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Swelling of the foot

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What is swelling of the foot?

Swelling feet is a symptom that manifests itself in the form of increased and swelling of the foot caused by the buildup of fluid in the soft tissues. Typically, this condition is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and not only in the region of the limbs.

Swelling may occur episodically and may be a reaction to any external stimulus, and can be chronic in nature. In the latter case, the cause of edema can serve as internal diseases or disorders in the body systems.


The causes of edema of the foot

In a healthy person swelling of the foot usually is sporadic, and quite quickly. A common cause of swelling of feet is excessive load on the lower limbs. Usually with such a problem faced by people who by profession or circumstances spend a lot of time on my feet. Feet edema can also appear in people who lead a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle.

Common cause of edema of the foot is injured. The greatest swelling appears in the fractures of foot bones or dislocation. As fusion of bone, or when the ligaments return to their normal position, the swelling goes away. But injury can cause some pretty serious swelling. If swelling is accompanied by severe pain when walking, you need to perform x-rays.

We should also mention swelling stop due to a violation of the diet or the water regime. Faced with this problem, people who eat large amounts of salt, and as a result, long can't quench my thirst, drinking more fluids than the body needs. Also people tend to drink large amounts of fluid in the heat, and she manages to get out of the body with sweat and urine. Thus, the liquid, under the force of gravity, descends into the lower extremities, causing them significant increase.

During pregnancy, swelling of the legs and feet occur in almost all women. Often to disrupt the flow of blood due to the increase of the uterus – such swelling usually pass pretty quickly. Also, this problem can be associated with a large use of salty foods, as it is known, the weakness of the pregnant women. But it is especially acute swelling may stop in the second half of the term and be accompanied by headaches,convulsions, increased pressure. In this case, the woman may have to undergo treatment in the hospital, because the doctors strongly recommend pregnant women to independently take any drugs, the same applies to traditional medicine.

Often swelling of the legs and feet are the result of medication or stimulant drugs, especially if the person has an individual intolerance of components.

Cause swelling foot can be the following groups of drugs:

  • hormonal oral contraceptives that women take to prevent pregnancy and medicines containing male hormones (steroids);

  • the drugs prescribed for high blood pressure;

  • the medications used in the treatment of adrenal glands;
  • antidepressants.

    • Heart disease often cause swelling of the feet. Such swelling generally appear in the evening. The skin acquires a blue tinge, and the swelling may cover both the toes and the foot, and to rise above. Night the heart to better distribute the blood so by the morning the swelling goes down. Also symptoms of heart problems are shortness of breath, high or low blood pressure, fatigue, pain in the chest.

    Another cause of swelling of feet is varicose veins. And swelling are warning signal. Varicose veins of the lower extremities can be identified by the feeling of heaviness or fatigue in the legs, winding the expanded veins, pain, darkening of the skin. Causes swelling and thrombophlebitis – blood clots in the lumens of the veins of the lower extremities.

    Often liver diseases and disorders in the thyroid gland and lead to swelling phenomena in the feet. In the first case, the swelling often occur in severe pathologies of the liver, e.g. cirrhosis. Associated symptoms: jaundice, skin itching, exhaustion, malfunction of the brain. In diseases of the thyroid gland usually increases the mass of the body, changing facial features, swollen tongue, appear constipation, drowsiness, lethargy.

    Other causes of foot swelling:

    Symptoms of edema of the foot

    Swelling of the foot usually easy to identify visually – foot swells, greatly increasing in size. The toes become swollen. Frequent changing and skin color – cyanosis appears.

    Swelling of the foot accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, discomfort, rarely pain. There is a desire to stretch your legs or lie down, to raise them above the torso. Often the tumor can rise to the ankles and cause pain when walking.


    Treatment of edema of the foot

    In that case, if the cause of edema of the foot was the violation of water balance in the body, the first thing you need to do is to exclude salt from your diet, or minimize its amount. Water is advisable to drink no more than two liters a day, so as not to overload the kidneys and not to let excess fluid out from the body.

    Those who spends a lot of time on the feet or behind the wheel of a car, I advise you to wear elastic stockings, and periodically stretch your legs, to massage the feet, use contrast baths for feet. To withdraw excess fluid from the lower extremities will help lift the legs above the level of the body in the prone position. There is even a special cushion for the feet, which should be used during sleep.

    If we are talking about heart failure, it is likely that a cardiologist will prescribe the use of diuretics, drugs that normalize the heart, a special diet and exercises and use of elastic bandages or stockings. In any case, heart swelling of the legs and feet to be treated under the supervision of a medical specialist, previously having passed all the necessary tests.

    Varicose veins and thrombophlebitis even in the initial stages are also treated with the participation of a physician. To determine the extent of the disease, the cause and dynamics of development, and also to pick upappropriate treatment is possible only after studies – Doppler ultrasound or phlebography.

    In pharmacies sold a variety of means, relieving swelling. But, in this case, you must keep in mind that swelling is often a symptom, and ointments will help to get rid of the cause. If swelling of the foot caused by fatigue, stress or an excess amount of fluid you drink, can help gels, relieving swelling, for example, "Lioton gel". However doctors strongly recommend not to take even the slightest swelling stop lightly, because they can indicate serious illness.