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What is foot edema?
foot edema – This is a symptom that manifests itself in the form of an increase and swelling of the foot, caused by the accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues. Usually this condition is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and not only in the limbs.
Edema can occur episodically and be a reaction of the body to some external stimulus, or it can be chronic. In the latter case, the cause of edema can be diseases of internal organs or disturbances in the functioning of body systems.
Causes of swelling of the foot
In a healthy person, swelling of the foot, as a rule, is episodic, and passes rather quickly. A common cause of foot edema is excessive load on the lower extremities. Usually, such a problem is faced by people who, due to their profession or circumstances, spend a lot of time on their feet. Also, swelling of the feet may appear in those people who lead a “sedentary” and sedentary lifestyle.
A common cause of foot swelling is an injury. The greatest swelling appears when the bones of the foot are fractured or dislocated. As the bone grows together, or when the ligaments take their usual position, the edema disappears. But a bruise can cause quite a serious edema. If the swelling is accompanied by acute pain when walking, an x-ray should be taken.
Separately, it is worth noting swelling of the feet due to a violation of the diet or water regime. This is faced by people who eat large amounts of salt, and as a result, they cannot quench their thirst for a long time, drinking more liquid than the body needs. Also, a person is prone to drinking large amounts of fluid in the heat, and it does not have time to leave the body along with sweat and urine. Thus, the fluid, according to gravity, descends into the lower limbs, causing their significant increase.
In pregnancy swelling of the legs and feet occurs in almost all women. Often, the outflow of blood is disturbed due to an increase in the uterus – such edema usually disappears quite quickly. Also, a similar problem may be associated with a large consumption of salty foods – this is known to be a weakness of pregnant women. But edema of the feet can be especially acute in the second half of the term and be accompanied by headaches, convulsions, and increased pressure. In this case, the woman will probably have to undergo treatment in a hospital, because doctors strongly do not recommend pregnant women to take any medications on their own, the same applies to traditional medicine.
Often, swelling of the legs and feet are the result of taking medications or stimulants, especially if a person has an individual intolerance to their components.
The following groups of drugs can serve as the cause of edema of the feet:
hormonal oral contraceptives that women take to prevent pregnancy, as well as medicines containing male hormones (steroids);
drugs prescribed for high blood pressure;
drugs that are used in the treatment of the adrenal glands;
antidepressants.
Heart disease is often the cause of swollen feet. Such edema, as a rule, appears in the evening. The skin of the legs acquires a blue tint, and the swelling can cover both the toes and the foot, and rise higher. At night, it is easier for the heart to distribute blood, so by morning the swelling subsides. Also signs of heart problems are shortness of breath, high or low blood pressure, fatigue, pain in the chest.
Another cause of foot edema is varicose veins. And swelling in this case is a warning signal. Varicose veins of the lower extremities can be identified by a feeling of heaviness or fatigue in the legs, tortuous dilated veins, pain, darkening of the skin. It causes edema and thrombophlebitis – the formation of blood clots in the lumens of the veins of the lower extremities.
Often, liver diseases and disorders in the thyroid gland lead to edematous phenomena in the feet. In the first case, edema often occurs with severe liver pathologies, such as cirrhosis. Associated symptoms: jaundice, itchy skin, exhaustion, brain dysfunction. In diseases of the thyroid gland, body weight usually increases, facial features change, the tongue swells, constipation, drowsiness, and lethargy appear.
Other causes of foot swelling:
infectious and inflammatory processes in bones, joints, tissues;
impaired process of outflow of lymphatic fluid;
acute respiratory infection;
consequences of kidney disease;
allergic arthritis;
the beginning of menstruation;
obesity;
the body’s reaction to drinking alcohol;
sleep disturbance;
overwork;
bites of insects, snakes.
Foot swelling symptoms
Edema of the foot, as a rule, is easy to determine visually – the foot swells, significantly increases in size. The toes become swollen. The color of the skin often changes – cyanosis appears.
Edema of the foot is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, discomfort, less often – pain. There is a desire to stretch the legs or lie down to raise them above the body. Often the swelling can rise to the ankles and cause pain when walking.
Foot swelling treatment
In the event that the cause of the edema of the foot was a violation of the water balance in the body, the first thing to do is to exclude salt from the diet, or to reduce its amount as much as possible. It is advisable to drink water no more than one and a half to two liters a day, so as not to overload the kidneys and not prevent excess fluid from leaving the body.
Those who spend a lot of time on their feet or driving a car are advised to wear elastic stockings, as well as periodically stretch their legs, do foot massage, and use contrast foot baths. Lifting the legs above the level of the body in the prone position will help to remove excess fluid from the lower extremities. There are even special pillows for legs that you need to use while you sleep.
If we are talking about heart failure, then probably the cardiologist will prescribe the use of diuretics, taking drugs that normalize the heart, a special diet and gymnastics, as well as the use of elastic bandages or stockings. In any case, cardiac edema of the legs and feet is subject to treatment under the supervision of a specialist doctor, having previously passed all the necessary tests.
Varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, even in the initial stages, are also treated with the participation of a doctor. It is possible to determine the degree of the disease, the cause and dynamics of development, as well as to select the appropriate means of treatment only after research – ultrasound with dopplerography or phlebography.
Pharmacies sell a lot of drugs that relieve swelling. But, in this case, it must be borne in mind that edema is, most often, a symptom, and ointments will not help get rid of the cause. If the swelling of the foot is caused by overwork, overexertion, or an excess amount of liquid drunk, then gels that relieve swelling, for example, Lyoton-gel, can help. Nevertheless, doctors strongly recommend not to take even the slightest swelling of the feet lightly, because they can signal a serious illness.