Leg and Foot Swelling
When a person feels that his legs, feet, or even ankles are swollen, it is usually due to fluid build-up in the lower part of the body. While the swelling can sometimes be painless, other people suffer from this swelling. There are a number of reasons why people can have swollen legs and feet and here are some of those reasons:
- A person can suffer from a swollen ankle, leg, or foot due to a prolonged period of standing. This can also be true for long flights and long car rides.
- Some women experience swollen ankles, legs, and feet when they are having their monthly periods. Pregnancy can also bring about this swelling problem.
- Older people are prone to leg and foot swelling.
- When a person is overweight, their feet, ankles and legs can also swell.
- Other reasons for a swollen foot, leg, or ankle is injury, insect bites, leg infections, and even leg blood clots also.
Preventing Swollen Legs, Feet, and Ankles
While some cases of swollen legs are hard to prevent, there are others that can be prevented. Here are some preventive measures for those who want to avoid swollen legs and feet:
- Try to avoid standing for prolonged periods. If your job requires you to stand for a certain amount of time, wear comfortable shoes and support socks or stockings.
- Try to limit your intake of salt. Since salt can promote fluid retention and swollen legs are caused by fluids, reducing your consumption of salt can help you avoid swollen legs and feet.
- Try to buy and wear comfortable and well-fitting footwear.
Natural Cures And Home Remedies For Swollen Legs And Feet
There are some tried and tested remedies for swollen feet and ankles that you can try at home. Here are some of them:
- Elevate your feet above your heart’s level. Lie down and place a couple of pillows under your feet. This will help reduce the swelling.
- Exercise is also a good way to help reduce swollen feet and ankles due to fluid retention.
- If the swelling is due to sprains, tendonitis, and strains, treat this with cold and hot vinegar wraps. Heat some vinegar and water and place in a bowl. Put some vinegar with ice in another bowl. Prepare two face towels and soak them in these two vinegar solutions then squeeze out the excess. Alternate these two soaked towels on the swollen leg or foot.
- A cold pack is sometimes useful for swelling that is cause by injury.
- Cucumber can cool down a swollen ankle or foot and reduce the swelling. Just slice a cucumber and place the raw side in the swollen foot or ankle.