Leg swelling can increase your discomfort and even become painful. While most of us have experienced the occasional swollen ankles after a plane flight, for some of us the problem persists more frequently and severely.
Q: I’m experiencing swelling in my legs, ankles, and feet. Someone recently said that this could be related to vein issues. Is this true?
A: While not all swelling is linked to vein issues, it is in fact true that venous insufficiency can indeed cause swelling, sometimes very extreme, painful swelling.
Causes of Swelling (Edema) Related to Vein Health
Circulatory issues can cause accumulation of fluid in your legs. This swelling from poor circulation is called edema. This form of venous disease is more severe when malfunctioning valves in veins start to allow blood to pool, increasing pressure in veins. When fluid then seeps out into your surrounding soft tissues and accumulates, the edema can become very uncomfortable.
Swollen legs and feet can sometimes just make you feel achy and stiff without being excessively visible. Regardless of how visible it is, you shouldn’t have to accept this as your new normal. Leg swelling can also have more severe symptoms including heaviness, tight or warm skin, stiff joints, and even pain.
Edema that has been caused by circulatory issues is easy to treat if caught early. Unfortunately, if allowed to continue without treatment, it can develop into much more complicated issues that can even be life-threatening.
Treatment Options for Vein Health-Related Swelling
The best path forward in health is to make an appointment for a free consult. Treatment options we offer include, but aren’t limited to:
- Compression Therapy: Compression therapy keeps blood from pooling in the leg
- Elevation: Simply elevating your legs above your heart will relieve pressure, at least temporarily, in particularly uncomfortable moments
- Massage: Gently pressing the skin of your swollen feet or legs towards your heart may help move the extra fluid away from your extremities
- Movement: Many types of even mild exercise can reduce symptoms of vein insufficiency
- Reduce Salt: Reducing your sodium intake may also help minimize edema in your legs
- Endovenous Ablation: This is a less-invasive treatment which involves heating veins from within by a tiny needle stick so they collapse and are eventually reabsorbed by your body
Finding the Cause of Your Swelling
Before a treatment path can be determined, we must first determine what is causing your swelling. Our highly trained, award-winning medical staff will determine the cause of your leg, ankle and feet swelling before recommending a treatment program. The underlying cause of your edema may not be related to vein health.
Our team will use a color duplex ultrasound exam to identify whether the edema is caused by venous disease or not so the doctor can determine the most effective treatment.
If you are suffering from swelling and would like to find out what is causing it, schedule a consultation today.