Almost every person at least once in his life noticed that his leg was swollen in the ankle area. If young men are a little negligent about their he alth, then women and older people pay attention even to small edema, as they indicate problems in the body, and sometimes quite serious ones. In addition, puffiness spoils the appearance of the legs and makes it impossible to wear short skirts and tight shoes with heels.
The most common causes of swollen ankles are staying in one position for a long time, standing or sitting for a long time, obesity, pregnancy, old age. If the ankles swell precisely because of this, then you can eliminate or at least reduce this unpleasant effect by placing tired legs above the level of the heart.
Why do my ankles swell?
The foot in the ankle swells quite often, and there are a number of dangerous reasons for this, related to the malfunctioning of the organs or the whole organism as a whole. These include renal, hepatic or cardiac congestive failure. If the leg is swollen in the ankle area, then this may indicate previous infectious diseases or problems associated withthyroid gland. It could be thrombocytosis, venous insufficiency, or varicose veins.
Less dangerous causes include insect bites, burns to the skin of the legs, starvation, prolonged stay in one position. Why are women more likely to experience this problem? The answer is simple: because of their desire for beauty. They wear uncomfortable high heels, as stilettos visually lengthen the legs and make them slimmer, but the girls do not take into account the fact that you have to pay dearly for such beauty. Orthopedists recommend wearing comfortable shoes that do not squeeze the foot and ankles. If a lady cannot live without heels at all, then they should be worn for only a couple of hours a day.
Almost every girl faces the problem of swollen ankles during pregnancy.
This is due to a sharp increase in body weight, changes in the water-alkaline balance, impaired microcirculation of blood and lymph in the body.
You need to carefully listen to your feelings, then it will be possible to identify various serious diseases in the early stages. The following are the main causes of swollen ankles.
Arthrosis as a result of joint subluxation
If a patient's speech at the doctor's office begins with the words "My ankle is sore and swollen," then the doctor may diagnose arthritis. As a rule, with this disease, other joints also swell and hurt. In this case, immediate treatment is necessary, since, firstly, the disease brings stronginconvenience: the legs are very aching and disturbing the person, especially at night; secondly, if proper treatment is not carried out in time, the consequences can be very dire.
After running
If the leg is swollen in the ankle area after physical exertion, especially after running, then most likely it is the wrong shoes. It is necessary to carefully approach the choice of sneakers. If you can’t do it yourself, the advice of the seller will help. Special running shoes have been developed, but for some reason people ignore this fact, believing that sneakers will do just fine in this role. But here the phrase is relevant: "You can not save on he alth." It is better to spend money on sports shoes once than to treat ankles later. In addition, you should not rush into sports, as if into a pool with your head. Loads should increase gradually and in moderation.
After an insect bite
If after a bite of some insects the ankle is swollen, then the first thing to do is to apply ice wrapped in a thick cloth. In addition, it is necessary to wipe the affected area with any alcohol-containing solution. This will disinfect the bite site, anesthetize, and, if necessary, stop the bleeding. If the leg itches, then the soda solution will help.
Ankle swelling can persist for up to several weeks. If the recovery is delayed, then the help of a specialist is needed, since the blood circulation is disturbed as a result of the edema.
Sprains and fractures
If the ankleswollen sharply, then, most likely, the person understood the muscles, since it is in this case that a hemorrhage occurs, accompanied by a sharp pain. It permeates the entire leg when trying to turn the foot inward. In this case, you need qualified help, you should not self-medicate. It is the doctor who will be able to distinguish a sprain from a more serious problem - a fracture. He will schedule an x-ray and put you in a cast if needed.
Swollen ankles: what to do?
If the causes of leg swelling are not serious, then you can try to eliminate this trouble by reducing the amount of liquid you drink per day, and also try to limit, and maybe even eliminate completely, s alt and alcohol from your diet. If the leg is swollen around the ankle, then rubbing tired ankles with frozen cubes of chamomile decoction will help well. You should give your legs more rest, putting them on a slight elevation. Pamper your feet after a hard day's work with s alt baths and contrast showers.
Cope with swelling will help moderate physical activity: "bike" legs lying on your back, walking on toes, rotating the feet, and squeezing and unclenching fingers.
In no case should you prescribe diuretics yourself. They will undoubtedly eliminate swelling by removing excess moisture from the body, but will not eliminate the cause.
In folk medicine, there are several ways to relieve swelling of the ankles, but it is better to use them in combination with traditional treatment. If you drink a decoction of flax for 2 weeks, then the legs will again become slender and light. To do this, take 2 tablespoons of flax seeds, pour a liter of boiling water and let it brew for 2 hours. The resulting decoction should be drunk in a day.
If you make it a rule to take care of your he alth, walk only in comfortable high-quality shoes, then such a problem as swelling of the ankles will be unfamiliar to you.
