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What to do if your legs are swollen during pregnancy
Even if the expectant mother feels well, it is rarely possible to avoid edema. Knowing what to do if your legs swell during pregnancy, the problem can be removed quickly.
Causes of edema in pregnant women
Edema is the accumulation of excess fluid in the body. In expectant mothers, the legs most often suffer from puffiness, less often – the arms, face, or even the whole body. This does not always mean pathology. Puffiness is often caused by excess sodium build-up in the body. To eliminate this, it is enough to remove salty dishes from the menu and drink diuretic teas, which the doctor will prescribe.
Knowing what to do if your legs swell during pregnancy, you can relieve your condition.
Reasons why legs may swell:
- strong pressure of the enlarged uterus on the blood vessels and stagnation of venous blood;
- varicosity;
- chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- preeclampsia (late toxicosis).
Expectant mothers often do not know what to do if their legs are constantly swollen during pregnancy. Stagnation of blood does not pose a serious danger to the life of the expectant mother. But in cases of preeclampsia, varicose veins and heart disease, an urgent need to consult a doctor. Latent edema, which manifests itself in excessively rapid weight gain, is very dangerous. If the condition is serious, you may have to lie down in the hospital and receive medical treatment.
What to do if your legs are swollen during pregnancy?
The first signal that fluid is accumulating in the body is difficulty in buttoning shoes. This often happens in the evening. At the same time, pressing on the skin leaves a dent that lasts for a few more minutes.
Methods for dealing with edema include:
- It is worth following a diet and controlling the amount of fluid you drink. It is better to undersalt food.
- In the morning you need to do light gymnastics.
- During the day, you need to move as much as possible. You can’t stay in one position for a long time. But walking is also prohibited.
- Particular attention should be paid to shoes, and high heels should be put aside until better times.
- It is imperative to wear loose clothing that does not cause discomfort and does not squeeze the body anywhere.
During the day, your legs need to be given rest. You can lie down on the couch from time to time and raise your legs. A quarter of an hour of such rest, and the unpleasant sensations in the legs will disappear.
The expectant mother needs to take good care of herself. Better to play it safe than to regret later that they did not manage to prevent trouble in time. Therefore, in the presence of edema, it is imperative to inform the attending physician about it. Only he will be able to determine if it is dangerous, and will advise what to do.