Do you experience frequent swelling in your legs? These can be the probable reasons 19^th April 2019

Medical issues are being observed as a rising problem, mainly because of drastic lifestyle changes, improper nutrition, and irregular physical activities. The best way to tackle medical adversities is by prioritising your health and never neglecting the symptoms that your body throws at you. Most health conditions develop over time due to your habits, while some are even hereditary.

One common issue is swelling in the legs, feet, and ankles. There can be multiple reasons for swelling, including physical injuries, medicinal reactions or allergies, and underlying conditions like cholesterol, diabetes, etc. If you see a frequent swelling pattern in your legs for a month, seek medical help, as it may be something to worry about. Leg swelling happens for two main reasons - edema and inflammation.

Let's explore more about them.

Factors causing edema
Several factors contribute to edema or fluid buildup in one or both legs. Here we discuss some major factors that require immediate medical assistance.

1. Congestive heart failure
When the heart is too weak to pump blood to body parts, this condition is termed congestive heart failure. Such a reduction in blood supply leads to fluid buildup, especially in the legs. Besides swelling, a person may also experience trouble breathing and constant tiredness.

2. Veins
Two vein issues can cause leg swelling and other problems in the body. Those are:
● Clotting in veins: A blood clot can form in any vein in your leg, which can break off and easily travel to your lung. This can lead to a life-threatening situation if left unnoticed. Other than swelling, if you also experience constant leg pain, cramps, or red or blue skin, immediately visit your doctor, as these might be the symptoms of vein clots.
● Chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins: A person suffers from these conditions when the valves inside the leg veins cannot maintain the blood flow up toward the heart. Instead, the blood gets collected in pools, resulting in varicose veins. Other than swelling, you may also experience achy legs, pain after sitting and standing for too long, and dry, irritated skin.
If you experience these problems, visit the doctor to start your treatment.

3. Reaction from certain medication
Not every medication suits our bodies. Some cause side effects such as swollen legs, hair fall, irregular menstrual cycles, etc. Pain in the legs can also be a symptom of a medicine reaction. Notice the change in your body and talk to the doctor about getting alternative medicines that have zero to minimal side effects.
Factors causing inflammation
Some of the common causes that lead to inflammation in our body are listed below:
1. Arthritis
Anyone can develop arthritis at some point in their life. Due to the constantly changing environment, it is open to older adults. Diseases like gout, knee bursitis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis are becoming more common among people of all ages as they ignore proper care of their bodies, diet, and physical well-being.

2. Sprains and broken bones
Getting broken bones or twisting your ankle also causes swelling. It's our body's natural reaction to the injury as it moves the fluid and white blood cells into the injured area and releases the chemicals that speed up recovery. Some of the common injuries are mentioned below:
● Achilles tendon rupture: It is our body's largest tendon, and it connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. When it tears, you might experience a sharp pain in the back of the ankle and lower leg. The pain is so intense that a person may be unable to walk. ● Cellulitis: It's a severe infection that happens when bacteria get in through the crack in the skin. It is most common in the lower leg and ankles. Other than swelling, a person may experience tenderness, pain, a reddish skin area, blisters, and dimpled skin.

These were a few common reasons for frequent swelling in the legs. Your legs must be in the best shape to ensure pain-free and smooth movement. Give proper rest to your legs, and indulge in 10-15 mins of daily exercise like jogging or brisk walking.

Irrespective of the medical issues, one should always visit the doctor to rule out any worst outcome. Undoubtedly, any treatment can cost you heavily to your pocket. Therefore, getting health insurance from the best health insurance company in India to cover your medical expenses is ideal. Such insurance policies can help you in your time of need.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.