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Swollen ankles is a problem that can affect everyone, especially in summer, although not everyone has the same causes. Why do the ankles swell? In what cases can swollen ankles be de alt with using home remedies, and when is it necessary to see a doctor?

Swollen ankles are a fairly common problem. Although they mostly affect pregnant women and the elderly, they also appear quite rarely in relatively young people.

They may have a trivial cause - and then it is easy to deal with them with commonly available home remedies. But they can also be a sign of serious illnesses, which is why you should always consult a doctor on this problem.

Why are the ankles swollen?

Swollen ankles never show up for no reason. Usually their causes are more or less serious problems related to the functioning of certain organs or even body systems. In he althy people, ankles can swell due to training-related overloads or due to the heat, when the body retains large amounts of water.

The most common causes of swollen ankles are:

  • too strenuous training- ankle swelling may appear especially after intense jogging,
  • a long journey or a sedentary job- ankles may become swollen if we sit in one position with our legs down for a long time - then the blood circulates too slowly, and the tissues are determined by the plasma, which causes edema,
  • heat- on hot days, the body retains water, which results in swollen legs - ankles, feet, calves.
  • premenstrual syndrome - the ankles swell a few days before the expected period, when the body retains water due to hormonal changes, which causes swelling in the lower parts of the legs.
  • heart disease - swollen ankles can signal, inter alia, circulatory failure and left ventricular failure, as well as venous insufficiency. If your ankles are swollen with pain and the skin on your legs is red and very warm to the touch, you may suspect a venous thromboembolism.
  • kidney disease - when their work is impaired, blood flow through the kidneysit is smaller, and as a result, there is, among others, a decrease in the concentration of protein in the blood, which causes swelling of the ankles. Swelling of the ankles, and often also of the entire lower limbs, also occurs in the nephrotic syndrome, which is caused, among others, by excessive loss of protein in the urine, the so-called proteinuria.
  • thyroid disorders- swollen ankles may be one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
  • rheumatoid problems- ankles may swell in the course of rheumatoid arthritis.
  • medication side effects- ankle swelling can be caused by taking certain hormonal drugs, glucocorticosteroids, as well as certain antidepressants and drugs for high blood pressure.

Home remedies for swollen ankles

If you notice that your ankles are swollen, try the best home remedies first.

  • lie down with your legs slightly elevated . You can put them on the back of the bed, several pillows, etc. - the point is that the legs should be raised at an angle of 45 degrees in relation to the body, because in this position the blood in the veins will circulate more easily. Half an hour of such rest should be effective.
  • sitting, put your legs on a stool.This is a method for people who are at work: if you are sitting, put your legs not on the floor, but on a slightly raised platform to facilitate circulation blood in the lower parts of the body.
  • take breaks to stretch your legs . It is also a way for those who travel or are at work: every now and then it is worth taking a break and walking for a while.
  • lubricate the skin with cooling gel- preparations with mint, horse chestnut and heparin extracts work best, they not only cool, but also seal the walls of blood vessels, preventing seepage through them plasma.
  • make a cool compress with ice cubes- if you're at home and the swelling is bothersome, you can cool the swollen area by applying a cool compress, which should help.
  • give up warm baths in favor of a shower- a bath, especially a long one, dilates blood vessels, which results in blood stagnation and swelling.
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Swollen ankles: when to see the doctor?

If your ankles swell frequently and home remedies provide little or no relief, see your doctor to assess whether the swollen ankles are a symptom of the disease and order specific tests.

In this case, it is necessary to test the level of creatinine and urea as well as electrolytes (especially sodium andpotassium), which allows you to assess the work of the kidneys. The doctor should also order you to test for thyroid hormones (determination of the level of TSH, FT3, FT4), determine the rheumatoid factor RF and D-dimers (they are checked, for example, in the case of suspected deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities).

The next test, usually ordered after receiving the results of previous tests - unless they have indicated the cause of the ankle swelling - may be the echo of the heart and Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities. Only on their basis, the doctor recommends appropriate treatment or directs you to the appropriate specialist.

Swollen ankles in pregnancy

Swollen ankles often accompany expectant mothers - especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Swollen ankles in pregnancy are then primarily the result of hormonal changes taking place in the body of the future mother and the associated retention of excessive amounts of water.

But this is not the only reason: swollen ankles can also be the result of pressure on the veins of the enlarging uterus, which makes it difficult to drain blood from the legs, and they are also associated with more blood circulating in the mother's body than before pregnancy.

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