Swollen Feet

Because there are so many potential causes for your feet and ankles to swell, it’s not something you should try to treat on your own. While a simple stubbed toe may result in swelling and discomfort, for example, you also may have a blood clot that could put your life at risk. Diabetes, heart failure and other serious conditions also may result in swollen feet. Don’t take any chances. Visit your podiatrist at Premier Podiatry in Clifton, New Jersey. Dr. Velimir Petkov can quickly diagnose the source of your swollen feet and recommend immediate treatment.

Swollen feet and ankles happen occasionally to everyone. Long periods of standing or walking can cause overused tissues to swell and throb. You can usually relieve this discomfort with rest and by elevating your feet to enable the flow of blood and fluid back to your heart. But long-term swelling of your feet and ankles, called edema, may indicate a more serious underlying condition.

Seek a doctor trained in recognizing the various conditions of your feet. A specialist like Dr. Velimir Petkov has extensive experience diagnosing and treating foot disorders quickly and effectively. At Premier Podiatry in Clifton, New Jersey, he assesses your overall health and determines if your swollen feet treatment needs to involve bone and structure abnormalities due to an injury or whether other conditions play a role.

Possible Causes for Swollen Feet and Ankles

Gravity naturally pulls blood and fluid into your ankles and feet. If the valves in your veins start to lose their ability to open and close properly, the blood struggles to return to your heart to be reoxygenated. Because of this phenomenon, which doesn’t just affect older adults, several vascular or vein conditions may contribute to your symptoms. When fainting, coughing up blood, difficulty breathing or chest pains accompany swelling in your feet, seek immediate medical attention.

Some of the more common issues that may cause you to seek swollen feet treatment include:

• Phlebitis. This inflammation condition restricts blood flow and can cause significant pain.
• Venous insufficiency. The valves in your veins that keep your blood moving in one direction slowly deteriorate over time. When your vein valves perform less efficiently, the fluid can pool in your lower extremities, causing swollen feet.
• Heart failure. Any condition involving the efficiency of your heart keeps the blood and fluids from traveling correctly throughout the body.
• Deep-vein thrombosis. Blood clots may develop in the deep veins of your legs, blocking blood flow. Due to the severity of blood clot issues, it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention if you notice shortness of breath, pain when breathing or a deep, consistent pain in your leg. If the clot travels to your lungs, heart, or brain, serious health concerns or even death may result.
• Kidney disease. When your kidneys are compromised, fluid moves sluggishly through the tissue and backs up into many other areas of your body, including your arms, legs, ankles and feet.
• Liver disease. Diseases of the liver result in your body swelling as fluids seep into tissues. Your skin and eyes also become jaundiced, taking on a yellow hue.

Other causes of swollen feet include:

• Broken bones or pinched nerves that prevent proper blood flow
• Surgical side effects, such as infections
• Periods of sustained travel when you had to sit in one position for long periods of time
• Pregnancy or substantial weight gain
• Diabetes that compromises your circulatory system, resulting in diabetic foot
• Secondary edema due to medications or treatments, such as chemotherapy
• Foot pain from the swelling

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How to Get Rid of Swollen Feet

Because many conditions contributing to swollen feet and ankles resolve themselves when the underlying medical condition is successfully treated, your New Jersey podiatrist initially provides you with home care instructions that may include:

• Wearing loose clothing
• Elevating your feet whenever you’re seated
• Setting alarms to remind you to get up and move around frequently
• Performing calf flexes and other leg and ankle strengthening exercises
• Donning compression socks to encourage a healthy blood flow
• Losing weight
• Soaking your feet in Epsom salts
• Taking magnesium supplements to reduce water retention, unless you have a heart or kidney condition

Visit a trained podiatrist familiar with the many underlying causes of swollen feet before trying at-home care on your own. While diagnosing your condition to find the best swollen feet and ankles treatment, Dr. Petkov may uncover a serious condition that’s making itself known through symptoms in your lower extremities.

Swollen Feet Treatment

If your NJ podiatrist discovers any underlying conditions, he may refer you to another specialist while tackling your swollen feet symptoms. Some of the treatments that target swollen feet symptoms include:

• Medications to help reduce water retention
• Resolving blood clots with anticoagulants or minimally invasive surgery
• Treatment of heart, kidney or liver conditions
• Suggesting nutrients or other medications to help manage chemotherapy side effects
• Managing healthy blood sugar levels with medication or insulin if you’re diabetic

Your New Jersey podiatrist’s goal includes not only treating your swollen feet and ankles, but also determining any underlying causes that may indicate more extensive medical issues. Honest discussion and communication about your daily activities, diet, exercise routine, lifestyle habits and any other potential health concerns helps your doctor determine the best course of action. If you suffer from persistent swollen feet symptoms, contact Premier Podiatry today.

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