Feet Swelling
Feet swelling is a common problem among the elderly people & pregnant women. But it also affects younger people at times. Feet swelling happen both due to external & internal problems. Injuries of certain kinds results in the feet getting swelled up. Certain diseases like heart disease, diseases which affect the kidney & liver are also responsible for feet swellings. It generally happens due to excessive fluid build up in the legs & the feet. This particular problem where the feet gets swelled up due to fluid build up is called edema in medical parleys. It may also happen from obstruction of the venous system as it happens during pregnancy & obesity. Arthritis is also responsible for feet swellings. Treatment of foot swelling depends on the cause of the problem.
Painless swellings may affect both the legs & may also affect the calves & the thighs. Due to the effect of gravity the swellings are more prominent in the feet compared to any other part of the legs. Feet swellings can be a sign of heart failure, liver failure or kidney failure since in these situations too much fluid gets deposited in the body. So if someone is experiencing feet swellings, he or she must consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Causes for Feet Swelling:
There are many reasons why our feet get all swelled up at times. Some of those reasons are given below.
Common Causes of Feet Swelling:
● Prolonged standing.
● Long flights & motor rides.
● Menstrual periods (for women).
● Pregnancy.
● Overweight.
● Increased age.
● Injury to the feet or ankle.
Feet Swelling due to Medications:
There are many types of medications which may cause feet swellings in the patients such as;
● Hormones like estrogen & testosterone. Estrogen intake happens when birth control pills are taken or if someone goes through hormone replacement therapy.
● Certain blood pressure medicines like nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, & verapamil.
● Excessive use of steroids may cause feet swellings.
● Antidepressants including MAO inhibitors (phenelzine & tranylcypromine) & tricyclics such as nortriptyline, desipramine, amittroptyline etc.
● OTC pain relievers & fever reducers.
● Medicines like ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Medipren, Nuprin etc can cause feet swellings.
Other reasons for Feet Swelling:
Apart from the above mentioned reasons there are other reasons as well which may cause feet swelling in people. They are:
● Clotting of blood may result in the feet getting swelled up.
● Many kinds of infections in the leg cause feet swellings.
● Bite from certain insects.
● Some recent surgery in the feet may cause feet swelling.
● Improper eating habits may result in feet swellings.
● Blocking of the lymph nodes in the legs.
● Varicose veins.
● Burns of various types.
Some Preventive Measures for Foot Swelling:
● Have your legs in an elevated position when you are lying sown.
● Do regular exercises of your legs.
● Have a low salt diet which will reduce fluid retention & swelling.
● Wear proper support stockings. These support stockings can be found in the most medical & grocery stores.