You take off your shoes during a long flight, and when the captain announces that you’re landing shortly, you find it more difficult to get your shoes back on because your feet have puffed up. Or, maybe your lower leg and ankles are swelling up more frequently, giving you cankles.
Leg swelling, also called peripheral edema, affects about 20% of adults age 55 and older in the United States. Now, what lies behind the edema is a longer story and one that Dr. Ariel Soffer and the team here at Soffer Health Institute dive into below.
When we use the term edema, we’re referring to fluid buildup in the tissues. Peripheral edema occurs in areas that are farthest from your heart, such as your extremities. While peripheral edema can affect your arms and hands, it most often occurs in the lower legs, ankles, and feet, which are areas where gravity can have a strong effect.
Now let’s get into some of the reasons why you might be developing edema in your lower legs, which include dependent edema, chronic venous insufficiency, and underlying health issues.
Some lower leg swelling is caused by staying still in one position for too long. For example, we opened this discussion with a common scenario — your feet and lower legs get puffy during a long flight. Whether it’s a lengthy flight or a long car ride, edema in your legs is common, as your legs aren’t moving and fluids can pool.
This type of edema tends to go away quickly as you get up and move around again.
Another situation in which edema is common is during pregnancy. Not only do you have more fluid in your body when you’re pregnant, but the fetus can interfere with circulation in your legs. Here again, this leg swelling should subside after you give birth.
In either case — pregnancy or inactivity — compression socks can go a long way toward preventing the puffiness in your lower legs and feet.
Another issue that can lead to edema in your lower legs is CVI, which affects between 10% and 35% of adults in the US.
With CVI, the valves in veins in your lower legs are malfunctioning and allowing blood to pool. When this occurs, the pressure of the pooling blood can not only form varicose veins, but the fluids can leak out of your blood vessels and lead to edema.
Edema in your lower legs can also be a complication of certain diseases, such as:
In addition to underlying disease, leg edema is sometimes a side effect of certain treatments, such as blood pressure medications.
Our view on leg edema is that if it’s an ongoing issue and it’s occurring more frequently, it's a good idea to come see us for a vein evaluation and medical workup. If your leg edema is signaling a larger problem, we have the benefit of early intervention, which can often make a big difference.
To get to the bottom of your leg swelling, we invite you to contact one of our offices in Weston or Hollywood, Florida, to set up an appointment.
