The 6 main causes of swelling in the legs and feet

by Shirley Marie Bradby

October 13, 2018

The 6 main causes of swelling in the legs and feet
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Water retention or edema is the main reason that often causes leg swelling.

Several situations lead to these symptoms and not knowing about them can, in some cases, lead to unnecessary worries.

If you are suffering from this kind of problem, here is a brief explanation of what could be the main causes.

Even if you do not need to be alarmed, we advise you, in any case, to consult your doctor for an appropriate therapy.

via healthline.com

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The 6 main causes of swelling in the legs and feet - 1

1. Swelling is mostly caused by poor circulation. These problems occur especially when there is little movement or physical activity. If you spend all day sitting in front of a PC and you have no chance or desire to go to the gym or play sports, try to do about 30 minutes of light walking a day. The results can be surprising! 

2. Liver or kidney problems should not be underestimated and can also cause swelling on the face and hands. The accumulation of liquids can be caused by a poor assimilation of proteins in the blood that we find in the form of liquids inside our body and in our urine. At this juncture, it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor.

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The 6 main causes of swelling in the legs and feet - 2

3. Bad nutrition is often the cause of leg swelling. Eating unhealthy food causes fluid retention at the extremities of the body and can also result in an excessive consumption of salt. 

4. Blood clots may be another of the reasons causing leg swelling. They can be dangerous but in most cases, they are not a problem if they are properly treated. They are quite common in women who are pregnant and are caused by the veins of the legs that begin to weaken and lose their strength causing an improper circulation within the veins themselves. Therefore, blood may accumulate rapidly before it returns to the heart, especially when standing for several hours. A solution to reduce the swelling is to keep legs raised as much as possible when sitting or sleeping, to prevent the swelling from getting worse.

nikoretro/Flickr

nikoretro/Flickr

5. Heart problems can also be the triggering cause of swelling in the lower extremities, especially if there have been previous issues. The heart may no longer have the force necessary to pump the blood in the same way throughout the body and the legs being at the extremity would be affected in particular. It is always better to consult a doctor if combined with the swelling you experience shortness of breath when you are lying down or after only minimal physical exertion. 

6. It is not uncommon for a woman during her premenstrual period to show leg swelling. The same applies to pregnant women and the remedy used can be the same. To relieve the sensation of swelling, you can prepare hot parsley tea made with the finely chopped leaves and roots of this herb and infused in boiling water. 

So it cannot be strictly said that the problems related to leg and feet swelling are necessarily dangerous to our health, many of these cases can be treated by yourself alone at home by taking some simple precautions daily. However, this does not negate the fact that it is always better to consult a doctor when you experience problems of this nature so that you can receive a more appropriate therapy for a specific situation.

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