Swelling of the legs - all possible causes and best treatment

Swelling of the feet is a common phenomenon that worries people of different ages and can be a consequence of diseases of the body's vital systems: cardiovascular, lymphatic, urinary. There are many reasons for puffiness. The diagnosis is based on the etiology: and severity of pathology.

Why swelling of the legs - causes swelling of the lower limbs

Edema occurs when excess fluid accumulates in the extracellular tissue space, i.e. where it should not be. The limbs respond to the imbalance between the mechanisms responsible for regulating fluid metabolism. Swelling of the legs can be different: bilateral and one-sided, affect the feet and fingers, knees, hips, etc., accompanied by pain and other symptoms, expressed more or less.

Faced with this phenomenon, people are trying to answer the question: why do they swell up their legs? The provoking phenomena are numerous, and the doctor must determine them. As a rule, an unpleasant pathological phenomenon accompanies various ailments and deviations. There are several main types of edema:

Swelling of legs during pregnancy

The period of bearing a child is very difficult for a woman's body. He is under tremendous stress. The load increases for all organs and systems. Swelling of the legs during pregnancy is a common problem, especially in later terms. The reason for this - fluctuations in the hormonal background, increased plasma volume, uterine growth, local hypertension in the veins, decreased resistance to blood vessels. Pregnancy is the case when the legs swell and hurt for explainable physiological reasons. The problem will be solved by itself, although the general state of a woman can be improved:

  1. Normalize the kidneys.
  2. Eliminate varicose veins that overflow with blood veins.
  3. Exclude from the list of provoking pathologies acute thrombophlebitis and gestosis.
  4. Wear comfortable shoes (not on the heel) and clothes (not pulling the movement).

Swelling of the legs in old age

Strong discomfort can cause swelling of the legs in people of age. The problem prevents movement, brings severe pain and itching, limbs can form ulcers. The provocateur must be sought immediately and eliminated. As a rule, this phenomenon signals serious problems that occur in the body. The most common reasons are:

  1. The formation of thrombi - as a consequence of varicose veins or other pathologies of stagnation in the vessels. The appearance of puffiness can be affected by the lack of motor activity.
  2. Rupture of ligaments and muscles, vessels as a result of trauma.
  3. Venous outflow of blood. It is accompanied by severe pain.
  4. Chronic diseases, the result of which is stagnation in the body of fluid.
  5. Pathologies of the kidneys and liver.
  6. Arthritis. If the elderly swollen feet, the cause may be hidden in the inflammatory processes that occur in the joints.
  7. Heart failure. In this case, puffiness indicates the severity of the disease.

Swelling of the legs in the ankle area - reasons

Swelling in the ankle often indicates fatigue of the legs (for example, due to long standing). We need to pay close attention to health, not excluding such factors as insect bites, the consequences of wearing uncomfortable shoes, pregnancy. If the leg is swollen around the ankle, then the outflow of lymph is broken. More often the pathology is found in women. When fluid accumulates in the lower limbs, it can indicate the presence of ongoing diseases in the body. Common serious provocateurs among diseases:

Edema of the foot in the knee region

Such an unpleasant phenomenon as swelling of the knee joint causes not only discomfort, but also painful sensations, restricts movement. The reasons can lie on the surface - a person was injured, stretched, etc. - the situation with sudden inflammation of the knee is much more complicated. If there is a swelling of the legs in this place, the causes are hidden, as a rule, in labor loads. These are problems such as:

Another type of lesions is infectious pathologies. If the leg is swollen around the knee, this may indicate the presence of various cartilage and joint diseases:

According to the size of the edema, the location (on the side of the knee, below, behind), the doctor will be able to determine the nature of the disease and prescribe adequate treatment.

The foot was swollen around the foot

Even people with healthy legs sometimes face the problem of puffiness in the area of ​​the feet. Swollen limbs as one side, and with both. When the legs are swollen, this is noticeable, but the ailment sometimes occurs almost without symptoms and you can notice it by such signs as the heaviness in the feet, the "hidden" passing veins. The etiology of the disease is extensive. If the leg is swollen and reddened, fungal diseases or allergies may be at fault. Among the possible provocators of swelling are other factors:

My legs swell - what should I do?

What should I do if my legs swelled? This question bothers people who have encountered a problem, but do not know how to find a way out of it. The first step: the identification and elimination of the provocateur, especially if the chronic, infectious and other diseases are to blame. Drug treatment means taking drugs to remove the underlying symptoms and eliminate the root cause of the pathology. How to remove the swelling of the legs, if not confirmed by any disease? It is necessary to ensure the correct mode of rest, get rid of pressing shoes and clothes, do massage and gymnastics.

Pills from leg swelling

Medical treatment is able in a short time to reduce the painful and unpleasant sensations that cause swelling of the legs. Effective in this syndrome, diuretics, removing excess fluid from the body. These drugs include Furosemide - a strong and quick-acting medicine, and others:

Ointment from swelling of the feet

Local preparations that save from edema help with hidden pathologies, and when the phenomenon is caused by physiological causes. Gels and ointments are used as the main auxiliary. They remove the inflammatory processes that occur in the tissues of blood vessels. Additional advantages: ointments act locally, not absorbed into the stomach and do not cause side effects. How to remove swelling of the legs with local medications? It is necessary to find out a provocateur of pathology and choose a suitable ointment.

  1. Venohepanol, Troxevasin, Heparin ointment, Antistax gel help with varicose veins.
  2. Girudoven and its analogues with leech extract relieve edema with fatigue.
  3. Dolobene, Ginkor, Indovazin, Finalgon, Ketorol eliminate pain after trauma and sprains.
  4. Ginkor Gel and Venitan are allowed during pregnancy.
  5. Rescuer and Herbion Escus are shown to elderly people whose skin is prone to irritations.

Herbs from leg swelling

Not always the problems of puffiness can be eliminated with the help of medications (for example, they cause an allergic reaction in the patient). Then people's remedies for swelling of the feet come to the rescue. They include:

  1. Diuretic herbs and collections: field horsetail, cranberry leaves, bear ears, parsley, birch buds, burdock root; flowers of cornflower and elder - if the kidneys are to blame.
  2. Essential oils. They are used for baths, compresses or massage.
  3. Razirka from the leaves of Kalanchoe and alcohol.
  4. Compress with birch leaves or potato slurry. The base is wrapped in a clean cloth and applied to a sore spot.
  5. Bath with sea salt. The legs are lowered for 30 minutes, and then the limbs are massaged.

Exercises from leg swelling

Among other reasons, puffiness of the legs is sometimes caused by fatigue, but charging within reasonable limits is useful for sore extremities. It will help disperse blood, stretch muscles, remove pain. Gymnastics is becoming a good prevention for those who have leg swelling on a regular basis. A few simple exercises:

  1. Raise and lower the heel from the floor.
  2. Turn the feet in different directions or roll on the floor of a small rubber ball.
  3. Twist the all known "bike" or just keep the limbs in the raised position.
  4. Put the right foot on the left, raise the sock. Exercise repeat, changing legs.
  5. Press his heels and socks to the floor - alternately in the sitting position.

Massage from leg swelling

Home massage is a simple procedure that will help to remove swelling from tired legs. This is also a good prevention; those who have trouble regularly, should massage their tired feet every day. It is advisable to do this after the evening hike in the shower: knead the limbs from the big toe up, over the shin. Then massage from knee to hip. When the legs swell, it is important to restore blood flow, so the movements should be directed upwards, stimulating movements in the capillaries and vessels.

Improve the condition of patients with limbs can be done with simple home procedures: taking herbs, massage, and charging. In more serious cases, one can not do without taking medications. When swelling of the legs is a constant symptom, you need to seek help from a specialist who can find out the cause of the pathology and eliminate it.