Good question — but not an easy one to answer. And those things can range from no big deal to very serious. When should you be concerned?
We talked to Dr. That swelling, called edema , strikes when fluid builds up in the feet and legs. To avoid swelling, limit salt in your diet. If you have mild swelling and want to de-puff, go for a walk, do some ankle rolls or prop your feet up on pillows. Deep-vein thrombosis DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein of the body, usually but not always in the pelvis, thigh or lower leg.
Typical symptoms of DVT include:. You have swelling in a single leg. If infection, injury, or recent surgery is the cause of your swelling, stay off your legs as much as possible until your symptoms get better. Take breaks and walk around every few hours. Talk with your healthcare provider about wearing support stockings to help reduce swelling during the day.
Was this helpful? Yes No Tell us more. Check all that apply. Wrong topic—not what I was looking for. Chronic swelling in the legs as a symptom by itself isn't typically a medical emergency, Dr. The biggest concern with vein-related leg swelling, he said, is that the signs also could be connected to pulmonary hypertension. The first thing your primary care physician or cardiologist likely will do is perform an ultrasound examination of your leg veins and an ultrasound of your heart — an echocardiogram, Dr.
The most often recommended non-medical treatment is compression stockings, which compress the veins and ensure that blood continues to flow. If the exam shows that the valve in a leg vein is deteriorating to a significant degree, your doctor may recommend venous ablation.
There is an increased risk of infection under the skin cellulitis and repeated attacks of cellulitis lead to more lymphatic damage. This vicious circle may eventually lead to severe infections, ulcers and even amputation in extreme cases.
What is the treatment? Lymphoedema cannot be cured but it can usually be controlled so that complications do not occur later. The mainstays of treatment are compression bandages or stockings, elevation of the limb and external pneumatic compression. Elevation of the limb Whenever the leg is elevated, fluid will tend to drain out of it. Put your legs up whenever you can and as high as you are able - the arm of a sofa is good.
Elevate the end of your bed 6 inches or so in order that your feet are a little higher than your head. You can use some old books for this.
Compression bandages or stockings Compression is required to squeeze the fluid out of your legs when you are standing up. Bandages may be required at first, to remove the worst of the swelling, before stockings can be used. These stockings need to be specially fitted and are much stronger than ordinary "support tights". If the swelling only affects the lower leg, then you can wear a below-knee stocking that is self-supporting, like a pop-sock.
If you have difficulty putting on your stockings, then you can buy a special stocking applicator. External Pneumatic Compression EPC Despite compression stockings, many people find that some swelling accumulates by the end of the day.
The EPC device is a pneumatic boot that inflates and deflates to squeeze fluid out of the leg. EPC is normally used in the evening to get rid of any fluid that has built up despite compression stockings. If your doctor thinks you need EPC therapy, a trial of the device will normally be arranged so that you can decide whether it is worth buying one. What about surgery?
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