{"id":619,"date":"2018-04-05T08:34:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T08:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=619"},"modified":"2021-10-04T11:55:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T11:55:11","slug":"11-leading-causes-of-swollen-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/11-leading-causes-of-swollen-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Leading Causes of Swollen Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Health issues do not suddenly occur. Often the body hints through different ways to alert people of potentially serious issues happening within the system. These signals come in different forms depending on the types of health issues the body is experiencing. They can be in the form of bodily odors, dermatological disorders, or inflammation and pain. Having swollen feet is amongst the common signs shown by the body to flag up health problems.<\/p>\n

Peripheral edema, a gathering of fluid within the same tissue, is the term used to refer to swollen feet. With so much importance placed on feet as a means of mobility, taking care of them becomes paramount.<\/p>\n

There are many factors that can trigger swelling in the feet. Even though it may be true that swollen feet are caused by prolonged inactivity, walking for a long time, or even hot and humid weather conditions there may also be serious underlying medical causes.<\/p>\n

If you often experience puffy feet and wonder what could be wrong, take a look at these 11 leading causes of swollen feet.<\/p>\n

1. Foot Injury<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Foot injuries cause swelling on the lower body limbs, with leg, ankles, and feet being the most affected. The common injuries include sprains, fractures, and torn foot ligaments and tendons. Lower limb injuries can stimulate the swelling of feet. You may have sprained your ankle during a physical exercise like running or something heavy might have fallen and injured you.<\/p>\n

If this takes place, inflammation starts in and around the injured area as a way of responding to the injury. A lot of blood containing healing cells and fluid is pumped down to heal the affected area. The blood and fluid meant to heal the injury expand your foot, hence the swelling. Amid this, you can use the R.I.C.E technique (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for relief and help reduce the swelling. Sometimes if these injuries are left untreated, feet remain puffy for a longer time than they normally should.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Prolonged Immobility<\/strong><\/h3>\n

People who work behind the counter, office desks, or operate machinery like tailors and drivers often end up having swollen feet. This is because they are always fixed to one position for a long period of time. When you stand for long, your lower limbs muscles are unable to contract. This slows down the flow of blood to and from the feet, leading to swelling.<\/p>\n

In addition, sitting for a long period of time has the same effect. Insufficient flow of blood to your feet triggers swelling, making shoes too tight. Sitting positions also play a role in swollen feet, sitting cross-legged sometimes squeezes blood vessels, and thereby restricting efficient blood flow.<\/p>\n

This position aggravates the swelling of feet. Since these causes don\u2019t indicate any health issues, they don\u2019t have any medical treatment, but you can take frequent breaks and walk around or elevate your feet to reduce the swelling.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Pregnancy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to the Co-Chief of Division of Ambulatory Care in Northwell Health, during pregnancy, babies press against pelvic veins as they grow and this compromises blood circulation. This in turn makes swollen feet an inevitable symptom of pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Not only are growing babies culprits during this phase, but hormonal changes are also to blame for swollen feet during pregnancy. Pregnant women produce relaxin, a hormone that relaxes pelvic muscles and feet joints and ligaments.<\/p>\n

When feet joints and ligaments relax, they expand or are enlarged \u2013 appearing as swollen. Swollen feet are usually experienced around the second trimester and worsen as the pregnancy continues. You may also see them fluctuate as the day goes by due to changes in temperature or weather conditions. However, the condition is normal, unless if it starts affecting other areas like the face and hands. Get medical help as this could be preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Hormone Fluctuations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hormone fluctuations are a leading cause of swollen feet, especially in women. Remember that bloated feeling you experience a week before your menstrual cycle? That is caused by hormone fluctuations after ovulation and comes as another form of PMS. PMS is responsible for swollen feet during this time of the cycle. Most women describe it as \u2018their feet feel a little puffy\u2019, and Dr. Marcussen explains that this syndrome (PMS) is \u201cnoticeable in the legs and feet, where it tends to pool because of gravity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sufficient water intake is required to regulate bloated symptoms and reduce the swelling on feet. You would also want to limit sodium intake and exercise regularly during this time. If you are taking any hormonal contraception or undergo hormone replacement therapy, you are likely to end up having distended feet. Also, limit the intake of estrogen present in contraceptives; find other contraceptive alternatives to use.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Medication<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The swelling of feet can sometimes be caused by the type of medication you are taking. This could be a normal side effect for some drugs. Alternatively, it may cause worry if it\u2019s not included amongst the side effects of your specific medication.<\/p>\n

The most common drugs that stimulate swelling on feet include anti-inflammatory drugs such as steroids and NSAIDs, antidepressants. Hormonal drugs such as contraceptives, diabetes, and blood pressure medication such as calcium channel blockers. These drugs retain fluid in the body, which gets pooled in lower limbs including feet.<\/p>\n

Diabetes drugs are responsible for regulating sugar levels in the blood. But, they tend to restrict the body from flushing out excess sodium, which then accumulates and causes swelling. For those who take calcium channel blockers, their blood vessels are widened to allow efficient blood flow, but excess fluid sometimes leaks from the vessels and buildup on feet tissue.<\/p>\n

\"\"6. Lymphedema<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system, is compromised, people start to experience a condition called lymphedema. What happens in the lymphatic system is that, the lymphatic fluid which contains body soldiers (white blood cells) collects all the waste and toxins to the lymphatic nodes to be flushed out. There are clusters of these nodes around the body to control the fluid.<\/p>\n

Lymphedema begins when the lymph nodes are removed or damaged. Since there won\u2019t be any efficient control or draining of the fluid, it overflows or accumulates in the lower limbs, including feet. Most of the time, these nodes are removed or damaged through cancer surgery.<\/p>\n

Studies show that lymphedema isn\u2019t a hereditary condition. It\u2019s often caused by excess body weight, bacterial infections, or cancer. If you have lymphedema symptoms, which are usually extreme swelling of the leg accompanied by pain. Immediate medical attention should be sought if this is the case.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Osteoarthritis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the most common swollen feet culprit experienced by older people. Some people refer to it as \u2018wear and tear\u2019, generally meaning that it\u2019s caused by aging and cartilage breakdown.<\/p>\n

Osteoarthritis<\/a> is another common type of arthritis condition which is known as degenerative joint disease. As people age, they gradually lose cartilage in their joints which acts as a cushion. Loss of cartilage causes friction against bones, leading to them wearing out. Soft tissues around the joint also start degrading and getting inflamed.<\/p>\n

This condition is very painful and results in limited or loss of mobility due to swollen feet and joint dysfunction. The main symptoms of foot osteoarthritis include inflammation, pain, reduced mobility, and joint stiffness. The treatment of osteoarthritis includes medication, self-care, physiotherapy, and sometimes surgery. Other remedies that people use consist of using heat and cold pads, topical creams, and copper braces to alleviate pain and swelling.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Congestive Heart Failure<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You wouldn\u2019t suspect that there is a link between congestive heart failure<\/a> and swollen feet. Heart failure is also a common cause of swollen feet. It is important to note that the name of this condition doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the heart stops beating, but it means that it is too weak to pump sufficient blood to the rest of the body.<\/p>\n

If the heart fails to pump enough blood, the blood moves backward in the veins and fluid starts pooling up in some parts of the body. The common parts that get affected by this condition are the legs, ankles, and feet.<\/p>\n

Studies show that the area of the swellings helps to determine the underlying cause and often swollen feet are indicative of right-sided heart failure. The swelling of feet resulted from congestive heart failure is somewhat different from the temporary caused by standing or sitting for too long.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. Deep Vein Thrombosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Most of the time, people don\u2019t take the swelling of feet seriously. They would just think it\u2019s because they have been driving for a long time or they were wearing shoes that are too tight until they later discover that they have deep vein thrombosis.<\/p>\n

This refers to a blood clot that develops in veins. Most often than not, deep vein thrombosis<\/a> is discovered at a later stage, whereby it would be more dangerous. It is life-threatening as the clots may disintegrate and flow with the blood to the heart or to the lungs and blocks the supply of oxygen.<\/p>\n

Then how is it linked to swollen feet? When clots block the passage for the blood flow, there is a pressure increase on the other side where blood is coming from. As the pressure increases, the fluid is pushed out of the veins into the surrounding tissues, hence the swelling.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. Bacterial Infection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whilst other conditions just cause feet to feel puffy without any pain, feet swelling resulting from bacterial infection is usually painful. This condition is known as cellulitis<\/a> and it\u2019s often distinguished by rash, redness, and sore inflamed skin. Bacterial infection restricts the blood flow to the rest of the body, especially the feet.<\/p>\n

The infection takes place when there are cuts and openings on the skin. The broken skin allows the bacteria to enter and multiply, thereby causing an infection. On some occasions, ingrown toenails and tight shoes aggravate the infection, causing feet to swell.<\/p>\n

People who are prone to bacterial infection are diabetic and patients of peripheral vascular disease. Other conditions that exacerbate foot infection are rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Treatments of foot infections are common antibiotics. Just as a prevention measure, you should try to always keep your feet skin moisturized to prevent it from breaking easily.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Kidney Disease<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is amongst the common major conditions that cause feet swelling. Kidneys play a vital role in the immune system<\/a>. The balance body fluids and flush out the waste and toxins. If they stop working properly, the excess fluid builds up and causes feet to swell. For healthier people experiencing swollen feet, the fluid that would have puffed up their feet gets absorbed when they perform some of the remedies such as elevating feet or putting them in ice baths.<\/p>\n

However, this does not work for those with kidney dysfunction. This is because the body fails to get rid of the excess fluid, making the swelling more extreme than that caused by other conditions. Most often, the treatments for kidney disease don\u2019t help much with swollen feet. For example, the dialysis may perform the kidney functions, but still, the body won\u2019t be able to flush out excess fluids.<\/p>\n

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