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Swollen feet causes and treatment
Feet swollen
Swollen feet are a relatively common everyday phenomenon, especially in older people. Many complain every evening about fluid accumulation in the feet. Often the complaints resolve immediately as soon as the feet are raised a little bit. Nevertheless, the health risk should not be underestimated, as the swelling may well be due to serious diseases.
contents
- Feet swollen
- definition
- Symptoms of swollen feet
- Causes of foot swelling
- Swollen feet due to lymphatic drainage
- Diseases of the internal organs
- Swelling in the feet due to metabolic diseases
- Allergies, alcohol and medications
- diagnosis
- Treatment for swollen feet
- Naturopathy
definition
The term "swollen feet" covers all swellings in the area below the ankle. These can cover the entire foot or concern only individual toes. Thick feet due to an increased body fat percentage are not covered by the term "swollen feet" because there is no acute swelling.
Some people get swollen feet by standing for a long time. Others are constantly suffering from fluid retention. (Image: vchalup / fotolia.com) Symptoms of swollen feet
The symptoms of the swollen feet are - depending on the cause of the complaints - relatively variable. Some patients only notice increased fluid accumulation in the feet after standing for long periods, which decreases as the feet are raised. Other people in turn have to deal with persistent swelling.
Often only the toes are affected, but it can also swell the entire foot. Under certain circumstances, the swelling in the further course even expands, so that those affected complain about thick calves and swollen legs.
The symptoms may be completely painless or accompanied by pain in the foot area (for example, foot pain, heel pain, foot sore pain), which in rare cases pulls up into the leg. Occasionally the mobility is affected by the swelling. If this is massive, the skin can begin to stretch and become rough.
The typical accompanying symptoms of the individual causes of swollen feet are then explained in connection with the respective diseases.
Causes of foot swelling
As cause of the swelling on the feet different causes come into consideration. These range from a general weakness of the cardiovascular system and vascular disease to acute injuries, bruising, fractures and torn ligaments to chronic diseases or even cancer.
Venous disorders such as varicose veins often cause soft swelling on the foot in the evening. (Image: zlikovec / fotolia.com) Vascular disorders that may be associated with swollen feet include, for example, varicose veins, venous insufficiency, and phlebitis. Under certain circumstances, circulatory disturbance of the feet and associated swelling may be due to arteriosclerosis. In the case of restricted blood flow, the symptoms are often accompanied by a tingling sensation in the legs and pain along the damaged blood vessels.
In the worst case, a closure (thrombosis) of the blood vessels or a heart disease (for example, the coronary heart disease) as a trigger of circulatory disorders is possible. Accompanying symptoms may be chest pain or heartache, palpitations and heart stumbling in heart disease.
Swollen feet due to lymphatic drainage
Not only a backflow of the blood can cause the swelling of the feet, but also an impairment of the lymph drainage comes as a possible trigger of the complaints into consideration. It form so-called lymphedema, which usually initially cause a massive swelling of the toes. Subsequently, the swelling often passes to the foot, ankle, lower leg and possibly even the entire leg.
Diseases of the internal organs
Another possible cause is various diseases of the internal organs. Here, in addition to the heart disease especially diseases of the kidneys, liver and thyroid play a special role.
For example, hypothyroidism can be considered, as well as so-called congestive liver, liver cancer and kidney inflammations associated with swollen feet.
The accompanying symptoms may include non-specific symptoms such as chronic fatigue, fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. Flank pain and severe stinging pain in the kidney and blood in the urine (hematuria) are quite clear symptoms of kidney disease.
Swelling of the foot can be a diabetic foot syndrome in diabetic patients and should therefore be evaluated immediately by a doctor. (Image: pittawut / fotolia.com) Swelling in the feet due to metabolic diseases
If the swollen legs appear as a chronic condition, it may be based on a metabolic disease. Diabetes is the most common cause of the condition. The so-called "diabetic foot" is a typical concomitant of many years of diabetes, not least because excessive blood sugar permanently damages the vessels and nerves.
However, with the help of modern preparations and instruments, the blood sugar level can now be adjusted so precisely that the phenomenon of diabetic foot slowly declines. Nevertheless, it is still the most common cause of amputation in Germany today.
Allergies, alcohol and medications
Sudden accumulation of fluid in the legs may be due to an allergic reaction (for example, to insect bites or the contents of shower gel, etc.) or food allergy.
In other cases, severe increased water retention in the foot and ankle area may be a side effect of some medications. These include, for example, cortisone agents, hormone preparations (e.g., the pill), and calcium antagonists. If you take medicine and often have swollen feet or legs, you should always contact your doctor.
Certain medications may cause swollen feet, ankles and legs if taken for prolonged or incorrect use. (Image: Grycaj / fotolia.com) In addition, a regular and high consumption of alcohol may be the reason for the complaints. This causes the blood vessels to expand immediately after admission, which favors swelling of the feet, ankles and hands. In addition, there is an increased urinary excretion and sweat production, especially when the alcohol is degraded again.
diagnosis
As part of a thorough anamnesis and a first examination of the affected foot, there are usually clear indications as to whether an acute injury or a long-term illness is the trigger. Blood tests and imaging diagnostic methods such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to secure the findings.
In case of doubt, the removal of a tissue sample may be necessary in case of suspected diseases of the internal organs or a malignant tumor. An allergy test provides indications of possible allergies and the corresponding allergens.
Treatment for swollen feet
The treatment should always be based on the causes. In the short term, however, in most cases, raising and cooling the feet can provide relief. Massages or lymphatic drainage should also contribute to the decline in acute swelling.
If, for example, kidney inflammations, circulatory problems or thyroid diseases are present, then a drug treatment of the underlying diseases usually takes place. Swelling as a result of bone fractures or ruptures require immobilization with the aid of a plaster cast or a splint. Sometimes, however, the injury does not heal properly, so surgery is required. The same may apply to heart disease or cancer. The latter may also require the use of radiation and chemotherapy.
In the treatment of foot swelling, manual procedures such as osteopathy can help. (Image: karelnoppe / fotolia.com) Naturopathy
The naturopathic therapy of swollen feet is based primarily on manual treatments, for example in the field of osteopathy, chiropractic or Rolfing. According to their holistic approach, complaints in other parts of the body, such as neck tension, abdominal pain and back pain, are taken into account. For the overall statics and stress distribution of the organism plays an essential role in the context of manual treatment methods.
Herbal remedies offer another option in the context of natural treatment or to relieve the symptoms. Here, especially the ingredients of the horse chestnut and the stone clover are attributed a positive effect.
If the swelling of the feet is caused by diseases of the liver, it can help if those affected detoxify their liver. In circulatory disorders, the hydrotherapy methods often have a soothing effect. For Kneipp cures in their own bathroom, for example, water treads or cold-hot thigh fountains are an option.
Kneipp's leg replacement with foot swelling:
Important: It is important to discuss in advance with your doctor if the application is suitable for you. Use a suitable bath mat to ensure that you are safe in the shower or bath. |
Alternatively, an alternating foot bath can help promote blood circulation. For this purpose, two large tubs or bowls are once cold and once filled with warm water. First place both feet in warm water for three minutes, then immediately into cold water for one minute. Repeat this change a total of four times, completing with the cold foot bath. Then peel off your feet and keep warm.
A good home remedy for swollen feet is Epsom salts. Add half a cup to a bath of warm water and immerse your feet in the bath for about 15 minutes. Has proved also an envelope with apple cider vinegar. For this, first mix a cup of organic apple cider vinegar with a cup of water. Then, a cotton cloth (e.g., tea towel) is soaked in the solution, wrung out and placed around the thick feet for about ten minutes.
Directly against the swelling, it is also possible to use diversion procedures such as leech therapy. Furthermore, with water retention in the feet different homeopathic preparations are considered. These include, among others, Convallaria (lily of the valley), Crataegus (hawthorn) and Hamamelis virginica (magic hazel).
The leech therapy can be very effective for swelling in the foot area. (Image: Dmitriy Syechin / fotolia.com) Salts Nos. 8 (sodium chloratum), Nos. 10 (sodium sulfuricum) and Nos. 13 (potassium arsenicosum) have proven to be the most effective agents against swollen feet in the area of Schüssler salts. (fp, nr, last updated on 17.1.2017)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor) 