What happens if your legs are swollen

Common causes of swollen ankles, feet and legs Swelling in the ankles, feet and legs is often caused by a build-up of fluid in these areas, called oedema. Oedema is usually caused by: standing or sitting in the same position for too long eating too much salty food being overweight being pregnant — read about swollen ankles, feet and fingers in pregnancy taking certain medicines — such as some blood pressure medicines, contraceptive pills, antidepressants or steroids Oedema can also be caused by: an injury — such as a strain or sprain an insect bite or sting problems with your kidneys, liver or heart a blood clot an infection Check if you have oedema Symptoms of oedema include: Swollen or puffy ankles, feet or legs.

Do lie down and use pillows to raise the swollen area when you can get some gentle exercise, like walking, to improve your blood flow wear wide, comfortable shoes with a low heel and soft sole wash, dry and moisturise your feet to avoid infections. Non-urgent advice: See a GP if your ankle, foot or leg is swollen and:. Urgent advice: Get advice from now if:. In some cases, making certain lifestyle changes may help prevent or alleviate swollen legs and ankles. These lifestyle changes include:.

Swollen legs and ankles may be a result of a benign cause or a potentially life-threatening condition. A person should see their doctor if the swelling is sudden, unexplained, or accompanied by additional symptoms.

It is not always possible to prevent swollen legs and ankles. However, there are steps a person can take to reduce the risk of such issues. These include exercising regularly, following a healthful diet, and protecting the legs from injury, where possible. Edema, or water retention, occurs when fluid builds up in the tissues of the body.

Learn about edema here. Venous insufficiency occurs when the veins are less able to transport blood back to the heart. Most cases of venous insufficiency are chronic. In this…. Swollen ankles, or edema, are a common symptom of a variety of conditions.

Learn more about the causes of swollen ankles, including lymphedema…. Causes of leg and ankle swelling. Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M. Pictures Causes During pregnancy Seeing a doctor Prevention Summary There are several potential causes of swollen legs and ankles.

Causes of swollen legs and ankles. Swollen legs and ankles during pregnancy. When to see a doctor. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Definition Causes When to see a doctor. Products and services. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again.

Show references Sterns RH. Pathophysiology and etiology of edema in adults. Accessed Jan. Merck Manual Professional Version. Papadakis MA, et al. Lower extremity edema. McGraw-Hill Education; Edema swelling and cancer treatment. That swelling, called edema , strikes when fluid builds up in the feet and legs. To avoid swelling, limit salt in your diet.

If you have mild swelling and want to de-puff, go for a walk, do some ankle rolls or prop your feet up on pillows. Deep-vein thrombosis DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein of the body, usually but not always in the pelvis, thigh or lower leg.

Typical symptoms of DVT include:. An artery in the leg presses on a nearby vein, making clots more likely in the left leg. If a clot breaks free, it can travel to the lungs and block the flow of blood, leading to a pulmonary embolism — a very serious situation.

Signs of a pulmonary embolism show up in your chest rather than your legs:. Sometimes, the veins in the legs can become weakened.