How to remove swelling from your feet at home: practical advice

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Swelling of the legs and other parts of the body can occur for various reasons, including in absolutely healthy people. In the overwhelming majority of cases, women face this problem, but some men also face it. Severe edema causes a lot of pain and discomfort, so you want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

In this article, we will tell you how you can do it at home.

Swelling of the legs: the main causes

The lower limbs are the very part of the body that swells much more often than others. Swelling of the legs in itself is not a separate disease, in most cases it signals certain ailments in the human body or is a symptom of serious physical overload.

If your legs are very swollen, most likely, the reason for this phenomenon lies in the following:

• excessive physical strain of the lower extremities, prolonged stay in an upright position without the ability to lie down;
• heart failure and some heart diseases that are accompanied by circulatory failure;
• kidney disease and insufficient function of the urinary system;
• vascular pathologies - varicose veins of the lower extremities, thrombophlebitis;
• diseases such as lymphedema, lympho-venous insufficiency, erysipelas and its consequences can lead to stagnation of lymph and, as a consequence, to the occurrence of edema of the legs. As a rule, such edema resembles a small pad and is localized on the dorsum of the foot;
• purulent-infiltrative and inflammatory diseases of the skin and soft tissues of the lower extremities;
• mechanical trauma and damage - bruise, fracture, sprain, and so on;
• some disorders of the thyroid gland;
• pregnancy period, menopause or premenstrual syndrome;
• neuropathological vascular disorders associated with serious pathologies of the nervous system.

Pharmacy products for removing edema

There are many tools that can be used to relieve puffiness and get rid of discomfort in the lower extremities. The tactics of action here depends on what kind of reason provoked the onset of edema.

So, based on the situation, the following recommendations can help remove swelling from one or both legs:

• if the edema is caused by excessive strain and occurs in a healthy person, it is necessary to limit physical activity on the lower extremities, it is banal to rest, periodically do special gymnastics and massage, and, if necessary, use compression tights or stockings to alleviate the condition;
• in the event that the swelling is provoked by diseases of the urinary or cardiovascular systems, treatment is carried out only under the strict supervision and supervision of a physician. With the development of complications, the patient is often placed in a hospital in a medical institution, but in most cases it is possible to treat it at home. As a rule, diuretics are prescribed, for example, "Hypothiazide", "Veroshpiron" or "Furasemide". In some cases, potassium preparations such as Asparkam and Panangin can also be used. If the cause of edema lies in cardiovascular insufficiency, cardioprotectors, usually containing L-carnitine, can be prescribed to strengthen the heart muscle;
• for the treatment of edema of venous origin, special jerseys or elastic bandages are almost always used to compress the feet and legs. Additionally, a complex intake of medications is prescribed, which necessarily include phlebotonics - Troxevasin, Normoven, Eskuzan, blood thinners - Cardiomagnil, Clopedogrel, Aspecard. To relieve discomfort in the legs, as a rule, various ointments and creams are used, for example, "Lyoton gel", "Venitan", "Gapatrombin".

We remove edema from the legs using folk remedies

Traditional medicine has been used since ancient times.

In most cases, you can remove swelling from the legs not only with traditional, but also with folk methods, such as those listed below:

• foot baths with decoctions of medicinal plants. Most often used here are pharmaceutical chamomile, black elderberry, yarrow, horsetail or sage, as well as a mixture of these herbs taken in equal proportions. To prepare a solution for a foot bath, you need to take about 100 grams of dry medicinal raw materials, pour a liter of boiled water, put on the stove, bring to a boil again and boil for 15-20 minutes. After that, let the broth brew (about 45 minutes) and strain well. By this time, it is necessary to boil 3 liters of water, add the ready-made broth to it and lower your feet there for 15-20 minutes. If the edema is provoked by vascular diseases, it is better to use an infusion of willow roots or oak bark, and the temperature of the bath should be low;
• It is also helpful to rinse your lower extremities with cool water, lie on a bed or sofa and position yourself so that your legs are above your head. To do this, they can be placed on a bolster or pillow, on the back of a sofa, or on a wall. You need to stay in this position for about 15 minutes. As a rule, immediately after carrying out such a procedure, the patient feels significant relief;
• you can also wipe the swollen areas with pieces of ice, and it is better to make it not from ordinary water, but from decoctions of medicinal plants, which can be prepared in the same way as in the case of foot baths;
• take a shower and rub your feet with a stiff brush directly under running water until reddening. After that, the skin should be well moistened with any cream or oil used for cosmetic purposes - burdock, castor, almond, peach and so on. As a last resort, you can also use ordinary olive or sunflower oil, which any housewife must have in the kitchen. The only thing to consider is that such procedures are contraindicated for thrombophlebitis, therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor before performing them;
• you can also regularly rub the lower limbs with natural lemon juice or add grated citrus fruit zest to the foot baths;
• if the edema is associated with varicose veins, you can use a simple method, reminiscent of hardening - every morning and evening you need to pour cold water on your feet, each time slightly reducing its temperature;
• finally, during treatment, it is useful to ingest the mummy with milk and honey. This must be done 2 times a day for 30 days.

It should be understood that all these methods can be absolutely useless if the cause of excessive swelling lies in diseases of internal organs and systems.

If for a long time you have not been able to remove edema with traditional and folk methods, be sure to consult a doctor for a detailed diagnosis, because this problem may indicate the development of severe ailments in the body, which are best treated at an early stage.