Swelling Around the Feet

Not all swelling is related to an injury or serious medical condition.

Have you ever sat down at the end of a busy day prepared to relax and watch a little TV or maybe read some of those magazines you never seem to get around to opening? So you sit back, take you shoes off and put your feet up, only to notice that your feet look a bit puffy. The answer to this question may be directly related to your age.

As people get older, they experience many physical occurrences that were not a part of their youth. For example, swelling in the ankles and feet may develop even though you have no recollection of an injury that might be responsible for the condition. Without warning, fluid will sometimes collect between cells in the body leading to swelling. When this happens in the ankle, feet and legs it is called peripheral edema.

Painless swelling is common in some older people and in women who are pregnant. Another situation that can cause this condition is standing for long periods, this seems obvious. However, not so obvious is riding in a car or on a plane for several hours. Certain foods can also cause these problems, so relief could be a matter of identifying the culprits and making the appropriate changes in your diet.

In some instances, these changes in the body can be related to a disease such as high blood pressure; so even though pain is not present, you should not ignore the changes. Therefore, it’s very important to pay attention to the symptoms to determine whether your condition is age related or health related.

One of the most important things you can do to alleviate the condition is avoid sitting or standing too long. You can also elevate your feet higher than your hip, when you sit down.