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Swollen ankles :(

16 replies

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 21:32

Why do my ankles keep swelling up.....they are soooo tight atm. I drink plenty of water

I must be doing something wrong......have been lying on the floor with my feet up the wall for the past half an hour, the kids think im bananas!!!

OP posts:
bluemoon4444 · 29/05/2009 22:00

do you eat salty?

stubbyfingers · 29/05/2009 22:01

are you preggers?

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:03

i dont think i eat salty...dont tend to have ready meals and dont add salt to cooking....

preggers....not a chance....that would mean sleeping with DP havent dont that in ooooooooooooh ages

OP posts:
Ledodgy · 29/05/2009 22:06

If you press the skin of the swollen bit for a few seconds does it leave a visible pit?

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:06

yip for a second or 2

OP posts:
Ledodgy · 29/05/2009 22:10

It's probably nothing but get it checked out. I just googled and found this:

Ankle swelling
Ankles can be swollen because of increased pressure in the veins or lymphatics. You can tell the difference between the two because blockage of the veins causes pitting oedema (i.e. if you press the skin with your thumb for a few seconds it leaves a clear imprint) whereas lymphoedema does not. Lymphoedema often runs in families and is impossible to treat effectively.

Pitting oedema due to increased pressure in the veins is treated by working out what causes the increase pressure in the veins! Pressure can be increased because of:
Heart failure
Failure of the muscle pump - for example sitting in an aeroplane for 12 hours, unable to walk and unable to put your feet up.
Allergy - food allergy and chemical sensitivity often causes fluid retention which may manifest as puffy ankles.
Blockage of the veins. If this occurs as a result of a thrombosis in the deep veins this is a serious matter requiring hospital admission for anticoagulation. Typically the lower leg is hot, painful and swollen with pitting oedema. Stretching the calf muscle causes pain. The blockage of the vein is not serious - the problem arises if the clot becomes dislodged and travels in the blood stream to the lungs where it gets stuck to cause a pulmonary embolus.

Oedema is rarely caused by low levels of protein in the blood as seen in malnutrition or liver disease. Obviously this is a serious matter.

Phlebitis
Phlebitis (sometimes called thrombophlebitis) simply means inflammation of the veins. It is caused when blood clots in the superficial veins of the legs. Why it does this I have no idea - I suspect that the wall of the vein gets sticky (perhaps as a result of allergy) and that triggers a clot. Certainly Dr Bill Rea in America has described a group of patients who react to chemicals with phlebitis.

Phlebitis feels like a hard worm in the vein - it is usually painful and often inflamed. It is not dangerous at all because the clot is stuck there and cannot move. It is a bore because it is painful. Doctors often treat with antibiotics but there is no logic to this because there is no infection. Aspirin like drugs are often given to reduce inflammation, but it gets better on its own with time.

The best way to tackle many problems of veins is to lie on your back with your legs in the air. The trouble is this is neither practical not dignified!

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:13

Im doing the legs in the air bit

I have a feeling it is the food allergy theory

OP posts:
stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:14

definately not heart failure.....i can still type

OP posts:
Ledodgy · 29/05/2009 22:14

I can see!

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:15

my mate had me worrying by going on about kidney problems

OP posts:
Ledodgy · 29/05/2009 22:15

Weird there is the mn address at the bottom of that pic!

rupertsabear · 29/05/2009 22:31

It is often a symptom of lung illnesses. Could ask your GP about that.

stoppinattwo · 29/05/2009 22:32

maybe it is a photo of the mn office LD

OP posts:
Ledodgy · 29/05/2009 22:35

That would not suprise me SA2!

luvaduck · 29/05/2009 22:54

basically could be lots of things - kidney/heart/protein level etc
need to get it checked out - make appt on monday
good luck

LozzasMum · 23/11/2009 10:42

I know this is an old post but just wanted to share this in case any of you are still suffering with swollen ankles either pre or post birth. I used some special maternity tights that had graduated compression in the legs - they were absolutely fantastic and helped me to prevent getting swollen ankles with my second pregnancy (got it in my first hence going to look for something specifically that could help). I used an on-line shop called daylong.co.uk which had the products and they delivered them to my door 2 days after ordering which I thought was fantastic.

These are fantastic products and I would seriously recommend them to anyone who is suffering with tired or aching legs during pregnancy as well as anyone who wants to help prevent swelling. I've never looked back and now I use their everyday stockings to help my legs feel great all the time!

They regularly do on-line offers so worth checking back to see what the current offer is.

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