Ladies, have you ever experienced swelling in your feet, ankles, or soles of your feet? The swelling will make the foot look bigger and the skin around it feels tight and stretched. Although swollen feet are common and temporary, we need to know the cause so we can take appropriate treatment. Here are some possible causes for the swelling of your feet, ladies.
What Causes Swollen Feet?
Swelling in the lower legs is generally caused by two things, namely edema, and inflammation due to injury or infection. Edema is a condition in which excess fluid builds up in the body's tissues, causing swelling in the legs and hands. Increasing age, being overweight, standing or sitting for too long, and hot weather are some of the things that can cause edema. While swelling caused by injury or infection is usually accompanied by pain and redness of the skin that is warm to the touch.
Specific Condition
The following are some specific conditions that cause edema or inflammation of the feet that can trigger swelling of the feet:
- Pregnancy
Swelling in pregnant women is influenced by changes in the body's hormones, pressure on the blood vessels due to the additional weight of the uterus, as well as the natural increase in the amount of fluid in the body. Swollen feet will usually be easily noticed when the gestational age enters the 5th month.
- Preeclampsia
Swelling that occurs suddenly and severely in the ankles, hands, the face can be a symptom of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is an increase in blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurs after more than 20 weeks of pregnancy. Other symptoms of preeclampsia are headaches, nausea, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, and visual disturbances. If not treated immediately, preeclampsia can cause complications that are dangerous for the mother and fetus.
- Injury
Swelling in the legs can be the result of a serious injury. Swelling will occur as a result of blood rushing to the injured leg. Injuries that can trigger swelling include sprains in the joints of the legs, tears in the knee ligaments (ACL injuries), and fractures.
- Blood clotting
Blood clots can occur in the veins of the legs. These blood clots will block blood flow to the heart causing a buildup that causes swelling. The swelling usually only occurs on one side of the body.
- Diabetes
Diabetes affects the body's ability to control blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and impair blood flow. This can cause blood to accumulate in the legs, causing swelling.
- Kidneys disorder
If you have certain kidney conditions that prevent your kidneys from working properly, then there is a possibility that there is too much salt in your blood. This encourages the body to absorb a lot of water, causing swelling.
- Hot weather
Swollen feet often occur when the weather is hot. Blood vessels will enlarge as the body's natural response to the cooling process. As the dilated blood vessels reduce blood pressure, it is sometimes difficult to bring blood back to the heart and this causes a buildup in the lower legs.
Swollen feet that don't go away for a long time or are accompanied by other symptoms can be a sign of a health condition that needs more attention. Call your doctor immediately if you experience swelling accompanied by symptoms of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, fever, headache, and difficulty walking. Lying down and resting your feet above your heart level is a simple way to reduce swelling caused by blood pooling in your legs.
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Source:
Nall, R., Emily Cronkleton, E., & Bell, A. M. (2022). Swollen Feet, Ankles, and Legs. Healthline. [online]. https://www.healthline.com/health/swollen-ankle-and-leg