With the advent of hot days, many people began to notice that their legs and/or hands swelled. This phenomenon not only makes a person's body less attractive, it can also indicate the presence of serious health problems. First, let's find out why swelling occurs.
Why do legs, arms, fingers swell in the heat
Swelling caused by fluid accumulation is called edema. If such edema occurs in the legs and/or arms, it is called peripheral edema. Water retention in the body is caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the extremities.
Read more: Why swelling occurs and how to get rid of it quickly
The cause of vasodilation can be heat, high humidity, or a variety of other reasons. Due to the expansion of blood vessels, fluid accumulates in the tissues, which is why they, in fact, swell. At the same time, swelling only intensifies if a person is motionless for a long time (standing or sitting in one position), because under the influence of gravity, all this fluid flows more and more into the arms and legs.
How to relieve swelling of hands and feet
Remember that, in addition to weather conditions, edema can be caused by diseases of the kidneys or the cardiovascular system. In any case, your doctor will likely advise you to take diuretics (water pills) and limit your salt intake.
Did you know: Swelling of the legs, what happened to the lymphatic system
If you have not yet had time to see a doctor (which you should definitely do), but swelling of your legs and arms bothers you, there are several ways to remove swelling.
Ways to reduce swelling in the arms and legs
1. Raise your legs. If you are sitting for a long time, place an ottoman, stool or chair under the table and rest your feet on it. If you manage to lie down, raise your legs above your head, put them on the back of the sofa, on the wall, or just on a few pillows. Let gravity do its thing – relieve swelling of the legs.
2. Walk more. If the Feng Shui in your office does not allow you to place more or less high support under your feet, try to take five-minute breaks and walk as often as possible (preferably every hour). This will improve circulation and help the lymphatic system pump out excess fluid.
Did you know: Swelling of the face. What to do with high pastosity?
3. Compression stockings. If you have to stand for a long time during the day, wear compression stockings, stockings or stockings. They help improve circulation.
4. Hand massage. If your hands are swollen, massage both hands with your fingertips from shoulder to wrist can help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. You can also do the following exercise: keep your hands at chest level and begin to clench them into fists and unclench them.
In what cases can edema be dangerous
Edema can be caused by quite serious health problems, among which, in addition to diseases of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system, doctors call liver disease, sleep apnea, allergies, taking certain medications (for example: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antihypertensive drugs, corticosteroids, antidepressants, HRT) and chemotherapy.
Edena can also occur as a result of surgical removal or malfunction of the lymph nodes, which are responsible for filtering fluid and cleansing the body of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.
In addition to possible serious illnesses, swelling of the arms and legs in severe cases can lead to skin ulcers. And they, in turn, can become a pathway for serious skin infections. Also, chronic swelling of the legs and feet increases the risk of blood clots that can travel to vital organs (thromboembolism), which can be fatal.
Why do edema occur after botulinum toxin therapy?
Therefore, if along with swelling of the arms or legs, you experience the following symptoms: shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, pain or burning in the limb or chest, fever, – see a doctor immediately – such symptoms may be a sign of thromboembolism.
Estet-portal strongly recommends: in case of chronic swelling of the legs and arms, even if you manage to get rid of the swelling with the help of the above recommendations, you should definitely consult a doctor to find out the cause of such swelling.
Add a comment