Exercise-The most effective forms of exercise to help combat leg swelling are swimming, walking, and biking.
Try to keep the swollen area higher than the level of your heart. Take breaks from standing or sitting in one position. Walk around to increase the blood flow in your lower legs. Move your feet and ankles often while you stand, or tighten and relax your leg muscles.
The reduction of edema and pain of the legs during the course of the day can be accomplished with the use of elastic stockings, as well as walking.
Put your legs on pillows to raise them above your heart while lying down. Exercise your legs. This helps pump fluid from your legs back to your heart. Follow a low-salt diet, which may reduce fluid buildup and swelling.
Some of the many common causes of fluid retention include: Gravity – standing up for long periods of time allows fluid to 'pool' in the tissues of the lower leg. Hot weather – the body tends to be less efficient at removing fluid from tissues during the summer months. Burns – including sunburn.
Swelling in the ankles, feet or legs often goes away on its own. See a GP if it does not get better in a few days.
Swelling normally lasts for a few days. In the first two days, you will experience the most swelling, and it should start to reduce by the third day. Following treatment from your healthcare provider reduces the amount of swelling you might experience.
Leg swelling can result either from fluid buildup (fluid retention) or from inflammation in injured or diseased tissues or joints. Many of the causes of leg swelling, such as an injury or prolonged standing or sitting, are common, easily identified and no reason for concern.
Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Compression. The doctor may recommend the patient wear compression (support) stockings, sleeves, or gloves, usually after the swelling has gone down, to prevent further swelling.
Common causes of sudden leg swelling
A blood clot blocking blood flow in a large leg vein — also called a DVT, or deep vein thrombosis. An injury such as a broken leg or a pulled leg muscle. An infection in the skin, joint, or other tissue of the leg. Joint inflammation in a joint of the leg, like the knee.
Seek medical care right away if your legs swell for no apparent reason, especially if you have unexplained leg pain, difficulty breathing, chest pain or other warning signs of a blood clot in your lungs or a heart condition. Many factors — varying greatly in severity — can cause leg swelling.
Without treatment, you can develop permanent problems in your legs and feet due to insufficient blood flow in these areas. Changes in your skin can lead to leg ulcers, deep sores that are prone to infection.
Swollen legs may be a sign of heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure. In these conditions, there is too much fluid in the body, and it collects in the legs. Certain medicines may also cause your legs to swell.
Swelling (edema) in your lower legs is another sign of a heart problem. When your heart doesn't work as well, blood flow slows and backs up in the veins in your legs. This causes fluid to build up in your tissues. You may also have swelling in your stomach or notice some weight gain.
Potassium rich foods:
Potassium-rich foods such as Sweet potatoes, bananas, Salmon help to reduce the swelling in the feet.
Avoid Foot Swelling By Skipping The Salt
To reduce swelling all over your body, podiatrist, Dr. Paul Ross near Rockville, MD recommends that you avoid fast food, potato chips and packaged sweets. Watch out for sneaky sources of sodium like condiments, sauces and canned food.
Dehydration can cause swollen feet. It can cause constriction of blood vessels, which forces fluid into spaces between cells leading to retention, especially in lower limbs.
Cranberry juice is another natural diuretic. You can substitute a glass of cranberry juice for one glass of water each day to decrease water retention. Most foods that are high in vitamin C also have natural diuretic properties.