When to see a doctor for swollen legs treatment?
Those include: Getting regular exercise, even if it's just walking Eat healthier foods, including fruits and vegetables Try and maintain a healthy weight for your body's build Follow your doctor's advice if you have conditions like diabetes Maintain …
How to treat swollen legs with home remedies?
Dec 19, 2020 · Swelling is common symptom of a broken leg. But it's also a sign of other conditions including infections and heart-related problems. ... Learn about Leg Swelling on Healthgrades.com, including information on symptoms, causes and treatments. Find a doctor Find a doctor Close find a doctor menu Back Find a Doctor. Find doctors by specialty ...
What are some home remedies for leg swelling?
Dec 03, 2021 · Here are a few examples of the medications that your healthcare provider might prescribe for leg swelling, along with the underlying problems that they treat: Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, like Coumadin, heparin, and Eliquis, are used to treat blood clots. Antibiotics like cephalexin are used to treat cellulitis, or skin infections.
How to reduce swollen legs?
Jun 05, 2020 · The first thing your doctor may try are diuretics, or water pills. This may not be the best treatment particularly if the swelling is not due to too much volume. “Often, using counter pressure, or wearing compression stockings, to help push fluid out of the legs is the most effective treatment,” says Dr. Bartholomew.
How can I reduce the swelling in my legs?
Lying in bed with your legs elevated is the best position to help lower swelling. It is best to lie on your back. Elevate your legs above your heart, while keeping your upper body flat. If you have a hospital bed, you can do this by elevating the foot of the bed.
How do you make swelling go down fast?
Applying an ice-pack or cold compress to an injury is the fastest way to deal with immediate swelling. It helps reduce swelling by restricting blood flow to the area and slowing down cellular metabolism. Cold therapy systems and ice baths are other methods you can use to apply cold to the area.Nov 10, 2017
What is a natural remedy for swollen legs?
Here are 10 to try.Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. ... Buy compression socks. ... Soak in a cool Epsom salt bath for about 15 to 20 minutes. ... Elevate your feet, preferably above your heart. ... Get moving! ... Magnesium supplements can be helpful for some people. ... Make some dietary changes. ... Lose weight if you're overweight.More items...
What medications cause swollen feet?
Medications that may cause the feet to swell include:hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.calcium-channel blockers that help control blood pressure.steroids, both androgenic and anabolic, and corticosteroids.antidepressants.nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.medication to help manage diabetes.
Are swollen feet serious?
Swollen ankles and swollen feet are common and usually not cause for concern, particularly if you have been standing or walking a lot. But feet and ankles that stay swollen or are accompanied by other symptoms could signal a serious health problem.Jan 14, 2021
What is the treatment of swelling?
Using an ice pack or compression bandage can help reduce swelling, and over-the-counter pain relievers can help ease discomfort. If the swelling and pain do not go away, a person might need to see their doctor to rule out more severe damage.Jul 12, 2020
What doctor treats leg swelling?
When to Seek Care for Swelling If you experience swelling that does not go away on its own, make an appointment to see your primary doctor. If the issue doesn't improve, ask your doctor for a referral to a vascular specialist. Duke offers a special Limb Swelling Clinic for just these kinds of issues.May 20, 2021
How do you massage a swollen leg?
2:535:11Judy Koch: Massage Techniques for Clients with Edema using Oakworks ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAround the knee to start allowing that fluid to move through the lymph nodes. Then what you're goingMoreAround the knee to start allowing that fluid to move through the lymph nodes. Then what you're going to want to do is you're going to kind of visualize her leg into three zones. And you would massage.
How to tell if your leg is swollen?
Raise your legs above your heart level for half an hour, several times a day. But since leg swelling can be a sign of something serious, don't ignore it. If you notice other symptoms, especially leg pain, shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue, call your doctor right away.
Why do my legs swell up?
Instead of filtering water and waste material from your blood, fluid gathers in your body, which causes swelling in your arms and legs. Acute kidney failure -- when your kidneys suddenly stop working -- can also cause swollen legs, ankles, and feet. But it usually happens when you’re hospitalized with other problems.
Why do my legs swell after delivery?
If, during the last trimester or soon after delivery, you have swollen legs and shortness of breath, talk to your doctor about a condition called peripartum cardiomyopathy, a type of heart failure related to pregnancy. Learn more about swelling and other discomforts during pregnancy.
What causes fluid buildup in one leg?
Several things can lead to extra fluid, or edema, in one leg, or both: Congestive heart failure: This happens when your heart is too weak to pump all the blood your body needs. It leads to fluid buildup, especially in your legs. Other symptoms of congestive heart failure : Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
What happens when you break a bone in your leg?
Inflammation: It happens when the tissues in your legs get irritated and swollen. It’s a natural response if you break a bone or tear a tendon or ligament, but it also may be a sign of a more serious inflammatory illness, like arthritis.
What does it mean when your legs are edema?
Fluid buildup (edema): It happens when the tissues or blood vessels in your legs hold more fluid than they should. This can happen if you simply spend a long day on your feet or sit for too long. But it may also be a sign that you’re overweight or don’t get enough exercise, or of more serious medical conditions.
Can prescription drugs cause swelling?
Sometimes, swelling can be an unwelcome side effect of prescription drugs. The medications most likely to cause swollen legs include: Call your doctor if you take any of these drugs and get swollen lower limbs. Learn more about common medication side effects.
How to treat a swollen leg?
Use the R.I.C.E. Method 1 Rest. If movement is painful at first, rest your legs and stay off them as much as you can until you’re able to move without pain. 2 Ice. Keep an ice pack on your legs for about 20 minutes every hour over the first 3 days after symptoms start. Avoid using heat, as it may make swelling worse. 3 Compression. Wrap an elastic bandage around your legs or wear compression stockings, which use pressure to keep swelling down. 4 Elevation. Keep your legs raised above the level of your heart for 30 minutes, three or four times per day, so that gravity can help move fluids out and toward the rest of your body.
What to do if your leg is swollen?
When to See Your Doctor. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to get medical help or have a specialist check your leg pain and swelling. In general, if your symptoms start severely, suddenly, more often than usual, or for no clear reason, they may be signs of something more serious.
How to stop swelling in legs after a symtom?
Avoid using heat, as it may make swelling worse. Compression. Wrap an elastic bandage around your legs or wear compression stockings, which use pressure to keep swelling down. Elevation.
What is the best medicine for swelling?
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen may help ease swelling and pain. Acetaminophen might also fight pain. Some doctors say magnesium is a good mineral to add to your diet to help with painful swelling.
How to help swelling in legs?
These tips will help with leg pain and swelling whenever you have to lie down or stay seated for long periods of time, such as when you’re sleeping, traveling, or working at a desk: Don’t wear tight clothing, especially around your thighs. Wear compression stockings that are approved by your doctor.
How to stop swelling in the back of the leg?
Get up and stretch as often you can during the day. Focus on extending your knees as well as flexing your ankles to help with blood circulation. This may help pump extra fluid away from your legs and back toward your heart.
How to get fluid out of your legs?
Try Massage. If you can’t visit a massage therapist and don’t have any tools, you can still do massage on your own at home. Rub or stroke your legs upward, in the direction of your heart. Make sure the pressure is firm but not painful. This can help move excess fluid out of that area.
What causes swelling in the legs?
For example: Breathlessness which started at the same time as the leg swelling might suggest heart failure (if both legs) or DVT (if one leg) spreading to the lungs ( pulmonary embolism). A high temperature (fever) suggests some type of infection.
Why do my legs swell?
The most common cause of swelling in both legs is oedema. This is a collection of fluid in between the cells, which are the building blocks of the tissues of our body. Oedema can occur in one particular part of the body, or it can be generalised.
Why do my legs swell up in hot weather?
Long journeys or being immobile for other reasons. If your legs are hanging down and not moving for long periods of time, you can develop swollen legs.
Why is my leg swelling on one side?
One-sided swelling is more likely to be due to a problem with a particular part of that leg. In a specific area or generalised. Swelling around joints is usually caused by injury or a type of arthritis. Swelling in specific areas of skin may be caused by allergy or infection.
Why do my legs swell when I'm pregnant?
Usually this is par for the course and nothing to worry about, but if you are pregnant, your midwife will be doing regular checks to be sure you don't have a blood pressure problem ( pre-eclampsia) causing it. Heart failure.
Why do I have yellow blotches on my legs?
Being yellow (jaundiced) suggests a liver problem, such as cirrhosis. Swelling in other places other than the legs - for example, in the tummy, hands or around the eyes. This would suggest a problem with another or a general body system rather than a problem with the leg or legs.
What are some examples of DVT?
Examples include a long plane journey, an illness, an operation. If you have cancer or are having treatment for cancer, your risk is also increased. Bone infection (osteomyelitis).
What to wear when swelling goes down?
If one of your limbs is affected by edema, your doctor may recommend you wear compression stockings, sleeves or gloves, usually worn after your swelling has gone down, to prevent further swelling from occurring. These garments keep pressure on your limbs to prevent fluid from collecting in the tissue. Protection.
How to stop edema on feet?
Dry, cracked skin is more prone to scrapes, cuts and infection. Always wear protection on your feet if that's where the swelling typically occurs. Reduce salt intake. Follow your doctor's suggestions about limiting how much salt you consume. Salt can increase fluid retention and worsen edema.
How to stop edema from coming back?
Lifestyle and home remedies. Compression stockings, also called support stockings, compress your legs, promoting circulation. A stocking butler may help you put on the stockings. The following may help decrease edema and keep it from coming back.
Does edema go away on its own?
Mild edema usually goes away on its own, particularly if you help things along by raising the affected limb higher than your heart. More-severe edema may be treated with drugs that help your body expel excess fluid in the form of urine (diuretics). One of the most common diuretics is furosemide (Lasix).
What causes leg swelling?
Let’s first discuss the science behind any type of puffiness in the leg.
How do you diagnose the cause of edema in the legs?
Finding the right diagnosis for your leg swelling is important to ensure the correct treatment.
How do you treat leg swelling?
There are different ways to treat leg swelling. But which one is right for you? It depends on the underlying cause.
Is leg swelling serious?
Swelling in your legs may be a sign of another serious health problem.
The bottom line
The reason for leg swelling may be simple and easy to fix, or complex and serious. For rapid onset of any type of leg swelling — but especially single-leg swelling — leg pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, or other concerning symptoms, seek urgent medical help to rule out life-threatening causes.
How to treat swelling in legs?
There are several ways to treat leg swelling. The first thing your doctor may try are diuretics, or water pills. This may not be the best treatment particularly if the swelling is not due to too much volume.
What to do if you have swelling in your feet?
If you notice swelling in your feet or legs, you should definitely tell your primary care doctor. Swelling, or edema, can be caused by many things and it’s important to try to understand what is causing it. Advertising Policy. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
Why does my calf muscle not push up fluid?
Some people walk with a limp due to obesity or arthritis, for example, so their calf muscle is not able to push up fluid when they walk. These patients may be sent to physical therapy to help build up muscle strength and help with their walking. Some people with mild swelling might decide to not treat it.
Why do my legs swell up?
Below are eight potential causes of swollen legs and ankles. 1. Injury to the foot or ankle. An injury to the foot or ankle could cause swelling in the ankle and lower leg. One of the most common causes of injuries to this area is a sprained ankle. A sprained ankle can occur as a result of a simple misstep, or a sports or exercise injury.
How to reduce swelling in feet?
Elevation: Elevating the foot or ankle above heart level will help reduce swelling. 2. Infection. An infection in the feet, ankles, and lower legs can cause swelling in this area. People who have diabetes are at increased risk of developing an infection in their feet.
What does lymphedema feel like?
A person who has lymphedema may experience a feeling of heaviness or swelling in their legs or other affected body parts . Treatment.
What is the condition where the veins in the legs do not flow?
The veins within a person’s legs contain special valves that prevent blood from flowing backward. Venous insufficiency is a condition in which these valves no longer function properly. As a result, the veins no longer transport adequate amounts of blood from the legs back up to the heart.
What is it called when lymph nodes are damaged?
Lymphedema is a condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the body’s tissues, causing swelling. Lymphedema occurs when a person’s lymph nodes become damaged or are absent due to surgical removal.
What are the symptoms of swelling in the legs and ankles?
A person should see their doctor or healthcare provider if they experience any of the following symptoms in the legs and ankles: sudden swelling. unexplained swelling. additional symptoms, including shortness of breath, fever, and pain. A doctor can help diagnose underlying conditions.
What causes a sprained ankle?
A sprained ankle can occur as a result of a simple misstep, or a sports or exercise injury. It happens when the ligaments that connect the ankle to the foot and leg are pulled out of alignment. A person who has a sprained ankle may experience pain and limited mobility in the ankle or foot. Treatment.
What causes swelling in the legs?
Leg swelling caused by the retention of fluid in leg tissues is known as peripheral edema. It can be caused by a problem with the venous circulation system, the lymphatic system or the kidneys.
Why do my legs swell?
Leg swelling can also be caused by inflammation in leg joints or tissues — either a normal response to injury or disease or due to rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory disorder. You'll usually feel pain with inflammatory disorders.
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