Swelling of the legs. Causes, types of edema, treatment and prevention

Every person is faced with edema on the legs. It is necessary to correctly determine the reason for their appearance to successfully eliminate the problem.

The beautiful half of humanity more often suffers from such a problem as swelling of the legs. The reason, as usual, is prolonged wearing uncomfortable shoes and high heels, which disrupts the outflow of blood. Yes, and men do not complain of such a problem.

Swelling of the legs. Causes of appearance

The causes of the disease can be:

• large and prolonged legs load
• metabolism
• too much fluid consumption, especially at night, before bedtime
• excessive kilograms in weight
• long sitting, in general and on too soft sitting
• bad habit, sitting on the foot
• uncomfortable shoes, too high heels or their complete absence
• the cause may be flat feet

This list will not be very complete if you do not notice that, as a rule, swelling of the legs is simply a sign of the disease that hid in the human body:

• swelling appearing only on one of the limbs, closer to the evening, passing through the next morning, give a signal about the varicose veins
• kidney diseases are manifested by edema of both legs. They differ in that it does not have the symptoms of itching and the feelings of a local increase in temperature. Accompanied by problems during urination, swelling of the eyelids and dark circles under the eyes
• the same symptoms signal intestinal diseases. Only instead of the problem of urination, a problem arises with a chair, to be more precise, the diarrhea lasting a long time
• swelling arising in the lower departments of the lower leg that does not leave from pressing the fossa with a finger, signal the problems in the thyroid gland
• strong edema, when the legs become similar to the legs of the elephant, signal the so -called "ivory" disease
• diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy

Very often, waiting for the birth of the baby, future mothers face the problem of swelling of the legs. The cause may be a change in the hormonal background.

The progesterone hormone, which is responsible for preserving pregnancy, delays the liquid in the tissues and promotes edema. The water-salt metabolism, the walls of blood vessels and the composition of the blood change, the outflow of blood and lymph is disturbed through the veins.

Pregnant women do not immediately suffer from swelling of the legs. About somewhere in the fourth month it becomes noticeable that the skin on the legs and arms is no longer as elastic as before, but a little later, the face is rounded. In the last months of pregnancy, the future mommy may encounter swelling of the legs and arms.

In the antenatal clinic throughout pregnancy, they monitor weight, and this is for a reason. A sharp jump in the increase in body weight signals that fluid is delayed in the body, and therefore about the appearance of edema.

Every woman can check the presence of edema, it is necessary to press on the front of the lower leg with a finger, if there is a trace of pressing and not passing right away, then there is swelling.

Pregnant women face such types of edema:

• physiological;
• pathological.

Physiological They do not cause any harm to mom and unborn child. They can signal the improper nutrition of the future mommy, too much physical activity. Edema can also cause heat or too long stay in stuffy rooms. Yes, and the very increase in body weight makes a large load on the legs and provokes the appearance of edema. After childbirth, when the figure begins to return to its former form, the legs will again become such as before.

Pathological edema of pregnant women may indicate late toxicosis

A quick leap in the weight of a pregnant woman, over twenty kilograms, large swelling of the arms and legs, face. All this can harm both mom and the unborn baby. Pathological edema require medical intervention. It is very important to visit the antenatal clinic during all pregnancy and monitor your health.

Swelling of the legs with heart failure

Very often, people do not pay any attention to their health, referring to employment or unwillingness to walk around hospitals. Meanwhile, swelling of the legs appear on both limbs in the evening, may indicate heart failure. Namely, about the problems with the heart in the area of \u200b\u200bthe right ventricle. He is responsible for the appearance of swelling of the legs, thereby signaling the problem.

At the very beginning of the disease, swelling is insignificant, pass after a night's rest. The patient attributes everything to fatigue and large loads on his feet. But, the disease is not long in coming. Edema from the lower part of the legs can go to the hips, the patient becomes difficult to move. Symptoms are added shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, pallor, an increase in the size of the liver, the blue of the lips.

The biggest difference between edema in heart failure is their appearance on both limbs at the same time.

To eliminate the problem, you need to seek help from doctors. Conduct comprehensive treatment of heart failure with special drugs, and remove excess fluid with the body with diuretic effects.

Swelling of the legs in the elderly

With the advent of old age, swelling of the legs worries more and more. Unfortunately, irreversible processes occur in the body, and this is natural. The tissues hold more fluids, the kidneys cope worse with their functions and do not remove excess water. Edema is very disturbing the elderly. There is no way to choose comfortable shoes and a comfortable pose. Constant pain in the limbs, the feeling as if the skin bursts - tires physically and psychologically. Under the naturalness of edema, serious diseases can also be hidden.

If there are no serious health problems, but swelling is very disturbed, you can try to completely limit the consumption of salt in food. We must try to move more because movement is life. The fluid is removed faster from tissues and body with mobile muscle function. And, therefore, swelling is faster.

Vitamins and dietary supplements with edema on the legs

Violations in the activities of blood vessels lead to edema. To strengthen blood vessels, it is useful to include sea cabbage in the diet. There are much more vitamins in it than in terrestrial plants. It is especially useful to eat seaweed patients with complicated varicose veins, it contains substances, which prevents the formation of blood clots.

In the cherries, black ash, cherry, grenade, blackcurrant, lingonberry, the largest amount of vitamin called rutin. It helps to reduce swelling and relieves fatigue from the feet.

The most effective action routine sets together with vitamin C.. To do this, you need to eat oranges, bell pepper, lemons, sea buckthorn and drink a decoction of rosehips.

Anthocials - These are antioxidants contained in plants. They are very useful for veins and blood vessels. The largest number of anthocyans is contained in fruits and berries of dark and purple colors. For example, you can call dark grapes, blueberries, cherries.

Constant consumption of these vitamins and antioxidants will help to solve the problem of swelling of the legs. But, in our time, not everyone can afford such a diverse diet, especially in the winter. To solve this problem in pharmacies, you can purchase dietary supplements containing the necessary vitamins E, C, A, B, garlic, trace elements - calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, zinc For full assimilation by the body. As well as polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3.

Medicines for the treatment of swelling of the legs

To treat swelling of the legs and clarify the cause of their occurrence, you need a doctor’s consultation. Diuretics can be prescribed to remove swelling.

It is not recommended to take them for self -medication, because along with excess water with the body the necessary trace elements are also washed.

To remove swelling, ointments, creams and local gels are prescribed. Among them we can note:

• Lyoton 1000;
• Troxevazin;
• Essena Gel;
• Heparin ointment;
• Venitan;

These drugs contain heparin and routine that strengthen the walls of blood vessels.

To remove the feeling of fatigue in the lower extremities, compression clothing can be assigned: stockings or tights.

Treatment of swelling of the legs with folk remedies

The people have their own ways to remove swelling of the legs. We list several of them:

• ice cubes prepared from decoctions of healing herbs help well. Do them massage of improping places
• helps in removing edema and cabbage. It is necessary to take it well so that the juice speaks, and glue it with the help of adhesive plasters
• you can rub the edema places with a mixture of vegetable oil and lemon juice with a proportion of 1: 1
• it is necessary to mix one teaspoon of turpentine with 1 egg yolk and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. With this mixture, do rubbing
• you can take a broth cooked from Astragal inside. One glass of water brought to a boil should be poured with 10 g of plants. After that, cool, strain and take two tablespoons three times during the day. The course of treatment is two weeks, interrupt for three days and repeat again. And so for six months.

Foot baths from edema

It relaxes the legs tired for the working day, the bath with the use of sea salt. To do this, use only cold water, while doing the foot massage.

You can make contrasting baths. Lower your legs alternately into hot and cold water.

For baths, you can use an infusion of horsetail, sage and chamomile. To get the necessary concentrate, you need to mix all herbs in equal parts. Pour a liter of boiling water with a hundred grams of collection and boil for 15 minutes. Insist an hour. After insisting, add three more liters of water. The infusion is ready for use.

Gymnastics to reduce swelling of the legs

There are simple exercises to remove swelling. They are performed sitting and barefoot.

• it is necessary to bend your fingers down, and then immediately up;
• spread and close the toes;
• make circular movements in footsteps and counterclockwise;
• roll the rubber ball with the feet of the legs.

Another effective exercise is to lie on your back, raise your legs to the top and rest on the wall. So lie for 15 minutes.

Tips and reviews for edema on the legs

The most important advice, for any diseases, in no case can be self -medicated. If swelling is disturbed for a long time, and their localization is intensified, you must seek help from specialists for help. A serious disease can be hidden behind the harmless, at first glance.

An active lifestyle, proper nutrition, comfortable shoes and consumption of the required amount of fluid for the body will help get rid of physiological edema and gain lightness in the legs.

Video: How to deal with swelling of the legs? Prevention and treatment