10 Things That Cause Swollen Legs and How to Fix It

8 Heart problems

If you’ve been having heart problems or other problems like these, this could be why your legs are swelling. This is because your heart might not be strong enough to pump all the blood your body needs, and since your legs are at the ends of your body, they will be damaged the most. This is called generalized edema, and it means that your legs are holding on to water instead.

You may have a heart condition if you can’t get enough air when you’re lying flat or after a bit of exercise. Again, the best thing to do in this case is to visit the doctor and get some tests done. Your doctor can tell you about a lot of simple and effective ways to get better.

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9 A bad diet

Malnutrition is one of the most common reasons for leg swelling that seems to happen for no reason. In severe cases, this can lead to unwanted fluid retention in the extremities. This can also occur if you eat too much salt with your food since excess sodium makes the body retain more water.

The best way to get rid of edema caused by a poor diet is to start eating better. Try keeping a food diary if you think your diet is fine and don’t know what is wrong. Also, write down when your swelling happens so you can see if it’s related to what you’re eating. You may get surprised to find an unexpected connection between your swollen legs and particular food.

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10 Injuries

If you hurt your foot or ankle, it could cause your ankle and lower leg to swell up. A sprained ankle is one of the most common injuries in this area. You can sprain your ankle by twisting while walking or playing a sport and missing your step. This happens when the ligaments that connect the foot and leg to the ankle are pulled out of place. A sprained ankle can hurt and make it hard to move around. Inflammation and swelling usually follow after a sprain.

The RICE method is the most common way to treat injured legs or ankles. RICE stands for:

• Rest: Letting the injured leg or ankle rest helps prevent it from worsening.
• Ice: Applying ice or an ice pack wrapped in a towel helps relieve pain and reduce swelling. Use it at least three times a day for 15–20 minutes at a time.
• Compression: Wearing a bandage that applies pressure helps keep swelling down.

It is advisable to keep the foot or ankle raised above heart level to reduce swelling. It can be scary to have swollen legs, but not all of them are serious medical problems. In fact, most of the things that cause swollen legs are easy to treat at home. 

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