Index
Inflammation of the legs is an abnormal condition and a symptom of various mild to severe diseases, disorders, and needs.
Swelling of the legs, also called edema, can result from infection, inflammation, trauma, circulatory disorders, cardiac disorders and other abnormal processes.
Depending on the cause, the swelling of the legs can be short-term and disappear quickly, as when it occurs due to a long time sitting during a long plane flight.
Chronic leg swelling often indicates a potentially serious disorder, such as congestive heart failure.
Other severe conditions that can cause inflammation of the legs include blood clots (deep vein thrombosis), kidney disease, preeclampsia, or liver disease.
What can cause swelling in the legs?
We were wearing inappropriate shoes: shoes or boots that squeeze or press at our feet or that we wear for too many hours.
The inactivity, the lack of exercise.
For many women, it is customary to retain fluids for days before menstruation. This condition is more visible on the feet and ankles.
Consuming a large amount of salt can also cause fluid retention.
- Kidney problems
- Bowels are full of toxins.
- Varices, edema.
- Osteoarthritis
Weak veins that can impede efficient circulation: this causes blood to accumulate.
- Excess weight or obesity.
- Old age, especially when accompanied by an inadequate diet or a sedentary lifestyle.
- The obstruction of the lymph nodes.
- Birth control of contraceptives, medicines for stress, depression, etc.
Treatment
The treatment of inflammation of the legs depends on the cause. It can be; cardiac, kidney, and liver disorders that doctors treat.
Protein deficiency is treated with nutritional supplementation, either orally, enterally, or intravenously.
Infectious conditions are treated with antibiotics with or without surgical drainage. Non-specific measures that help treat the swollen leg include elastic compression stockings, lifting, and massage.
Home remedies to treat swollen legs
First and foremost, we must emphasize the importance of consulting your doctor in the case of possibly severe conditions.
Suppose the medical analysis indicates that your inflammation problem is not due to heart or kidney problems or conditions that will need other specialized intervention. In that case, you can consider the following tips to help relieve that joint and annoying discomfort.
What diet can I follow?
Your diet is the essential factor in cleaning your system or accumulating toxins. A symptom like swollen legs should mean that something is not working correctly and that your tissues are weakening and, therefore, fluid is getting.
Toxins accumulate in the lining of the intestines, causing various conditions in the stomach and acidification of the blood. To avoid all this, you should consider eliminating the following items from your daily diet:
- Salty foods
- Refined, fried, or very spicy foods.
- Vinegar and mustard.
- The products with refined flour.
- Avoid the consumption of foods that contain a large amount of sugar
- Red meat.
- Milk and cow products with cow’s milk.
- Exercise to resolve inflammation
When you lead a sedentary life, the veins become fragile, your organs stop working as they should, the blood stops circulating correctly, and all this can make you feel heavy, bloated, and cause the accumulation of fluids.
How to avoid this?
Dedicate at least one hour of each day to some exercise. At the same time, it can be tough to find the time and energy for this type of activity; when your body is suffering, you should know how to listen to it.
Rest the legs
Whenever possible, raise your legs, either on a chair or on the wall, whenever you find a moment in the middle of your daily routine. This allows blood and excess fluid to flow correctly and not stagnate at your extremities.
The massages are also excellent for this irritation, especially with almonds or olive oil. Soaking your feet in warm water and sea salt is also a perfect way to relieve the feeling of heaviness and swelling.
Elevation
The elevation of the simple leg relieves the edema by reducing the intravascular hydrostatic pressure. First, patients should elevate the affected limb above the hip level each time they feel swollen.
The limb should be raised horizontally whenever possible, and, if possible, the patient should lie on the floor with the legs upright against a wall for 15-20 minutes several times a day.
This may not be practical for many patients, but it should be advised and encouraged. Second, when patients are standing, they should avoid standing still and be inspired to exercise the calf muscles and walk with a support medium.
Third, the foot of the bed should be raised by at least 10 cm.
Massage
Massage the extremity towards the hip, the use of a soft oil on the surface of the leg reduces the inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue. It helps to maintain the skin and subcutaneous tissues soft and flexible.
Treatment with diuretics and fluid restriction
Treatment with diuretics and fluid restriction is indicated in congestive heart failure and some kidney and liver diseases. It may be of value in some cases of limb inflammation due to local causes.
