Causes of leg swelling

Abnormal accumulation of tissue fluid in the lower extremity causes leg swelling. Medically, leg swelling from excessive tissue fluid is referred to as edema. If you live in or around Weston, swollen legs specialized care is offered. There are different factors that can cause swollen legs. The main factors that cause swelling are fluid buildup, known as edema, and inflammation. Pregnancy, kidney problems, some medications, and varicose veins can also be contributors.

Fluid buildup

This is caused when blood vessels or tissue in your legs hold more fluid than they should. The main cause for this is long hours of standing on your feet or sitting down. This swelling can also be an indicator that you are obese or have another underlying medical condition.

Inflammation

Inflammation causes swelling when your leg tissues get irritated from injuries, infections, or toxins. Naturally, when you break a bone or tear a tendon or ligament, the injured area will become swollen. Although this is the case, it is good to seek medical advice so that a more severe problem like arthritis doesn’t result.

Other factors

Congestive heart failure

This is caused by the weakening of the heart to the point that it cannot pump blood that the body needs. This failure by the heart causes buildup of fluids, especially at the legs—the condition causes swelling of legs, shortness of breath, tiredness, and at times, coughing.

Vein issues

At times, blood clots in your leg veins can cause legs to swell; the condition is known as deep vein thrombosis.  It is possible for the vein to break off, causing the blood to flow back to the lungs. This can be life-threatening. This condition more often affects one leg at the calf.  The condition causes leg pain, tenderness, and cramping.

Kidney problems

When your kidneys fail to work the ways they should, they cause a lot of fluid to accumulate in the tissues, most especially the legs. When the kidneys fail to filter water and waste from the blood, the fluid then gathers in the arms and legs, causing swelling. Kidney problems also cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and nausea.

Medications

Some prescription drugs can have side effects that can cause swelling of the legs. Some medicines that cause swelling of the legs include heart medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some diabetes drugs.

Pregnancy

In the third trimester, the growing baby puts pressure on the veins in your legs. This leads to the slow circulation of blood and causes fluid to build up, causing mild swelling. The condition at times can be more severe, and thus, medical attention is required.

In conclusion, several factors can cause swelling on the legs. It would be best if you had a proper diagnosis and treatment. At the Soffer Health Institute, the doctors are specialized in dealing with different causes of swelling. Our doctors give attention to details so that they can get to the root cause of your problem. Early diagnosis of the cause of swelling legs can prevent the occurrence of serious, life-threatening conditions.

Kamlesh Bakshi