Why You Should Never Ignore Swelling in Your Lower Legs

Recently, you’ve noticed that your ankles are a little less defined thanks to swelling in your lower legs, especially if you’ve been sitting for a while. Or, maybe your leg swelling is more advanced and your lower legs are constantly in various states of puffiness.

Lower leg swelling like this, which is called edema, isn’t a condition you should ignore as it can lead to some serious problems down the road, such as slow healing foot, ankle, and leg wounds.

At Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County, Dr. Thomas Rambacher and our team specialize in lower leg issues that can lead to problematic wounds, and in many cases, leg swelling is an early warning sign.

Here’s a look at what’s behind the leg swelling, why we’re concerned, and what your next steps should include.

Edema basics

We want to first emphasize that we’re discussing leg swelling that’s not associated with an injury, such as a sprained ankle. Instead, edema is caused by a buildup of fluid in your tissues that leads to the puffiness in your lower legs, ankles, and feet.

There are degrees of edema that we measure using a basic technique called pitting — we press on the swollen area for a few seconds and then we measure the pit this creates and how quickly your skin bounces back. Obviously, the deeper the pit and the longer it takes for your skin to flatten out again, the worse the edema.

What causes leg swelling and edema

There are several potential causes of edema in your lower legs and some really aren’t too concerning, such as having puffy legs after a long flight or while you’re pregnant.

If the swelling in your legs is more constant or it’s progressively getting worse, it could be tied to:

Certain medications, such as blood pressure medications
Heart failure
Kidney disease
Thyroid issue
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)

It’s this last one on the list that we really want to highlight as it’s one of the leading causes of ongoing edema and leg swelling. CVI affects between 10% and 35% of adults in the United States.

Under normal circumstances, the veins in your legs are equipped with one-way valves that help keep blood flowing back up to your heart and lungs for oxygen. These valves close as blood passes through, preventing it from spilling backward.

If these valves weaken and fail, blood can linger in the veins in your legs, creating enough pressure that fluids are pushed out into your tissues. Another common side effect of CVI is varicose veins.

CVI and slow-healing wounds

While diabetes and related peripheral neuropathy are responsible for many slow-healing wounds, there are other roads, including CVI.

If you have chronic edema due to CVI, you’re more at risk for venous ulcers due to the pressure of the fluids. Making matters worse, these ulcers can be slow to heal thanks to the compromised circulation into and out of your legs.

Tackling your leg swelling

Our goal in presenting this information is to get you to act early if you’re noticing ongoing leg swelling. There are ways to manage CVI to avoid potential complications like slow-healing wounds, such as:

Improving circulation through medications
Exercise
Wearing compression socks
Elevating your legs
Checking your feet and lower legs daily

These are all great steps toward managing your CVI and edema, as well as preventing a slow-healing venous ulcer from developing in the first place.

To figure out what’s behind your leg swelling and what steps you should take to avoid complications, it’s a good idea to call our office in Mission Viejo, California, at 949-832-6018 or request an appointment online today.