It becomes particularly noticeable from the fifth month until the end of your pregnancy. To reduce and manage swollen feet during pregnancy: Avoid extended periods of standing.
Stay in air conditioning during hot weather. Elevate your feet while resting. Wear comfortable shoes and avoid high heels. Wear supportive tights or stockings. Rest or swim in a pool. Apply a cold compress to the affected areas. Increase your water intake. Avoid or cut back on your salt intake. You can shop for cold compresses here. Sudden or excessive swelling in your hands and face could be a sign of preeclampsia.
This is a serious condition where you develop high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It usually happens after the 20th week of pregnancy. Drinking alcohol can lead to swollen feet since your body retains more water after drinking. Usually it will go away within a few days. If swelling occurs in your feet frequently when you drink alcohol, it may be a sign of a problem with your liver , heart, or kidneys. To treat swollen feet due to alcohol consumption: Increase your water intake. Reduce your salt intake.
Rest with your feet elevated. Soak your feet in cool water. Hot weather. Fluids go into nearby tissues as part of this process. This results in fluid collecting in the ankles and feet. People with circulatory problems are especially prone to this. Here are some natural remedies to reduce swelling: Soak your feet in cool water. Wear shoes that allow your feet to breathe and move freely. Rest with your legs elevated. Wear support stockings. Do a few minutes of walking and simple leg exercises.
Lymphedema occurs as a result of lymph nodes that are damaged or removed, often as part of cancer treatment. This causes your body to retain lymphatic fluid and can cause swollen feet.
Severe lymphedema may require surgery. Treatment options include: light exercises that encourage lymph fluid drainage bandages for wrapping your foot or leg manual lymph drainage massage pneumatic compression compression garments complete decongestive therapy CDT.
Foot injuries such as broken bones , strains, and sprains can cause swollen feet. When you hurt your foot, swelling occurs as a result of blood rushing to the affected area. The R. This method involves: Rest. Rest the affected limb as much as possible, and avoid putting pressure on it. Low albumin levels cause fluid in the blood to pass into the tissues, producing swelling not only of the legs and feet but also other parts of the body, such as the hands and face.
Kidney disease. Fluid can build up in the tissues if disease makes it hard for the kidneys to get rid of excess fluid in the body one of the main functions of the kidneys. Sometimes, swelling in the feet is the first clue that you have heart failure or liver or kidney disease, and your doctor needs to consider those possibilities.
Your doctor will take a medical history and do a thorough physical examination that includes your heart and lungs. The doctor may order blood and urine tests, a chest x-ray, an electrocardiogram, or other tests. Sometimes swollen feet have causes that are not directly related to the flow of body fluids.
For example:. Bone and tendon conditions. Several problems with the bones and tendons in your feet also can cause swelling, although in contrast to the vascular causes they also typically cause pain.
Examples include fractures, arthritis, and tendinitis. Problems with the skin and toenails. As we age, our skin thins. That makes skin more vulnerable to cuts, which then can become infected, causing swelling of the area near the wound.
A cut on the foot can cause the whole foot to swell. Ingrown toenails that dig into the skin also can lead to sores and swelling. Drug side effects. Some medications, such as calcium-channel blockers to treat high blood pressure, can also be the culprit. A little foot swelling is probably nothing to worry about.
If you get off your feet and prop them up on a footstool, the swelling should disappear over several hours. When should you call the doctor? Ioli advises. Finally, don't make your own diagnosis. With so many potential reasons for swelling, it's important to let your doctor drill down to the cause, prescribe the treatment you need, and help you get back on your feet as soon as possible.
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. If these symptoms strike without explanation, notify your doctor ASAP, or head for the emergency room.
The strategies that prevent your feet from swelling from other reasons can also help prevent blood clots. A lot of people have swelling other places too, like their hands and face. You would think that treatment for kidney disease would help the problem, but not so with dialysis , which is often required for advanced cases of kidney failure. Dialysis machines are like artificial kidneys, performing the same tasks that your kidneys no longer can.
This is when medications can help. Marcussen, of medications that increase the amount of water and salt you excrete in your urine. Cirrhosis of the liver means it has developed scarring, perhaps from hepatitis or from drinking too much alcohol for too many years.
The scarring interferes with blood flow to and in the liver. This causes high blood pressure in the veins going into the liver called portal hypertension , potentially leading to swelling in both the legs and feet but also in the abdomen called ascites. Cirrhosis also interferes with production of a protein called albumin, another factor contributing to foot swelling. Drugs, namely diuretics, and lifestyle measures like limiting salt can help with symptoms, including foot swelling.
Always do this under the care of your doctor, as people with liver failure need to get rid of the excess water slowly. Other signs of cirrhosis include swelling in your abdomen, feeling tired, bleeding and bruising easily, nausea, and having yellow-tinted skin and eyes. Treatment usually involves medications, lifestyle changes, and even a liver transplant. By Amanda Gardner Updated February 28, Save Pin More. Whether your swollen feet are barely noticeable or you feel like you're carrying balloons, something's off—and anything from changes in your weight to hormone weirdness to a serious condition like heart disease could be to blame.
The guide below will help you decode what's going on, and what you can do to fit into your shoes again. Start Slideshow. Credit: Getty Images. Sitting down and rubbing painful foot from neuroma. Credit: Josep M Suria. Pain on the top of the feet from tendonitis. Red stethoscope forming the shape of a heart. Replay gallery. Pinterest Facebook. Up Next Cancel. By Amanda Gardner. Share the Gallery Pinterest Facebook. Skip slide summaries Everything in This Slideshow.
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