The most common place in the body where edema is seen is the legs, especially the ankles. Excessive fluid accumulation between the tissues and/or inability to transport it sufficiently predisposes to leg edema. This condition, which initially begins with sitting or standing for long periods of time, manifests itself as difficulty in wearing shoes, and the tightness of the shoes, and as it progresses, it brings about clumsiness and pain in the legs. Leg swelling, which makes daily life difficult at first, can appear as serious health problems in its advanced stages.
Causes of leg swelling:
Leg swelling may be due to general disorders affecting the whole body or to a local problem only in that leg. can be seen.
Systemic Diseases:
Swellings that appear symmetrically in both legs may represent disorders affecting the whole body that can cause edema in the body, such as goiter, some metabolic diseases, kidney disease, heart failure, depending on their degree. . In addition to swelling, such diseases are often accompanied by additional complaints such as shortness of breath, palpitations, waist-chest pain, and the individual may experience weakness, loss of strength, easy fatigue, reluctance, low body resistance and effort capacity due to chronic disease. If symmetrical swelling in the legs is low-grade, it may occur due to symmetric lymphedema in some rare cases.
Local Diseases:
Asymmetric swelling that occurs in only one leg is generally due to diseases of the blood vessels or lymph channels of that leg. is monitored. The veins in the legs are structures that work against gravity and are responsible for carrying dirty blood to the heart. Structural deteriorations in the structures of these veins due to excess weight, working standing, giving birth to multiple births or familial characteristics cause these veins to work poorly and blood to pool in the legs. This condition, which we call venous insufficiency, will cause swelling in that leg, depending on the degree of the disease and the physical and vital characteristics of the person. Due to similar reasons, blood clotting in the veins and forming a vein clot (Venous thrombosis) is among the common causes of sudden swelling in the leg. Vein clots, which require absolute treatment and can be life-threatening when necessary, can be treated within hours. It is accompanied by symptoms such as leg swelling, pain, increased temperature or reddening or darkening in the color of the leg.
In addition to blood circulation, there are also lymph channels through which fluids spread between the tissues in the body circulate. This network of channels, which surround the entire body in the form of microscopic canals, carry body lymphatic fluids upwards against gravity by making lymph node stations in areas such as the groin and armpits. Especially in individuals who are overweight, move less, and work standing up, swelling in the legs as a result of underfunctioning and blockage of these lymph channels is the first symptom observed. This disease, which sometimes causes permanent edema similar to advanced elephantiasis, is unfortunately a common cause of leg swelling that negatively affects social life.
Effects of Drugs:
It is used in the treatment of different diseases. High blood pressure medications, hormone medications, steroids, some antidepressant medications, and some diabetes medications can also cause swelling in the legs.
Pregnancy:
Swelling of the legs during pregnancy is of particular importance. Minor swelling that occurs in the first 2-3 months usually occurs due to hormonal effects and does not cause any significant problems. However, leg swelling that occurs especially after the 6th month, when the mother and baby's weight increases, should be taken into consideration. The growing baby and the birth sac take up space in the mother's pelvis with the effect of increasing volume and weight; In this case, it creates pressure on the mother's main vein and lymph channels. If the baby is asymmetrical in the womb and is overloaded on one side, it may cause swelling in the leg on that side, which gradually increases and reaches serious levels. More importantly, blood clots may form in the veins where blood flow has slowed down due to pressure and may cause serious problems. For this reason, especially in cases of unilateral or bilateral leg swelling that begins after the 6th month of pregnancy, the pregnant mother must be checked by a vascular surgeon and it must be determined whether her veins are under pressure with the help of ultrasound.
Questions to Ask in Leg Swelling
When did the swelling first start?
Is the swelling unilateral? Are both legs affected?
Except legs Is there swelling in other body parts?
Is the swelling permanent? Or does it come and go?
In addition to swelling in the legs, are there pain and color-temperature changes in the leg skin?
Do you have any other diseases? Do you experience shortness of breath, waist-chest pain?
Have you had surgery before? If so, what surgery did you have?
Are there any medications you use regularly?
Do you have any common problems with leg swelling or varicose veins in your family?
Treatment
Treatment of the underlying disease causing leg swelling constitutes the basic treatment. It is very important for systemic diseases to be examined by the relevant branch and to start the necessary treatment quickly in order to prevent permanent complications.
When necessary in the treatment of vein-related diseases, the use of drugs that stimulate venous function and blood thinning may be useful. However, such medications must be taken with the advice of a doctor.
Compression socks, popularly known as compression socks, can offer effective comfort in leg swelling. Especially for individuals who need to stand and sit all day long, these socks are as effective as medications in preventing discomfort caused by edema that increases in the evenings.
Recommendations
If you have swelling in your legs, first investigate the causes.
p>
If there is innocent edema, wear comfortable clothes and orthopedic shoes.
Be careful not to remain too still while standing or sitting; Do not cross your legs for a long time. Take walking breaks in between.
During the evening rest, keep your feet elevated and above your body level; Rest like this.
Stay away from extremely hot environments, relax your legs with cool water in the evenings.
If swelling occurs habitually every evening, spend the day with compression (varicose vein) socks.
Since swelling is expected to increase especially during menstrual periods of women, increase the precautions listed above and reduce your salt intake during these periods.
As a result:
For the best of your leg health. from indicators Let's pay attention to leg swelling and be informed about its causes. This problem, which can sometimes be a symptom of serious diseases, should be taken more seriously, especially in pregnant and outpatient individuals; It must be under the supervision of a doctor. If diagnosed early and precautions are taken, future physical complications or cosmetic problems such as permanent skin disorders, varicose veins and cellulite will be prevented.
Read: 0
