Varicose veins, swollen legs and feet cause a feeling of significant fatigue, making everyday functioning impossible. At the same time, the legs do not look very appetizing and do not look good. This is not a good way to present yourself at work, during an important exam or during a speech. Especially that stress can increase the swelling and swelling of the legs, especially during hot summer days.
How to deal with swollen legs? 8 ways!
- Drugs should be completely avoidedincluding smoking and alcohol use. These substances affect the expansion of blood vessels even more than sweating or feeling hot. As a result, water penetrates the skin more easily and the feet and legs become swollen. The heart and circulatory system will also benefit from quitting smoking.
- In addition, the consumption of salt contributes to swelling. Poles are known for the fact that they consume the most salt in Europe – this should be limited, because salt does not bring any health-promoting effects, and can cause many diseases.
- In the case of frequent swelling of the legs, you should consider whether you eat on a daily basis appropriate amounts of water. If not – it needs to be changed. A properly hydrated body will have less tendency to accumulate water inside. During a normal working day, we should consume 1,5 to 2 liters of water a day. During hot weather, when doing sports, physical activity, on harder days – you should consume proportionally more water, preferably mineral water, less often spring water.
- Swollen legs and feet can also be “credit” to some extent hormonal fluctuationsthat accompany the menstrual cycle, but also appear during pregnancy. In this case, you should protect yourself with ways to reduce the symptoms of swelling in the legs and feet. Alternatively, with large fluctuations in hormones and the occurrence of other disorders during the cycle, you can go to a gynecologist with this problem.
- And how to treat swelling of the legs, if it has already occurred? First, you should place the legs above the line of the heart, i.e. lift them as high as possible, e.g. lean them against a wall in a lying position. Stay in this position for 15-20 minutes. Repeat if the swelling is still very visible.
- Massage may also be helpful. We do it in circular motions from the feet up. We can use special ointments and cooling gels for the massage, which contain, for example, caffeine. Massage with the use of a specialized gel should last about 10-15 minutes.
- Swollen legs and feet will also feel great during a short cold bath. The swelling after such a bath or shower should noticeably decrease, if not completely disappear.
- It’s also worth eating foods rich in magnesium (e.g. bananas, tomatoes, potatoes) or buy special dietary supplements with magnesium.