, swelling appears first on the face. Fingers, feet, and mucous membranes also swell. Severe noticeable swelling becomes visible in late pregnancy. Until then, a woman may not notice swelling during pregnancy. Symptoms of edema are not always visible, as they say, “on the face.” And, nevertheless, it is necessary to think about how to avoid edema during pregnancy in the very early stages.
If you find yourself with swelling during pregnancy, your doctor will tell you what to do after ordering tests. Treatment of edema during pregnancy also depends on where it is located.
Almost every pregnant woman's legs swell, especially after a long walk or in the later stages, before childbirth. Particularly inconvenient is shoes that do not fit on your feet or squeeze them when walking. If your legs swell in the evening, after a hard day, this is normal. But if leg swelling does not go away the next morning, this is a reason to consult a doctor.
Tingling and burning in the fingers, the inability to clench your fingers into a fist, remove or put on a ring - these are signs of fluid stagnation. Swelling of the fingers during pregnancy is especially common in women who work a lot at the computer, typing on a keyboard, using a computer mouse - monotonous movements stimulate fluid stagnation in the tissues, so you should not neglect warm-up exercises for your fingers.
Nasal breathing in pregnant women is most often difficult. This is due to swelling of the face and nasal mucosa, and to possible allergic reactions that worsen during pregnancy, and to hormonal changes in the body. If a woman experiences nasal swelling during pregnancy, treatment is necessary not only to get rid of itching and discomfort in the nose. Swelling of the nasal mucosa during pregnancy impedes the supply of oxygen to the fetus, which negatively affects its development. Nasal swelling can be relieved during pregnancy only using traditional methods or drops based on natural essential oils. Most of the usual nasal drops to ease breathing during pregnancy are not allowed.
Swelling during pregnancy can be signs of gestosis - late toxicosis. Particular attention should be paid to the woman’s condition in the third trimester - during this period, swelling appears most often. Many women think that swelling is just uncomfortable and unsightly.
What are the dangers of edema during pregnancy, both for the baby and for the mother herself? Due to swelling, the child develops oxygen starvation; the mother may suffer from swelling of the internal organs and disruption of their functioning. In severe cases, pregnancy even has to be terminated, so it is very important to notice and relieve swelling during pregnancy in a timely manner.
How to relieve swelling during pregnancy if diet and exercise did not help or the tests are imperfect? If there are signs of gestosis, it is necessary to undergo drug treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of edema.
If the pregnant woman’s tests and blood pressure are normal, you can try folk remedies to treat edema:
If, despite all the folk remedies, edema persists during pregnancy, your doctor will tell you how to deal with it.
Swelling in the legs is stagnation of intercellular fluid, which can be a sign of serious diseases of the heart and blood vessels, or may indicate that a person wears uncomfortable shoes or eats too much salty food. There are many possible reasons, however, it is quite difficult to determine on your own why your legs swell. Therefore, if puffiness of the lower extremities appears, it is necessary to consult a therapist.
To make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, it is often enough for an experienced doctor to ask a patient with swelling just a few questions, conduct an examination and evaluate the results of a number of simple tests. If all these measures are carried out on time, the patient will have a great chance to regain his health in a matter of days.
Edema of the legs is the concentration of fluid in the intercellular space of the soft tissues of the feet and legs (the swelling rises to the thigh only in severe cases). Liquid stagnates for a reason - there are always reasons for this, which can be both physiological and pathological.
So why do your feet swell? Normally, water molecules with by-products of cellular metabolism from the intercellular space of the lower extremities penetrate through the walls of the smallest capillaries into the venous bed and are transported further through the systemic circulation to the heart. Then, together with arterial blood, saturated with nutrients and oxygen, the intercellular fluid flows back into the tissues.
This process occurs non-stop and is regulated by various mechanisms (blood pressure, blood flow speed in the capillaries, protein content in the blood, exposure to biologically active substances, hormones, etc.). If at least one of them fails, moderate or severe swelling of the legs appears, so the task of doctors is to determine what causes this failure.
Physiological causes of swelling in the legs:
Pathological conditions that may cause leg swelling:
Representatives of the fairer sex love to walk in heels and sit with their legs thrown back, one on top of the other - these are the most common causes of swelling of the lower extremities in women. In second place is varicose veins. And, of course, many women suffer from swelling of the legs during pregnancy, during which hormones are released, relaxing capillaries, and mechanical compression of the veins of the legs and pelvis by the enlarged uterus occurs, which provokes stagnation of blood and fluid in the lower extremities.
In principle, everything can happen to a man that can happen to a woman, except pregnancy. But for the representative strong half of humanity, swelling of the legs caused by heart and liver diseases, thrombophlebitis, obesity, alcoholism or occasional abuse of beer and salted fish is still more typical.
As already mentioned, various factors influence the permeability of capillaries, so swelling can develop according to different scenarios. Accordingly, swelling of the legs is divided into several types:
The first sign that your feet are swelling is the appearance of sock marks on your shins and severe discomfort when walking in shoes that have never stung before. It is imperative to pay attention to these “first signs”.
With the progression of edema, the limbs begin to change their shape - they swell and seem to be inflated. It is not difficult to notice such a transformation, but at this stage many diseases that provoke swelling become too advanced.
Let's look at the various options for swelling of the legs and figure out why they appear.
Why do my legs swell only in the evening? Evening swelling is usually the result of excessive exercise. They occur if a person stands or walks for a long time, wears uncomfortable shoes, or suffers from obesity. In addition, the cause of this condition may be stagnation of blood in the lower extremities due to heart disease, accompanied by right ventricular heart failure and venous insufficiency. In the morning or after rest, all swelling in such patients usually goes away.
Why do your lower limbs swell during the day, and it’s as if you can’t feel your legs? The reasons why the legs hurt and swell in this way may be the compression of the vessels and nerves of the lower extremities by the hard surface of a chair or tight parts of shoes or trousers. Less commonly, a similar picture occurs in diseases of the nervous system.
What are the causes of leg swelling in the morning? Morning swelling of the legs may have more than one cause, but the main one is kidney disease. In addition, a similar symptom is characteristic of inflammatory diseases and joint injuries. Also, morning swelling of the lower extremities can be caused by excessive consumption of salty foods and liquids the night before.
Why do my feet swell and burn? Swelling of the lower extremities with redness and a feeling of heat develops with thrombophlebitis, when the veins of the legs become clogged and inflamed. In this case, swelling and discomfort can only be on one side - on the side of the lesion of the venous vessel (that is, swelling of the leg does not develop symmetrically). Such vascular edema of the legs indicates the neglect of the pathological process and a high risk of complications - trophic changes, thromboembolism, phlegmon and abscesses. Therefore, so that such swelling does not turn into a real problem, it is necessary not to delay a visit to the doctor.
Why do my feet swell when walking in heels? Because when a woman puts on such shoes, the load on her limbs is distributed incorrectly, the muscles cannot fully contract and blood stagnates in the veins, which results in edema.
Why do my legs swell so much? The legs become severely swollen in one case - if a person begins to decompensate for severe diseases of the heart, kidneys, liver, that is, when the body can no longer compensate for the disorders occurring in the body.
Why do my legs go numb and swell at the same time? Because the body’s metabolism is disturbed or there is a lack of B vitamins. This combination of symptoms always indicates that pathological changes occur not only in the vascular bed, but also in the nervous system.
Why do the legs at the bottom swell, but not at the top? Usually the part of the body that swells first is the lowest part - the feet. If the process that caused the changes progresses, the swelling gradually spreads higher and higher - to the legs, knees, hips, which means that the pathology is progressing.
Why do only my toes swell? Isolated swelling of the fingers occurs with injuries and inflammation of the joints between the phalanges.
Why does not the whole leg swell, but only the lower leg ? The causes of leg swelling in the calf area can be different - trauma, thrombophlebitis and other vascular pathologies. In addition, the calves of the legs swell and with pathologies in the ankle - swelling of the joint, which arises for various reasons, can move up the leg to the shin.
If your legs swell for no reason, this means that you need to be examined immediately. There is definitely a reason, but the patient will not recognize it on his own, and it can be very serious.
Which doctor should I contact if I have swelling in my legs? First of all, you should consult a therapist. The doctor will assess the general condition of the patient, conduct an examination, determine the presumptive diagnosis and, based on this, give a referral to a more specialized specialist:
If the legs are swollen, the patient should undergo an examination, including:
If the leg is swollen and numb, a neurological examination will also be required, since such symptoms can be caused not only by vascular problems.
There is no universal treatment regimen for leg swelling. In each clinical case, the doctor chooses a tactic aimed primarily at the cause of swelling. That is, if there is heart failure, it is necessary to improve the function of the heart, if the kidneys are sick, they should be treated. Without this, eliminating edema with medication will only be temporary.
When the cause is at least partially relieved, doctors begin measures aimed at reducing the severity of edema. They include both traditional drug therapy and special physical exercises. In addition, traditional medicine can also provide some help in normalizing the condition of the legs.
It consists of the patient observing a low-salt diet and a special drinking regimen, as well as taking a number of medications:
To combat edema, you can use diuretics from horsetail and birch buds. A decoction of parsley root and greens also has good anti-edematous effectiveness. Foot baths are useful for swelling of the lower extremities; they can be done cold, contrasting, with the addition of sea salt or any available herbal infusion.
It is impossible to replace traditional treatment with folk remedies; this is fraught with a noticeable deterioration in the patient’s condition.
You can reduce swelling of the legs with the help of special gymnastics:
For greater effectiveness, it is advisable to supplement these exercises with a massage of the lower extremities (necessarily in the direction from bottom to top - from the foot along the shin to the thigh) and staying in a horizontal position with legs strongly raised for at least 30 minutes a day. There is also a special instrumental method for eliminating fluid stagnation in the limbs - hardware pressotherapy.
For expectant mothers in the last months of expecting a baby, swelling of the legs is one of the most common problems. To combat it, doctors recommend that pregnant women wear soft, comfortable shoes, raise their legs more often, lie on their sides, do not drink a lot of liquid at night, and eat foods low in salt.
If these tips do not help and your legs become swollen for several days, you should definitely inform your doctor about the swelling. Because this is how one of the most dangerous complications of pregnancy can manifest itself – gestosis.
To prevent your feet from swelling, you need to monitor your health and weight, wear high-quality and comfortable shoes, regularly do relaxing exercises for your feet, and go swimming. In addition, it is important to eat right, since many diseases begin with errors in food. It is advisable to limit the amount of salt in the diet, eat protein foods, vegetables and fruits daily, drink plain water rather than sweet carbonated drinks, and avoid alcohol.
If swelling becomes noticeable in your legs, be sure to consult a doctor. Don't wait for new symptoms to appear. All diseases that cause swelling of the lower extremities are quite serious and require mandatory treatment.
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.
Swelling of the legs at any age, and especially in old age, brings a lot of inconvenience. This is an unpleasant phenomenon that affects the quality of life, as it creates restrictions in movement and causes pain. What to do if your legs below the knees and ankles are very swollen, what is the cause of the swelling? In our article, we will try to understand why older people's legs swell.
First of all, it is worth understanding what swelling is as a physiological phenomenon, and then why the legs of an elderly person swell greatly. Edema is a painful condition in which intercellular fluid accumulates in the tissue spaces of the body. This is not a disease, it is a symptom. Of course, swelling can also occur in a healthy person. This phenomenon can be caused by excess weight, consumption of large amounts of fluid, excessive physical activity, uncomfortable shoes and other factors.
Advanced years are a provoking factor for the formation of edema in a person in themselves. This is due to natural age-related changes. But the occurrence of such a health problem as swelling of the legs in old age should not be ignored. Even if it initially seems that its causes are explainable by physiology. First of all, because this condition can be caused by heart problems, pathologies of the kidneys and liver, disorders in the venous and lymphatic system of the lower extremities, injuries and lesions of the musculoskeletal system, problems with the gastrointestinal tract. To understand what caused severe swelling of the legs in elderly people, you should consult a specialist. Using one or another diagnostic method, he will be able to accurately differentiate the disease that caused the swelling and will tell you what to do.
The specialist first conducts an external examination of the limbs. Based on the severity and location of swelling, the doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis. So, if this is swelling of the legs due to heart failure, then ascending edema will be observed (from the soles of the feet to the thigh, and up to the abdomen) of any degree of density. In older people, the elasticity of the skin is reduced, but in this case the skin will be super elastic - when you press on it, a hole will form in the area affected by the swelling. Cardiac edema of the legs requires prompt treatment, otherwise trophic complications, erysipelas, etc. will occur.
When the legs swell significantly, many people unknowingly believe that the causes of leg swelling in older women and men are different. This is wrong. The only difference is that, for example, severe swelling of the ankles or left foot is more common in women than in men. The reasons lie in disorders of the venous system of the lower extremities, as a rule, we are talking about varicose veins and its complications. Varicose veins are much more common in women. This condition is preceded by a feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the legs, cramps and numbness. After a certain period of time, an elderly person's right or left leg becomes very swollen. The skin in the place where the legs swell becomes thinner and cyanosis appears (the skin turns blue). In cases where the elderly experience all the symptoms of varicose veins, and the swelling does not subside even after rest, only a specialist will tell you what to do in this situation.
Swelling and redness of the leg in an elderly person can be caused by disorders in the lymphatic system. They are characterized by increasing swelling of the soft tissues and redness of the skin. Liquid – lymph – may ooze from existing wounds on the skin of the legs and even arms. The degree of swelling is affected by physical activity and time of day. In general, if we consider red swollen legs as a symptom, this means that the deep veins are involved in the inflammatory process. And the next stage may be a disease such as elephantiasis, when the subcutaneous tissue grows, and severe swelling of the legs becomes very persistent. In older people, this leads to general malaise and, unfortunately, to disability. Therefore, it is extremely important to prevent the disease from reaching an advanced stage. Only a specialist knows where to start treatment and what to do first.
Why do the feet (feet) of older people swell? Women and men of advanced age can often experience swelling of the feet. This happens due to the weakness of the osteoarticular system, which results in ankle injuries in older people. This joint experiences enormous loads, which is why the frequency of injury is high. Treatment should be started immediately. After all, trauma, and the resulting swelling, can lead to venous stagnation.
A situation where the legs of a bedridden elderly person swell is the result of immobility, a forced horizontal position of the body, or ongoing treatment. In this case, swelling of the feet in elderly people is the last to occur, since the swelling begins to spread from the lumbar spine. However, only the attending physician can establish the exact causes of this phenomenon and prescribe adequate treatment.
Based on the above, it becomes clear that the question of why legs swell is quite complex. You should not diagnose yourself and think about how to treat swelling of the legs in older people. Health should not be a subject of experimentation. Therefore, if an elderly person’s legs are swollen, then to determine the exact cause of this painful condition, you should seek help from specialists.
In order for a specialist to eliminate swelling of the legs in an elderly person, he must establish the cause of their occurrence. What will he do for this? First of all, in order to prescribe an adequate therapeutic regimen, the doctor will give directions for general clinical tests (stool and urine). These two analyzes are the main methods for laboratory research of the physical and chemical properties of the main products of human life. If necessary, the specialist will prescribe certain instrumental studies, such as:
Based on the results of tests and studies, the specialist will prescribe treatment. To achieve the fastest positive result, it will be comprehensive. This may include:
The most common treatment method is diuretics (tablets) for swelling. For persistent swelling of the legs in older people, a medicine with a diuretic effect is quite effective. Such drugs are used for cardiac, renal and hepatic edema of the legs. For older people, the selection of such drugs should be done with special care - not all drugs are equally effective against swelling of the legs in the elderly.
The specialist will tell you how to treat swelling of the legs using cream, gel or ointment. Depending on the situation, local remedies for swelling in the legs will be selected. At the initial stage of varicose veins in older people, preference should be given to products with a light formula and natural composition. “NORMAVEN®” foot cream is suitable for daily care at home - it has no contraindications and has a comprehensive effect in 4 directions: relieves pain, tones veins, relieves inflammation and moisturizes the skin, relieving it of dryness. It is quickly absorbed and can even be used under compression hosiery, as it does not destroy its fibers. Ointments for swelling of the legs in older people are used in more complex situations, and due to their greasy consistency, applying and rubbing them takes more time and accuracy.
During the treatment period and beyond, nutrition should be rational. The therapeutic diet for swelling of the legs in the elderly should include dairy products, cereals, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins A, C, E, P, fiber and other beneficial substances. If necessary, additional sources of nutrients can be included in the diet. "NORMAVEN®" complex of venotonic vitamins and plant extracts effectively eliminates swelling of the legs in men and women.
The VERTEX company is not responsible for the accuracy of the information presented in this video clip. Source – Health TV
How can folk remedies help? How to get rid of leg swelling using diuretic herbs? For swelling of the legs in the elderly, folk recipes can be used as additional treatment. But first you need to get your doctor's approval. Thus, in the treatment of swelling of the legs, the following herbs are used: rose hips, oregano, bearberry, etc. For swelling of the legs, wrapping with burdock leaves has been used for a long time. It is especially effective after the limbs have been massaged.