Leg Swelling -- Top 10 Causes and CuresRelated Links


It can be uncomfortable, unattractive and irritating, but how do you
tell if leg swelling is the sign of something more serious? How is leg
swelling different from swollen ankles? Are there natural remedies for
swelling legs?

The medical term for your uncomfortable, swollen legs is edema. Leg
swelling usually occurs due to the build-up of fluid in the tissues of the
leg. It can be caused by a number of diseases, disorders and
conditions varying in seriousness from swollen veins to kidney
problems and cardiac disorders. This wide range of risk factors makes
it difficult to diagnose and difficult to stop worrying about.
When One of My Legs Swell---What Does It Mean?
According to The Mayo Clinic, the following generalizations should be
considered when diagnosing leg swelling. Swelling in one leg only is
more likely to indicate a condition related solely to that leg, such as an
injury, than to a condition concerning distant organs like the heart.
There is one exception to this rule and that is swelling related to deep vein thrombosis, a blockage in an interior vein in one leg. In some
cases, the blockage or clot can break free, travel to your heart or
brain and cause a heart attack or stroke.
When Both Legs Swell---What Does It Mean?
Swelling in both legs is more likely to indicate that the person is
suffering from a condition that affects the whole body, such as heart
disease, or a condition not initially related to the legs such as sitting or
standing for long periods. However, it’s important to remember that if
you have a serious disorder you won’t only suffer from swollen legs.
Other symptoms, such as chest pain in the case of heart disease, will
accompany your leg swelling.
Top 10 Causes and Remedies of Leg Swelling1. Kidney Disease

Your kidneys are the key to many occurrences of leg swelling. You
may not notice any symptoms at first but, as it goes forward, kidney
failure affects the way the body flushes out its waste and how it
regulates its water levels. Swelling can occur in the legs because the
kidneys cannot remove fluids and waste materials efficiently. Other
signs of kidney failure, which may occur many months after the
kidneys have started to experience problems, include lethargy,
weakness, shortness of breath and abnormal heart rhythms.

2. Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure strikes when the heart fails to function
properly as a pump and cannot push enough oxygen-rich blood around
the body. Congestive heart failure can affect many different organs.
When the heart cannot pump enough blood to the kidneys they in turn
can’t push out salt and water. The kidneys retain water in response.
As the body becomes overloaded with fluid the legs swell. You may
also notice swelling in the abdomen. If you have swollen legs and the
following symptoms, consult a medical professional: fatigue, shortness
of breath, chest pain and a decrease in your ability to exercise.

3. Liver Problems

Leg swelling can be caused by progressive cirrhosis of the liver.
Cirrhosis of the liver is a complication of liver disease which causes
the loss of liver cells and scarring of this vital organ. As the disease
becomes severe, signals are sent to the kidneys to cause them to
retain salt and water in the body. This excess fluid builds up in the legs
due to the effect of gravity. Swelling is often worse after sitting or
standing all day and may get better overnight. Cirrhosis can also cause
fatigue, loss of appetite, easy bruising and yellowing of the skin. Get
medical help if you have a history of liver disease and your legs have
started to swell.

4. Prostate Cancer

Leg swelling can unfortunately be a sign of advanced prostate cancer.
Early prostate cancer doesn’t normally cause any symptoms. As the
cancer grows it can spread to the bladder, lymph nodes and bones. If
the cancer reaches the bladder it can obstruct the tubes that connect
the kidneys to the bladder and you can develop kidney failure over
many months. Leg swelling is one of the signs of kidney failure, as
well as nausea, itching and fatigue. Other symptoms of prostate
cancer include an urgency to pass urine, difficulty or pain in passing
urine or blood in the urine.

5. Lifestyle

There are other options to consider when looking for the cause of your
leg swelling, and they aren’t signs of a serious disease or condition.
Have you been working out in a hot gym? At high temperatures the
body isn’t good at removing fluid from the tissues. At high altitudes
you can also experience swelling.

One of the most common causes of leg swelling and swollen ankles is prolonged standing or sitting, particularly in cramped surroundings
such as the economy airline seat or a small car. Because gravity
works its magic, swelling is more noticeable in the lower parts of the
body but it is usually painless. You are more likely to suffer if you are
overweight so losing the extra pounds is one of the remedies you can
put into action at home. Lift your legs above your heart, on cushions or
blankets, when lying down. Try to exercise your legs, particularly
when stuck on a plane. You can also wear support stockings and
massage your legs in the direction of your heart. Following a low salt diet can aid in reducing fluid retention and, in turn, swelling.

6. Hormonal Causes

It can be very normal for your legs to swell during pregnancy. When
pregnant you release hormones that cause the body to retain fluid and
salt. The face may swell, as can the legs. When you are pregnant your
blood clots more easily, putting you at risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis,
which causes leg swelling. Excessive swelling can also be a sign of pre-eclampsia so get your symptoms checked out if you are worried.
Women can suffer from swollen legs during or before their period
when the hormone progesterone is reduced, contributing to fluid
retention.

7. Veins

If your legs start to swell suddenly, for no known reason, you may be
suffering from a blood clot. Blood clots occur more frequently when
you haven’t moved for a long period of time and come with symptoms
of pain, usually an ache deep within the calf or upper thigh. The clot or
blockage reduces the flow of blood which increases pressure on the
vein resulting in swelling. A deep vein thrombosis may make the leg
painful, tender and red and may make it difficult to walk. Deep vein
thrombosis can cause serious complications and requires immediate
treatment with blood thinners. Another vein condition that can cause
surface swelling is phlebitis.
When Blood Pools In My Legs--- What Does It Mean?
A condition called venous insufficiency occurs when blood begins to
pool in the leg veins, stretching the vein wall. Some of the valves
cannot hold the weight of excessive blood, which puts extra pressure
on the next valve, causing fluid to seep into the tissue. This causes leg
swelling, aches and tiredness. Remedies for venous insufficiency
include elevating the legs, massage, exercise and in some cases
surgery.

Horse Chestnut is a popular herbal treatment for venous insufficiency.
One 1976 study (Neiss A, Bohm C. Demonstration of the effectiveness
of the horse-chestnut-seed extract in the varicose syndrome complex)
followed 212 people over 40 days on a treatment of either horse
chestnut or placebo which then crossed over to the other treatment
after 20 days.

Horse chestnut significantly reduced leg swelling and pain when
compared to placebo. A 1986 study (Lohr E, Garanin G, Jesau P, et al.
Anti-edemic therapy in chronic venous insufficiency with tendency to
formation of edema) of 74 people reached a similar conclusion.

8. OPCs

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, or OPCs to you and me, are
bioflavonoids found in grape seed and pine bark as well as cranberry,
blueberry, hawthorn and bilberry.

OPCs reduce leg swelling. One double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
lasting two months and looking at 40 individuals with chronic venous
insufficiency found that 100mg, three times daily of OPCs from pine
bark significantly reduced leg swelling (2000; Arcangeli P.
Pycnogenol in chronic venous insufficiency.)

Pine bark extract, in particular, can reduce leg swelling. A 2006 study
from the L'Aquila University in Italy published in the journal of Clinical
and Applied Thrombosis/ Hematosis showed a 35 percent reduction in
the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency, which causes leg
swelling, when taking pine bark extract. The 86 patients
supplemented with Pycnogenol, an extract from the bark of the French
maritime pine tree.

9. Herbal Remedies

The herb Gotu Kola was shown, in a double-blind study of 94 people
with venous insufficiency, to improve symptoms of leg swelling
(Pointel JP, Boccalon H, Cloarec M, et al. Titrated extract of Centella
asiatica (TECA) in the treatment of venous insufficiency of the lower
limbs.)

Red Vine Leaf proved significantly more effective than placebo in
reducing leg swelling due to chronic venous insufficiency, according to
a 2000 study (Kiesewetter H, Koscielny J, Kalus U, et al. Efficacy of
orally administered extract of red vine leaf AS 195 (folia vitis
viniferae) in chronic venous insufficiency (stages I-II).) This study
followed 219 individuals and found dosages of 360mg and 720mg of
red vine leaf were most effective.

Butcher's broom is another herb which can reduce leg swelling. A
2002 study (Vanscheidt W, Jost V, Wolna P, et al. Efficacy and safety
of a Butcher's broom preparation compared to placebo in patients
suffering from chronic venous insufficiency) found the herb Butcher’s
Broom significantly decreased leg swelling when compared to placebo.
The study looked at 166 women with chronic venous insufficiency for
12 weeks.

10. Medications That Cause Your Legs to Swell
Certain medications can cause leg swelling as a side effect. The
hormones in the birth control pill and hormone replacement therapy
can have an effect on your legs. Blood pressure meds such as
nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine and verapamil can cause
swelling, as can steroids and some antidepressants. To combat the
problems of leg swelling, physicians often prescribe diuretics, drugs
that increase the urination rate which causes the body to expel more
fluid.