Foot and ankle swelling is a very common symptom that is usually not a sign of serious problems and is, in most cases, related to normal changes in circulation, especially in people standing or walking for a long time, for example.
When your feet swell for more than a day or are accompanied by other symptoms such as pain, severe redness, or difficulty walking, this may indicate a problem or injury, such as sprain, infection or even thrombosis.
- During pregnancy.
- This problem is very common and is usually related to changes in a woman’s circulatory system.
- Being.
- In rare cases.
- A sign that something is wrong with pregnancy.
It is the most common cause of leg, foot and ankle swelling and usually occurs at the end of the day in adults, the elderly or pregnant women. This poor circulation, without causing pain, can cause mild discomfort, similar to a heavier or fluid foot.
Poor circulation in the legs is a natural process that occurs due to aging of the veins, making them less able to push blood to the heart and, as a result, excess blood builds up in the feet and legs.
What to do: To relieve swelling, lie down and lift your legs above heart level. Another option is to give a light massage from the feet to the hips, to help the blood return to the heart. People who work standing or walking for a long time can wear elastic compression stockings, purchased from pharmacies, to prevent the problem from occurring, for example. Learn how to use Indian chestnut to improve blood circulation.
Any type of injury or blow to the ankle can cause swelling that is accompanied by pain and difficulty moving the foot, and purple on the side of the foot. One of the most common injuries is a sprain, which occurs when your foot is misplaced on the ground or if you get hit on the foot.
In these situations, the ankle and foot ligaments lengthen excessively and, as a result, small cracks may appear that eventually trigger the inflammatory process that leads to swelling, often accompanied by severe pain, purple spots, and difficulty walking or moving. Feet This can often be mistaken for a fracture, but it is more likely to be just a sprain.
What to do: The most important thing in these cases is to put ice on the site immediately after the injury, bandage the ankle and give rest to the foot, avoiding intense sports or walking a lot, at least for 2 weeks. Understand how to treat a heel injury. Another strategy is to place the foot in a puddle of hot water and then change it by placing it in ice water, as this temperature difference will quickly deflate the foot and ankle. Watch in the video the steps to follow to achieve this ‘thermal shock’ without error:
In the most severe cases, surgery may be necessary to place a plate and/or screws to stabilize the joint, requiring physical therapy for a few months. Approximately 1 year after surgery, a new surgical procedure may be necessary to remove the pins/screws.
Although ankle swelling is a very common symptom during pregnancy and is not related to serious problems, there are cases where this swelling is accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, decreased urine, headache or nausea, for example. In these cases, swelling may be a sign of preeclampsia, which occurs when blood pressure is very high and needs treatment.
What to do: If preeclampsia is suspected, it is very important to consult the obstetrician to evaluate blood pressure. However, to avoid this problem, pregnant women should follow a low-salt diet and increase water consumption to 2 or 3 liters per day. Learn more about preeclampsia.
Heart failure is more common in the elderly and is caused by aging of the heart muscle, which begins to have less force to push blood and therefore builds up in the legs, ankles and feet, under the action of gravity.
Foot and ankle swelling in the elderly is usually accompanied by excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pressure. Learn about the other signs of heart failure.
What to do: Heart failure should be treated with medicines prescribed by your doctor, so it is advisable to consult a cardiologist to start appropriate treatment.
Thrombosis occurs when a clot can clog one of the veins in your legs and, as a result, blood cannot properly return to your heart, accumulating in your legs, feet, and ankles.
In these cases, in addition to swelling of the feet and ankles, other symptoms may appear such as pain, tingling, severe redness, and even low fever.
What to do: Whenever there is a sign of thrombosis, it is necessary to quickly go to the emergency room to start treatment with anticoagulants, thus avoiding the transport of this clot to other places such as the brain or heart, which can lead to a heart. attack or stroke. See here all the symptoms and how to treat thrombosis.
In addition to heart problems, changes in kidney or liver function can also cause swelling of the body, especially the legs, feet and ankles.
In the case of the liver, this occurs due to the decrease in albumin, which is a protein that helps keep blood inside the vessels. For the kidneys, inflammation is caused by urine not properly removing fluids.
What to do: If swelling is common and other symptoms appear, such as decreased urine, swelling of the stomach or yellow skin and eyes, it is recommended to consult your family doctor for blood or urine tests, and to identify if there are any problems with your kidneys or liver, for example. See symptoms of liver problems.
Infection associated with swelling of the foot or ankle usually occurs only when there is a sore in the foot or leg area that is not treated properly and therefore ends up becoming infected. This is most common in people with uncontrolled diabetes who have cuts in their feet but do not feel them due to the destruction of the nerves in their feet from the disease.
What to do: Any infected wound in the diabetic should be treated by a nurse or doctor, it is recommended to go to the emergency room. Until then, the place should be kept clean and covered, to prevent the growth of more bacteria. Learn how to identify and treat changes in the diabetic foot.
Swelling of the feet and ankle can also cause venous insufficiency, meaning when blood from the lower extremities has difficulty returning to the heart. In the veins, there are several small valves that help direct blood to the heart, overcoming the force of gravity, but when these valves weaken, there is a small return of blood to the back and it builds up in the legs and feet.
What to do: Venous insufficiency should be treated to avoid serious complications, such as sores and skin infections. Your cardiologist or vascular doctor may recommend taking medications to strengthen your blood vessels and diuretics to remove excess fluid from your body.
Some medications may have side effects of swelling in the legs and feet, such as contraceptives, heart remedies, steroids, corticosteroids, diabetes medications and antidepressants.
What to do: If you are taking a drug that causes swelling, you should talk to your doctor, because depending on its severity, it is possible to switch to another drug that does not have this unpleasant effect.
Lymphedema occurs when there is a buildup of fluid between tissues, outside the blood vessels, that can occur due to lymph node removal or changes in lymph vessels. This buildup of fluids can be chronic and difficult to resolve, especially after the lymph nodes have been removed from the groin area, for example, due to cancer treatment. Learn how to recognize symptoms and how lymphedema is treated.
What to do: Your doctor should be consulted to make the diagnosis. Treatment can be done with physiotherapy sessions, use of compression stockings and postural habits.
If heart changes are suspected, it is best to visit your cardiologist, but a consultation with a general practitioner is usually enough to arrive at the diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment. Physical and blood tests may be performed to assess suspected cholesterol and triglycerides, if there is a history of sprains, depending on the severity of symptoms, an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound may be required to check the bones and ligaments. In the elderly, the geriatrics may be better able to have a broader view of all aspects that may be present at the same time.