Foot, leg, and ankle swelling
Swelling of the ankles - feet - legs; Ankle swelling; Foot swelling; Leg swelling; Edema - peripheral; Peripheral edemaPainless swelling of the feet and ankles is a common problem, especially among older people.
Abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs can cause swelling. This fluid buildup and swelling is called edema.
Considerations
Painless swelling may affect both legs and may include the calves or even the thighs. The effect of gravity makes the swelling most noticeable in the lower part of your body.
Causes
Foot, leg, and ankle swelling is common when the person also:
- Is overweight
- Has a blood clot in the leg
Blood clot in the leg
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside a part of the body. DVT mainly affects the large...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Is older
- Has a leg infection
- Has veins in the legs that cannot properly pump blood back to the heart (called venous insufficiency, most often due to varicose veins)
Veins in the legs that cannot properly ...
Venous insufficiency is a condition in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart.
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Injury or surgery involving the leg, ankle, or foot can also cause swelling. Swelling may also occur after pelvic surgery, especially for cancer.
Long airplane flights or car rides, as well as standing for long periods of time, often lead to some swelling in the feet and ankles.
Swelling may occur in women who take estrogen, or during parts of the menstrual cycle. Most women have some swelling during pregnancy. More severe swelling during pregnancy may be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious condition that includes high blood pressure and significant swelling.
Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is high blood pressure and signs of liver or kidney damage that occur in women after the 20th week of pregnancy. While it is rare, pree...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleSwollen legs may be a sign of heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure. In these conditions, there is too much fluid in the body, and it collects in the legs.
Heart failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleKidney failure
Acute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleLiver failure
Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver and poor liver function. It is the last stage of chronic liver disease.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCertain medicines may also cause your legs to swell. Some of these are:
- Antidepressants, including MAO inhibitors and tricyclics
- Blood pressure medicines called calcium channel blockers
- Hormones, such as estrogen (in birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy) and testosterone
- Steroids
Home Care
Some tips that may help reduce swelling:
- Put your legs on pillows to raise them above your heart while lying down.
- Exercise your legs. This helps pump fluid from your legs back to your heart.
- Follow a low-salt diet, which may reduce fluid buildup and swelling.
Low-salt diet
Too much sodium in your diet can be bad for you. If you have high blood pressure or heart failure, you may be asked to limit the amount of salt (whi...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Wear support stockings (sold at most drugstores and medical supply stores).
Support stockings
You wear compression stockings to improve blood flow in the veins of your legs. Compression stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up your...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - When traveling, take breaks often to stand up and move around.
- Avoid wearing tight clothing or garters around your thighs.
- Lose weight if you need to.
Never stop taking any medicines you think may be causing swelling without first talking to your health care provider.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call 911 or the local emergency number if:
- You feel short of breath.
- You have chest pain, especially if it feels like pressure or tightness.
Chest pain
Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.
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Contact your provider right away if:
- You have heart disease or kidney disease and the swelling gets worse.
Heart disease
Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called co...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - You have a history of liver disease and now have swelling in your legs or abdomen.
Liver disease
The term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Your swollen foot or leg is red or warm to the touch.
- You have a fever.
Fever
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - You are pregnant and have more than just mild swelling or have a sudden increase in swelling.
- You have new or worsened swelling in only one leg.
Also contact your provider if self-care measures do not help or swelling gets worse.
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your provider will take a medical history and do a thorough physical examination, paying special attention to your heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, legs, and feet.
Your provider will ask questions such as:
- What body parts swell? Your ankles, feet, legs? Above the knee or below?
- Do you have swelling at all times or is it worse in the morning or evening?
- What makes your swelling better?
- What makes your swelling worse?
- Does the swelling get better when you raise your legs?
- Have you had blood clots in your legs or lungs?
Blood clots
Blood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. A blood clot that forms inside one of your veins or arteries is calle...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Have you had varicose veins?
- What other symptoms do you have?
Diagnostic tests that may be done include:
- Blood tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC) or blood chemistry
Complete blood count
A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleBlood chemistry
A comprehensive metabolic panel is a group of blood tests. They provide an overall picture of your body's chemical balance and metabolism. Metaboli...
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Chest x-ray or extremity x-ray
Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleExtremity x-ray
An extremity x-ray is an image of the hands, wrist, feet, ankle, leg, thigh, forearm humerus or upper arm, hip, shoulder or all of these areas. The ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Doppler ultrasound examination of your leg veins
-
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
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Urinalysis
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
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Your treatment will focus on the cause of the swelling. Your provider may prescribe diuretics to reduce the swelling, but these can have side effects. Home treatment for leg swelling that is not related to a serious medical condition should be tried before drug therapy.
References
Magee DJ, Manske RC. Lower leg, ankle, and foot. Magee DJ, Manske RC, eds. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. 7th ed. St Louis MO: Elsevier; 2021:chap 13.
Quick CRG, Biers SM, Arulampalam THA. Pathophysiology, clinical features and diagnosis of vascular disease affecting the limbs. In: Quick CRG, Biers SM, Arulampalam THA, eds. Essential Surgery: Problems, Diagnosis and Management. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 40.
Seller RH, Symons AB. Swelling of the legs. In: Seller RH, Symons AB, eds. Differential Diagnosis of Common Complaints. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 31.
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Foot swelling - illustration
The abnormal buildup of fluid in the body is called edema. Edema is commonly seen in the feet and ankles, because of the effect of gravity, swelling is particularly noticeable in these locations. Common causes of edema are prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, pregnancy, being overweight, and increase in age.
Foot swelling
illustration
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Lower leg edema - illustration
Painless swelling of the feet and ankles is a common problem, particularly in older people. Most of the time swelling can be relieved by elevating the legs above the heart while lying down and avoiding sitting or standing without moving for prolonged periods of time. Although swelling of the feet and ankles can be a minor problem, it can also be an indication of more serious illnesses such as heart failure, renal failure, or liver failure.
Lower leg edema
illustration
-
Foot swelling - illustration
The abnormal buildup of fluid in the body is called edema. Edema is commonly seen in the feet and ankles, because of the effect of gravity, swelling is particularly noticeable in these locations. Common causes of edema are prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, pregnancy, being overweight, and increase in age.
Foot swelling
illustration
-
Lower leg edema - illustration
Painless swelling of the feet and ankles is a common problem, particularly in older people. Most of the time swelling can be relieved by elevating the legs above the heart while lying down and avoiding sitting or standing without moving for prolonged periods of time. Although swelling of the feet and ankles can be a minor problem, it can also be an indication of more serious illnesses such as heart failure, renal failure, or liver failure.
Lower leg edema
illustration
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Review Date: 6/20/2023
Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.