From time to time, the swelling of the lower limbs suffers most of the world's population. Find out why swelling of the legs, it is just necessary to correct the situation in time. This requires careful monitoring of your lifestyle and, if you have a problem, seek medical help.
Why swelling of the legs - causes swelling of the lower limbs
Basically, when the legs swell, the causes lie on the surface. This is either a disease of internal organs and vascular system, hormonal changes, or a lifestyle and bad habits:
- An unbalanced diet sooner or later leads to the fact that there is swelling of the lower extremities. The abuse of salty foods, such as sausages, chips, preserves, regular food transfusions, causes swelling. Since there is sodium in the salt, which is able to accumulate a large amount of moisture, the liquid entering the body lingers there for a long time.
- Alcohol abuse also causes fluid retention in the body. The swelling of the legs, the causes of which are caused by the excess of the intoxicating beverage, is due to the fact that the internal organs, especially the kidneys and liver, are seriously intoxicated and, by spending their energy on their recovery, can not cope with the usual functions at the proper level.
- Treatment of various diseases , when the patient takes medication, can give edema as a side effect. A person who does not understand why swelling of his legs, should ask the doctor who prescribed the course of treatment about this. Many drugs can provoke swelling, but there is always the possibility of replacing them with others.
- Often, full people have a natural question - why swelling of the legs, for no apparent reason. Excess weight always creates a lot of problems. In the presence of a large excess of kilograms, which affect the vascular system, a person develops swelling not only of the feet, but also of the shin. This is characterized by painful, unpleasant sensations in the legs when walking. This situation is exacerbated in the summer, when the heat provokes more fluid intake and as a result - an increase in swelling.
- The climate is also capable of causing puffiness, not only of the legs, but of the entire body. Summer heat, replacing the spring coolness, not the best way affects the state of health. The same can be said about resorts, when swelling becomes characteristic for the acclimatization period.
- Sitting work of office staff is the reason why your feet swell at work, and at any time of the year. In the summer, edema is more vexed, and by the evening the legs in the shoes are under severe pressure. This is due to stagnation of fluid in the lower part of the body, because during the day a person rarely changes position, remaining practically motionless. Adds the oil to the fire habit of putting his foot on his leg.
- All kinds of hormonal changes in the body , diseases of the endocrine system and pregnancy, can provoke swelling of the foot in the ankle.
- In old age , when all the functions in the human body are already performed far not by 100%, puffiness is revealed very often. The provoking factor is also the fact that elderly people, due to habit or for health reasons, neglect elementary motor activity, which contributes to an even greater increase in edema. But elementary morning exercises help to improve the general well-being of pensioners.
Swelling of legs during pregnancy
A problem such as swelling of the feet during pregnancy is often recorded in the second and third trimesters. At this time, the amount of fluid in the mother's body doubles, and the kidneys stop coping with the sharply increased load. In addition, the weight of the growing fetus weighs on the urinary system, and the abuse of harmful foods, non-compliance with the sparing regimen of the day, delays the fluid in the body, exacerbating the picture.
Edema of the lower limbs with heart failure
When a person swells around his / her legs, and there is also shortness of breath, chest pain, it makes sense to turn to a cardiologist, because these symptoms are characteristic of heart failure. The patient becomes worse in the summer, with physical exertion, and because of taking medications that are prescribed for the treatment of heart disease. In addition, a lack of oxygen in the blood provokes swelling.
Edema in lower limb varicose
With varicose veins, a characteristic sign of which is the severity and pain in the legs, sometimes there is swelling of the lower extremities with redness. This may indicate both a sharp onset of the disease and an improperly prescribed treatment, when the chosen methods are ineffective or operate too slowly. In this case, secondary damage to already soft tissues and skin is developing.
Post-traumatic swelling of the lower extremities
Swelling of the legs may indicate a strong contusion of soft tissue, or a fracture. It's difficult to diagnose yourself, which is why you need to seek medical help. If the bone is broken, then the person experiences severe pain in the leg and can not move it. In this case, puffiness quickly acquires a cyanotic color, and the skin glitters. A severe bruise gives a blurry picture - a painful symptom is expressed, but the injured person can move the patient with his foot and step on it.
Swelling of the feet - diagnosis
If a person of any age has swollen legs, then he needs a competent diagnosis to know how to treat swelling of the legs. The diagnosis includes the collection of anamnesis and differentiation. In addition, a physical examination is carried out by palpation and visual inspection, when the correct diagnosis can be made by the tactile method. In addition, it is compulsory to conduct complex analyzes and other studies:
- a blood and urine test;
- biochemistry of blood ;
- determination of hormonal status;
- cardiogram;
- ECG;
- diuresis;
- Ultrasound examination.
How to determine if the legs swell?
When swollen legs in the ankles or in the calf area, you should carefully consider them yourself:
- reddening, brownish skin, swollen veins and protruding capillaries indicate a varicose disease and thrombophlebitis;
- when problems with fatty edema are characterized by changes in the lower leg and upper leg, while the foot and fingers are not changed;
- if the tissues are not changed in color by pressing the fingers, but there is a condensation, this indicates a lymphatic edema.
My legs swell - what should I do?
Anyone who has recently acquired the problem of puffiness, wants to know how to take the swelling of the legs. To cope with the disease, an integrated approach will be needed under the supervision of physicians. The patient is prescribed drugs for the treatment of the underlying disease that caused swelling and as prescription drugs, to accelerate the removal of excess fluid and the removal of pain. These drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets, herbal preparations, creams and ointments.
Diuretics for swelling of the feet - tablets
Physicians prescribe diuretic tablets for swelling, in order to help the patient in a short time to go on the amendment. Basically, this is a proven drug Furosemide . He quickly removes unnecessary liquid from the body, but with it the necessary magnesium and calcium salts. Therefore, this agent is prescribed for a short period of time, after which they switch to an easier one - hydrochlorothiazide (a drug of a group of diuretics).
Diuretic herbs with swelling of the feet
Knowing why the legs swell, and taking prescribed treatment, in addition to drugs from the pharmacy, apply diuretic herbs in swelling, which enhance the effect of traditional treatment. As a raw material for decoctions and infusions use:
- grass horsetail;
- chamomile;
- celery;
- parsley;
- dill;
- cranberry leaves;
- rose hips;
- the focus;
- yarrow.
Ointment from swellings on legs
When aching and swelling of the legs, it is good to use light massage of problem areas, cool baths, and after them to put on tired feet a special remedy that increases the outflow of fluid. After these treatment and prophylactic measures, it is recommended to lie down, raising your legs above the level of the head. As agents for struggle against an illness ointments and gels are applied:
- Troxevasin;
- Lyoton;
- Heparin ointment;
- Venitan;
- Essaven gel.