Causes of swollen feet and ankles include standing for long periods, excess salt intake, and pregnancy. Swelling of the feet and ankles can also indicate diseases like obesity, heart failure, and liver disease. Symptoms like a fever, skin that’s warm to the touch, and worsening swelling may be a cause for concern.
Swelling, or edema, happens if fluid builds up in your tissues. Blood gathers in the veins of your legs. Fluid from the blood begins to pool into the tissues of your legs, feet, and ankles. You may notice that your shoes feel tighter than normal.
If you work on your feet, you may feel like your shoes are too tight at the end of the day. Edema is common in people who stand for long periods. This kind of swelling usually does not indicate a health problem and goes away once you rest your feet.
Try sitting for 5 minutes every hour you are standing. Prop your legs up to keep blood from gathering in the veins of your legs. Compression stockings may be helpful if the swelling persists or you cannot take breaks from standing or walking.
SALT
The sodium that partly makes up salt (sodium chloride) is one of the biggest dietary culprits of fluid retention. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams, or 1 teaspoon, of sodium per day.
TREATMENT
Try limiting your intake of high-sodium foods and swapping them for sodium-free or low-sodium items. You can monitor the sodium content in food by looking at the nutrition facts labels. Sodium can hide among a list of ingredients in processed and take-out foods, including: Bread. Cheese. Deli meat. Eggs. Pizza. Snacks like chips, popcorn, and crackers. Soups. Tacos and burritos.
PREGNANCY
Swollen feet and ankles are an inevitable part of pregnancy for many people. The fetus presses on the pelvic veins, which comprise circulation as it grows. Foot swelling can make pregnancy uncomfortable and worsens as your due date approaches.
TREATMENT
This swelling is usually nothing to worry about. You may try some of the following to ease swollen feet and ankles during pregnancy: Ask a healthcare provider about support hose or compression stockings. Do not drink caffeine or eat salty foods. Drink 8-10 glasses of fluids daily. Rest and elevate your feet.
Call a healthcare provider if swelling comes on quickly, especially in your hands and face. Rapid swelling may be a sign of preeclampsia. This condition causes a dangerous, rapid-onset high blood pressure.
OBESITY
Obesity is an excess accumulation of body fat, which may cause health concerns. Body mass index (BMI) determines whether a person has obesity, but it remains a biased and outdated metric. A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to have obesity. A person with a BMI exceeding 50 may develop lower extremity swelling. Weight loss may not reverse this swelling.10 It’s essential to discuss treatment for foot swelling with a healthcare provider before reaching a BMI of 50.
TREATMENT
Losing weight can reduce foot and ankle swelling if you have obesity. It can also reduce the risk of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It’s important to get regular physical activity and eat a balanced diet. Fill your plate with fruits, lean proteins, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, vegetables, and whole grains. A healthcare provider may recommend surgery if you have obesity for five years or longer and cannot lose weight from exercise and diet.
INJURY
Ankle sprains, fractures, or recent surgery may cause swelling in and around your feet and ankles. Inflammation is your body’s response to an acute injury. Blood flows to the injured area, bringing cells and fluid that cause swelling.
TREATMENT
Use the RICE method to relieve pain and inflammation and speed healing for minor injuries:
Rest: Limit activities for at least one or two days. Avoid putting weight on or using the injured joint or limb.
Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes, four to eight times per day. Do not apply ice directly to the skin of an injured area, open wound, or surgical incision. Use a thin cloth to protect the skin.
Compression: Keep pressure on the injured area. An elastic bandage works well. Do not wrap the bandage so tightly that it cuts off circulation.
Elevation: Elevate the injured body part on a pillow above heart level.
Do not immediately use heat after an injury. Heat may increase the risk of inflammation and swelling. You can use heat later to relieve and relax tense muscles. See a healthcare provider if pain or other symptoms persist or worsen.
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)
You may feel bloated during the week leading up to your period. This feeling is the normal result of sodium and water retention after ovulation. This is when one of your ovaries releases an egg. The time after ovulation and before your period is when premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms begin. Swollen feet and ankles are another possible PMS symptom. One study found that 65% of women studied had swelling leading up to their period.
TREATMENT
There are ways to manage PMS symptoms, including: Avoid or limit your alcohol, caffeine, salt, and sugar intake. Eat a balanced diet. Get plenty of rest. Stay physically active.
Take pain relievers like Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) to reduce headaches and abdominal, back, or breast pain.
Talk to a healthcare provider about prescription medications, such as hormonal birth control, or supplements
MEDICATION
Certain medications have side effects of swelling in feet and ankles. Vasodilators help open up the blood vessels to make blood flow more freely than usual. These heart medications increase the risk of leakage from the blood vessels to the surrounding tissue, which causes swelling. Calcium channel blockers similarly cause leakage from the blood vessels into the tissue, resulting in swollen feet and ankles. Other drugs that can cause swelling include chemotherapy drugs like Taxotere (docetaxel).
TREATMENT
Do not stop taking medications that may cause swelling before speaking to a healthcare provider. They may adjust your dosage or recommend a different drug. You may decrease your sodium intake, elevate your legs, move frequently, and wear compression stockings in the meantime.
INFECTION
Skin infections can cause painful, swollen feet and ankles. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin that causes pain, swelling, and redness in the affected area. People with diabetes are more prone to skin infections. Diabetes may cause peripheral vascular issues, which reduces the ability to heal cuts, sores, or infections. Peripheral neuropathy may occur with diabetes. This nerve disorder decreases your ability to feel a cut, sore, injury, or infection.
LYMPHEDEMA
Lymphedema is a type of swelling. Lymph is fluid that carries white blood cells that fight infections to different body parts. Clusters of lymph nodes throughout your body control the travel of this fluid. Lymph will not drain properly if your lymph nodes become damaged or removed, say, during surgery for cancer. Lymphedema may also be idiopathic, which means there’s no underlying cause. Swelling in your feet and ankles happens if the pelvic lymph nodes become injured or removed. These glands control lymph movement in your legs and feet.
HEART FAILURE
Heart failure is when your heart is not pumping enough blood. Blood will back up in the veins, leading to fluid build-up. Swollen feet and ankles are one of the common signs of heart failure. This swelling often points to right-sided heart failure.
Other heart failure symptoms include: Abdominal pain. Swelling of the neck, legs, or abdomen. Nausea. Weight gain. Treatment
Get medical attention right away if you develop heart failure symptoms. A healthcare provider will monitor your symptoms and make sure they do not worsen. You may develop complications if symptoms persist, such as breathing problems.
BLOOD CLOTS
Your legs can develop swelling and pain sitting for a long time without moving. These may be symptoms of a blood clot, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).26 The blood causes increased pressure, which pushes fluids and blood out of the veins and into the tissues. Anyone who sits for long periods can develop a blood clot. Certain factors can increase your risk, including: A previous blood clot. Birth control pills. Cancer. Heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure. Kidney problems. Pregnancy. Smoking.
KIDNEY FAILURE
Your kidneys balance fluids in your body and move fluid you do not need out of your system. You might end up with swelling if one or both kidneys are not functioning properly. Your feet and ankles may puff up if your body retains extra salt and produces more fluid. Your body normally reabsorbs extra fluid, and the kidneys get rid of it. The kidneys may have trouble getting rid of the fluid if you have kidney failure. Swelling from kidney failure is typically severe.
LIVER DISEASE
Cirrhosis happens if the liver develops permanent scarring from disease or damage. Scarring interferes with blood flow through the liver. This causes portal hypertension, or high blood pressure in the veins that go into the liver. Portal hypertension causes swelling in the legs, feet, and abdomen.
Other signs of cirrhosis include: Bleeding and bruising easily. Bloating. Feeling tired. Nausea and vomiting. Unintentional weight loss. Yellow-tinted skin and eyes.
WHEN TO SEEK CARE
You can usually treat swelling at home. You may contact a healthcare provider if home remedies do not work or the swelling worsens. Seek emergency medical attention if you have swelling, as well as chest pain and shortness of breath.
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