The ankle or ankle is perhaps the most mobile part of the leg. Her bones, ligaments and muscles are actively involved when walking and running. It is not surprising that in the event of any pathology, a person experiences discomfort with any movement, which significantly worsens his daily life. If your leg is swollen in the ankle area and it hurts, what should you do and why do such symptoms occur?
Causes of edema
As a rule, the main reason why the feet swell is fluid retention in the tissues.
Typically, this phenomenon is observed in healthy people who spend a lot of time on their feet, for example, due to the nature of their work.
Swelling may also occur after prolonged sitting.
However, there are several other options for why feet swell.
This may occur due to injury.
For example, a sprain of the ankle joint is inevitably accompanied by swelling, which after some time (if the injury is not too serious) goes away.
Some medications can provoke fluid retention in the body, in particular those that enter the body through droppers. However, after completing the course of therapy, the swelling of the foot goes away.
If your leg is swollen in the foot area, you should reconsider your diet, since swelling can be caused by excess body weight (increased stress on the joints) and an unhealthy lifestyle (eating large amounts of salt and alcohol abuse).
Swelling can be a consequence of intense training and increased physical activity.
In turn, women's legs may swell during pregnancy, in the postpartum period and due to hormonal imbalances.
Ankle pain
Pain in the ankles can be caused by various internal diseases, injuries and other factors, which only a doctor can tell you in more detail - self-medication in this situation is extremely unwise. The most likely causes of pain in the ankle area may be:
- osteoarthritis;
- post-traumatic arthritis;
- arthritis;
- ankle injury.
If you promptly seek medical help for ankle pain, you can avoid serious health consequences.
Osteoarthritis
The rapid development of this disease can negatively affect the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. By osteoarthritis, modern medicine refers to a number of diseases affecting both the articular cartilage and the joint itself. And although it is possible and necessary to fight osteoarthritis, many patients remain disabled for the rest of their lives, so it is extremely important not to miss the moment when the disease first made itself felt. Among the main risk factors, the most significant are congenital bone diseases, obesity, acute lack of estrogen, serious joint injuries and others.
Post-traumatic arthritis
As a rule, this complex disease makes itself felt after a leg injury, when there is serious damage to the connective tissue. The development of post-traumatic arthritis is directly influenced by deformation or displacement of the joint. Pain in the ankle area is caused by the replacement of cartilage tissue with connective tissue, which is characterized by reduced elasticity. It is also worth noting that the progression of the disease is constant, so pain can only intensify over time. In addition, there is a possibility that with post-traumatic arthritis, joint mobility will significantly decrease, which leads to partial or complete loss of performance.
Arthritis
This disease is associated with the development of inflammatory processes and various joint pathologies. During the course of arthritis, a distinctive pattern is discovered - the accumulation of exudate directly in the cavity of the affected joint. Typically, pain in the ankle area occurs with any physical activity. The risk group is predominantly dominated by older people, but young people often have to deal with arthritis.
Ankle injury
Damage to the ankle joint may well cause severe pain in the ankle.
This problem is usually encountered by people involved in active sports: football, tennis, basketball, gymnastics. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to use special shoes that will minimize the risk of injury. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
What pathologies can cause swelling of the legs?
The first thing you should pay attention to is the kidneys.
It is this organ that needs to be examined initially, since the kidneys, due to disturbances in natural functions caused by various diseases, are simply not able to cope with the processing of large amounts of fluid entering the body. As a result, fluid is retained in the extremities.
Rheumatism and other diseases that have a devastating effect on the joints can cause circulatory problems.
This most often occurs due to inflammation of the joint capsule, which creates excessive pressure on the diseased joint.
If the foot is swollen and red, this may indicate the presence of pathologies in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Swelling occurs because the heart cannot cope with the load. As a result, blood and lymph stagnate in the lower extremities while blood pressure decreases.
Hormonal imbalances and liver diseases provoke improper metabolism, which leads to deterioration in fluid absorption.
Varicose veins also lead to fluid stagnation in the legs. This is due to insufficient elasticity of blood vessels.
However, in this case, swelling of the legs is observed only in the evening; it goes away in the morning.
Causes of swelling and pain in the ankle area
Why do my feet swell at the ankles? Swelling and pain in the leg near the ankle can have different causes. Since this part of the body is actively involved in walking and running, ankle injuries often occur. It is not surprising that people who lead an active lifestyle and play sports often suffer from this.
In addition, it happens that the ankle hurts and swells, if you spend the whole day on your feet, banal fatigue takes its toll. The situation is aggravated when a person, and more often this concerns women, wears uncomfortable shoes. Shoes that compress the foot completely or only in the toes, with an uncomfortable instep, and even more so with high heels, will certainly cause the ankle to hurt and swell. In addition, it may even be painful to step on your foot, and your limbs may feel like they’re numb. These symptoms appear in the afternoon. And at night, the muscles of a tired leg can cramp.
In general, this condition is not dangerous. However, we should not forget that constantly wearing tight shoes impairs blood circulation in the feet, and this can lead to a number of unpleasant pathologies. If you often walk in stiletto heels, there is a risk of causing irreversible deformities such as transverse flat feet or the formation of a bump at the base of the first toe. In addition, a high arch of the foot is very unstable and can lead to injuries such as sprains and dislocations.
Injuries
If your leg is swollen and painful, any of the injuries could be the cause. As a rule, you can get them when doing active sports, for example, while running, skating and skiing, during a parachute jump, as well as when falling, for example, on ice in winter.
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The most minor of these injuries is a bruise. With it, the damaged area swells a little, redness appears, and then a hematoma. However, when it comes to the ankle specifically, a sprained or torn ligament is much more common. The thing is that the joint in this place experiences a very large load, especially during sports. Therefore, if you move incorrectly, it is easy to get such damage. Symptoms may include:
- slight swelling with slight stretching and quite severe swelling with rupture,
- aching pain in the ankle that gets worse when walking,
- in case of serious damage, a local increase in body temperature may be observed,
- a small hematoma is possible.
In addition, dislocation in the ankle area is also common. It is characterized by joint deformation, swelling, and the inability to stand on the leg due to pain. When an injury occurs, a characteristic clicking sound can be heard as the bone is pushed out of the joint.
The most serious injury to the ankle is undoubtedly a fracture. A sharp pain is felt both when trying to move the limb and during palpation. The ankle swells, a blue-violet hematoma appears, and sometimes a crunching sound can be heard. To determine the nature of the injury, you need to contact a traumatologist and take an x-ray.
Diseases
Arthritis of the ankle
If an elderly person has a swollen ankle and it hurts to step on the foot, it is quite possible to assume a disease such as arthritis of the joint. It is characterized by:
- difficulty moving, pain,
- redness of the skin, often with a local increase in temperature,
- swelling, a dimple remains at the place of pressure, which then slowly smoothes out.
Arthritis can affect one joint or both joints at the same time. This disease requires mandatory treatment. In its absence, after a few years the articular cartilage may completely collapse.
Gout
If your ankle or foot is swollen and your joints are very painful, and these symptoms appear unexpectedly, often at night, the development of gout cannot be ruled out. This disease is characterized by the deposition of uric acid salts in the joints, which occurs due to metabolic disorders. Most often, the disease affects the big toes, however, in some cases, the ankle, elbow, knee joints or fingers may become inflamed.
Varicose veins
The lower part of the leg, particularly the shin and ankle, can become swollen as a result of varicose veins. This disease leads to irreversible dilation of the veins, thinning of the venous wall and the formation of nodules. At the same time, at the initial stage of the disease, a person may feel heaviness and fatigue in the legs, especially towards the end of the day, the ankles become swollen. Later, a small venous network appears, and then dark blue dilated veins begin to protrude. This is all accompanied by aching pain, a feeling of heat and night cramps.
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Thrombophlebitis
If your ankle is swollen and it hurts to walk, but the other leg remains unchanged, thrombophlebitis is quite possible. This disease is an inflammation of the walls of the veins, accompanied by the appearance of a blood clot. More often, women over the age of 40 are susceptible to this disease. The following symptoms can be identified:
- severe bursting pain when walking and when palpating the affected vein,
- swelling of the lower extremities,
- blue color of the skin due to stagnation of blood in the blood capillaries,
- local and sometimes general increase in body temperature,
- swelling of superficial veins.
Allergic reaction
If swelling appears in the leg, another cause may be an allergic reaction. Most often, this condition is observed in the summer after an insect bite (bees, wasps, mosquitoes, fleas, etc.) or upon contact with certain plants (hogweed, nettle). In addition to swelling of the ankle, there is itching, redness, sometimes a rash and mild pain.
Another possible allergen can be some medications, which also cause swelling of the extremities. In particular, these include various hormonal drugs, for example, birth control pills.
Diagnosis of edema
At your initial appointment, the doctor will first conduct a visual examination, after which, depending on your existing health problems, you will be referred for an examination, during which the following manipulations will be performed:
- They will take a blood sample and conduct a detailed analysis, and also check it for clotting and hormones;
- They will conduct an ultrasound examination of the arteries and veins of the lower extremities, as well as an examination of the pelvis and abdominal cavity;
- They will send you for an ECG;
- They will do MSCT and MRI to accurately determine the problem.
Based on the results of tests and examinations, it becomes possible to determine the area of pathology with maximum accuracy in order to subsequently contact a highly specialized specialist who will prescribe effective treatment for swelling of the foot and the original source of the problem.
It is worth making an appointment with a urologist and nephrologist if problems with kidney function are identified, with a cardiologist - with heart disease, with an endocrinologist - with hormonal imbalances, and with a phlebologist - if there are problems with blood vessels.
How to relieve swelling and pain in the ankle?
Swelling and other unpleasant sensations in the legs cannot be ignored. But if the diseases that caused them need to be treated only with the help of a specialist, then in the case of an incorrect lifestyle, you need to take some measures yourself. It is important to know if your ankle is swollen and hurts, what you can do and what you can’t do.
What can I do to prevent my ankles from swelling and pain?
If you are suffering from swelling and pain in your ankles, there are several rules that you can follow to alleviate the condition:
- choose comfortable shoes that are not constrictive, have a comfortable instep and a stable heel,
- when working sedentarily, do exercises for your legs from time to time, and walk barefoot at home,
- if your legs are tired after a hard day, you can take a relaxing bath with sea salt, massage with essential oils or special ointments that relieve swelling,
- limit the consumption of salty foods and alcohol, as well as normalize the drinking regime,
- For venous diseases, compression stockings can help.
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Folk remedies for relieving ankle swelling
What to do at home to relieve swelling of the ankles? Some folk recipes, in particular diuretics, can help get rid of this symptom.
The simplest diuretic can be considered a mixture of freshly squeezed juices of lemon, cucumber and carrots in equal proportions. The drink can be diluted with water and taken three times a day.
Flax infusion has proven itself well. To prepare it, 1 tbsp. l. seeds need to be poured with a liter of boiling water and boiled for 15 minutes. Let it brew for an hour and take 100 ml. 6-8 times a day.
To prepare a mint drink, you need to pour 30 g of mint with a liter of boiling water and leave for 1-2 hours. Drink in small portions at least three times a day.
Why do my feet swell at the ankles?
The main mechanism for the development of soft tissue edema is the release of plasma from the bloodstream (plasma fills the intercellular substance) due to increased permeability of the capillary walls (microvasculature) or increased pressure. Since a person spends a significant part of his time standing (vertical position), the upward flow of blood through the venous vessels is ensured by special valves. They prevent regurgitation (backflow).
With the pathological process of the veins, the functioning of the valves is disrupted, blood stagnation develops, during which the legs gradually swell at the ankles . There are several main provoking factors that cause valvular insufficiency of the veins of the lower extremity, these include:
- If a person remains in a standing position for a long time, swelling often develops in representatives of certain professions (surgeons, hairdressers).
- Inflammatory pathology of the veins of the lower extremities - phlebitis (inflammation) or thrombophlebitis (inflammatory process with intravascular formation of blood clots).
- Varicose veins are a pathology characterized by the formation of nodular protrusions of the superficial veins of the lower extremity with a violation of their functional state.
- Inflammation of the lymphatic vessels of the subcutaneous tissue and soft tissues (lymphangitis).
Usually, if the legs are swollen at the ankle, the cause and severity of the pathological process can only be determined by a phlebologist. For this purpose, specialists from the First Surgical Department of the North Caucasus Railway Hospital use modern diagnostic techniques (rheovasography, ultrasound, x-ray techniques).