Why swollen feet in the foot: causes and treatment

Edema of the foot is a symptom of many disorders, manifested as an increase and swelling due to fluid accumulation in soft tissues.

Often this condition is accompanied by severe discomfort, itching, redness, a feeling of heaviness. Edema can occur both in a person with chronic diseases, and in an absolutely healthy person.

About the causes of edema

Such a pathology can appear periodically and be a reaction to an irritant or be chronicdue to disruption of the internal organs or due to malfunctions in the functioning of the body systems.

Puffiness of temporary nature

Swelling in this case is caused by exposure to an unfavorable factor or some allergen. Among the common reasons why the feet fall out are the following:

1. Constant sitting in a sitting position, for example, sitting job .In this case, swelling can occur not only in the area of ​​the feet. In the future, varicose veins or thrombosis may develop.
2. Inconvenient posture in a dream .If a person sleeps in an uncomfortable position, this can cause a violation of blood flow. In the morning there is edema, which then subsides. Excessive consumption of sweet or salty foods .In this case, a person drinks a lot of fluid that does not have time to be excreted from the body, especially for people with kidney problems.
3. Premenstrual syndrome .Edema in this case is also associated with a violation of excretion of fluid from the body.
4. Drinking alcoholic drinks , which leads to a water balance disturbance. A person tries to fill the deficiency of fluid in the body, this leads to edema.
5. Heat .Due to intense heat, fluid retention occurs in the body. Especially in people with excess weight, there is swelling not only of the feet, but also of the hands.
6. With a lot of drunk water for the night .
7. Mechanical injury .The edema of the foot in this case passes in a few days.
8. Pregnancy .
9. Drug use of .Some medicines may cause allergies.

Chronic puffiness

Swelling caused by severe illnesses does not pass quickly. To determine the exact cause of this condition, it is necessary to visit a specialist.

Among the diseases causing edema of the feet, we can distinguish the following:

1. Osteoarthritis .This is a fairly common cause of swelling. It is observed on the right or left foot due to edema of the capsule of the joint and squeezing the vessels that are near.
2. Vascular diseases - varicose veins, thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, phlebitis. Edema does not go very long, accompanied by severe pain, resulting in a broken gait in the patient and a constant fatigue.
3. Kidney disorders .In this case, fluid retention occurs in the body.
4. Pathology of the heart. Edema is observed especially in the evening. As the severity of the disease edema is also diagnosed in the upper part of the legs and body.
5. Disorders in the endocrine system .Puffiness is observed in the foot, shin, and shoulder region, in addition to edema, constipation and sudden weight changes are observed.

Puffiness during pregnancy is normal?

Foot swelling in the foot area during pregnancy is a very common phenomenon. This condition can be caused by several reasons:

• violation of blood outflow due to uterine enlargement;
• excessive consumption of salty foods, which very often "pulls" pregnant women.

It is difficult to tolerate swelling that occurs after the middle of the gestation period. In this period, in addition to puffiness, there may be convulsions in the lower limbs, severe pain in the legs. Especially these manifestations are disturbing at night.

Swelling during pregnancy is not a pathology, so to solve this problem a woman will have enough rest, lie on her side, drink diuretics.

However, if the swelling does not subside in a state of rest, the woman begins to gain weight rapidly, the swelling becomes extensive, passes to the hands, face, lower back, then in this case we can talk about the complication.

Therefore, the pregnant woman will need to be hospitalized. At the time of pregnancy, self-medication is prohibited, because many drugs have a lot of contraindications. The same applies to treatment with folk remedies. These methods can be used only after a medical consultation.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is performed to determine the disease and the purpose of further specialized treatment:

1. With thrombosis , edema is unilateral, does not subside during the day, the skin acquires a cyanotic hue.
2. With varicose swells, both left and right feet from the foot and up to the knee. In addition to edema, there is redness and pain, a feeling of heaviness and spots on the skin.
3. With thrombophlebitis , in addition to the swelling of the foot, severe pain and burning in the area of ​​the vein, edema is mild.
4. With arthrosis , edema first appears on the upper part of the foot, and then spreads over its entire surface.
5. With heart disease , the skin is a pinkish hue, the swelling is mild, with a prolonged disease becomes dense.
6. With endocrine disorders swelling tight, first decreases in the morning, then does not fall off.
7. When arthritis stops, is often edentulous, soft, accompanied by pain and stiffness in the joint area.
8. With kidney diseases such a symptom occurs already in severe stages of the disease, in the primary stages the face swells, the swelling of the foot is mild.
9. Phlebitis .In this case, a foot is poured on one leg, accompanied by redness and pain in the vein area.

Reasons for swelling and soreness in the feet - a lot of

First aid in detecting edema

If it is not possible to visit the doctor immediately, first reduce the swelling of the foot as follows:

• take the reclining position so that the legs are on the rise;
• to wipe feet with ice, it is especially useful to prepare ice from the infusion of medicinal plants - sage, chamomile, yarrow;
• to reduce the consumption of liquid and salt;
• do not stand and do not sit too long;
• not wear socks or knee socks with a dense rubber band;
• to do foot and finger massage;
• perform light exercises, for example, spread fingers, bend the foot, pull the toe;
• if swelling occurs due to injury, it is better not to stand on the damaged leg and be sure to wrap the foot with an elastic bandage.

Concomitant symptomatology

With edema, the symptoms will be varied. This is due to the diversity of factors that cause such a state.

Among the common manifestations that are visible to the naked eye can be identified:

• stops very much in size;
• swollen fingers;
• changes skin color, it becomes cyanotic or red.

There is also a feeling of discomfort, heaviness, sometimes itching and pain.

Approach to therapy

Because the edema of the feet is only an accompanying symptom, not an independent disease, the treatment will be aimed at eliminating the underlying cause.

If the problem of edema lies in a chronic disease, treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor after a medical examination:

1. If the swelling is caused by by a violation of the water balance in the body , it is necessary to reduce the amount of fluid intake, the recommended daily rate is one and a half to two liters per day. Also, salt should be avoided. Very effective in this case will be a salt-free diet. Thus, it is possible to provide an unobstructed fluid outlet without overloading the kidneys.
2. For those who do not move and have a sedentary job , it is recommended to wear elastic stockings, knead and massage the legs, make contrasting baths.
3. Post-traumatic edemas are eliminated with cold compresses and temporary immobilization of the foot.
4. In heart diseases , a specialist prescribes diuretics, a means for normalizing the heart and a special diet.
5. In vascular diseases, will also require specific treatment, which is based on the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, phlebotonic agents. In the case of advanced varicose veins, surgical intervention is sometimes necessary.
6. Treatment of arthrosis is carried out in addition to taking medication by physiotherapeutic procedures, oxygen therapy - oxygen saturation of joints, exercise therapy, compliance with orthopedic regimen, diet.
7. Qualified treatment also requires kidney disease and disorders in the endocrine system .

If in time to seek medical help and follow all the prescriptions, the swelling will pass by itself.

Traditional medicine recipes

Due to the fact that any edema is a consequence of fluid accumulation, first of all you should pay attention to diuretics.

There are a lot of recipes for preparing infusions, the most famous of them:

• mix equally the juice of cucumber carrot and lemon, drink three times a day, the drink can be diluted with warm water;
• mix the juice of the milkweed and the egg yolk;
• dry mint pour boiling water, insist and take daily after meals;
• a spoonful of flax seed pour water, boil for about 20 minutes, insist for an hour, the infusion can not be filtered, take hot.

Also no less effective are the baths, which, in addition to puffiness, are well removed and fatigue of the legs. Since these recipes have absolutely no contraindications, they can be used in pregnancy:

• mix evenly mint, birch leaves, chamomile.about 100 g of contents pour boiling water, insist for an hour, then dilute in hot water( it should not exceed 38 degrees).Legs soar for 10 minutes;
• take 100 g of juniper berries, sea baking soda, a spoonful of dry mustard and two tablespoons of soda, pour water, mix, dilute in hot water and soar your feet;
• use decoctions of medicinal herbs or sea salt for contrasting trays. In this case, the legs should alternately be placed in a hot, and then in cold water.

Treatment of idiopathic edema

The term "idiopathic" means arising independently or caused by atypical factors. To such conditions it is possible to carry the edema of Quincke, which arises as an allergic reaction.

It can affect all areas of the body, face, places with a large accumulation of subcutaneous fat and even mucous membranes.

The causes of edema can also be:

• insect bites;
• various food products;
• flower pollen;
• down or wool;
• viral infection;
• presence of parasites.

Quincke edema may be accompanied by anaphylactic shock and hives. Treatment begins with isolating the patient from the allergen that caused this condition and relief of symptoms.

Hormonal therapy - treatment with glucocorticosteroids( Prednisolone, Dexamethasone) is performed to relieve edema and normalize body functions.

Desincibilizing therapy - treatment with antihistamines( Suprastin, Tavegil, Pipolphen), as a secondary therapy, is carried out to reduce the sensitivity of the body to the action of the allergen and prevent relapse.

It is also very important to exclude from the menu products that can trigger an allergic reaction. Among them:

• fish, marine products;
• peanuts;
• spinach;
• tomatoes;
• soybean;
• wine;
• cocoa;
• strawberry;
• bananas.

Hidden danger

Do not underestimate the occurrence of this condition.

In case of slightest swelling, immediately consult a doctor.

Because edema is just a signal about a serious illness requiring professional treatment.

Timely therapy will help prevent kidney failure, heart attack, exacerbation of joint diseases, separation of blood clots, blockage of blood vessels, which can lead to gangrene.