What to do if your feet are swollen?

Find out what its possible causes and complications are swelling in footSo if it’s worth visiting a doctor’s office, do so with information from the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization specializing in health.

Leg swelling can occur in any part of the leg: foot, ankle, shin or thigh. Leg swelling may be caused by fluid retention (buildup) or inflammation of the tissues or joints from injury or disease.

Most causes of leg swelling, such as injury or standing or sitting for long periods of time, are normal, easily recognized and not a cause for concern. Sometimes leg swelling may indicate a more serious condition, such as heart disease or a blood clot.

If your legs swell for no apparent reason, get medical help right away, especially if you have unexplained pain in the legs, difficulty breathing, chest pain, or blood clots in the lungs or other warning signs of a heart condition. .

Many factors (varying widely in severity) can cause leg swelling.

Swelling of the legs due to fluid retention in the tissues of the lower extremities is called peripheral edema. This may be due to a problem with the venous circulatory system, lymphatic system or kidneys.

Leg swelling is not always a sign of a heart or circulatory problem. If you are overweight, if you are not an active person, if you spend too much time sitting or standing, or if you wear tight socks or pants, you may develop swelling due to fluid accumulation.

Following are some of the factors related to fluid accumulation:

1. acute kidney failure
2. Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle problem)
3. Chemotherapy
4. chronic kidney disease
5. Cirrhosis (healing process of the liver)
6. deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
7. heart failure
8. hormone therapy
9. Lymphedema (blockage in the lymphatic system)
10. Nephrotic syndrome (damage to the small filtering blood vessels in the kidneys)
11. obesity
12. Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or naproxen (Aleve)
13. Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart)
14. pregnancy
15. Prescription medications, including some medications used for diabetes and high blood pressure
16. Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs)
17. sitting for long periods of time, for example during airline flights
18. Pain increases when sitting or standing for a long time
19. Thrombophlebitis (a blood clot that usually occurs in the leg)
20. Chronic venous insufficiency (veins in the legs with problems returning blood to the heart)

Swelling of the feet can also be caused by inflammation of the joints or tissues in the feet, either as a normal response to injury or disease or due to rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory disorder. You will usually feel pain with inflammatory disorders.

Conditions that contribute to leg swelling include the following:

1. Achilles tendon rupture
2. Anterior cruciate ligament injury (rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee)
3. Baker’s cyst
4. ankle fracture
5. leg fracture
6. broken leg
7. burns
8. cellulitis (a skin infection)
9. Knee bursitis (inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in the knee joint)
10. osteoarthritis
11. rheumatoid arthritis
12. Ankle Sprain

Seek emergency medical help if you have swelling in your leg and the following signs or symptoms, which may indicate a blood clot in the lungs or serious heart disease:

• Pain in chest
• difficulty breathing
• shortness of breath upon exertion or lying in bed
• fainting or dizziness
• cough with blood

Also, seek medical help immediately if you have leg swelling:

• occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason
• Relates to physical injury; For example, an injury from a fall, playing a sport, or a car accident.
• It occurs in one leg and is painful or accompanied by cold, pale skin.

Problems related to leg swelling, even if they are not emergency, require immediate medical attention. Leg swelling that occurs as a side effect of a medication may be similar to swelling caused by a kidney disorder. Make an appointment as soon as possible so the doctor can find the cause.

Before your appointment, keep these tips in mind:

• Reduce the amount of salt in food.
• When you lie down, rest your leg on a pillow as this will reduce swelling related to fluid retention.
• Wear elastic compression stockings, but avoid socks that are tight at the top; If you can see a mark left by the elastic, they may be too tight.
• If you have to stand or sit for long periods of time, take frequent breaks and move around a bit, as long as doing so doesn’t hurt.
• Do not stop taking a prescription medication without talking to your doctor, even if you suspect it may be causing leg swelling.
• Over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) can relieve pain associated with inflammation.