Medically reviewed by Saina Attaran, MD, on August 22, 2024
Swollen legs can be more than an uncomfortable annoyance; they can indicate an underlying health problem. Some of these health conditions are more serious than others, and taking the time to understand some correlating symptoms is crucial for addressing your concerns, as well as diagnosing and treating your core medical condition efficiently.
Leg edema also can have serious consequences, such as leg ulcers and skin changes in the lower legs, which can be irreversible.
We can assist you in making the diagnosis. If they are caused by venous insufficiency, we can treat you, so reach out to a board-certified physician at Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) to discuss your treatment options. Our compassionate team members are proud to guide you as you take your venous health into your own hands. Meanwhile, let’s learn about some of the most common causes of leg swelling and how they’re best treated.
Swelling, medically known as edema, is typically the result of fluid buildup—but where in the legs does it occur? According to the Mayo Clinic, edema most commonly affects the calves, thighs, ankles, and feet; however, if unattended and in serious cases, it can affect the entire lower extremities. Leg swelling can also happen when damaged joints or tissues become inflamed.
The symptoms of leg swelling may seem straightforward, but swelling is more than an abnormal enlargement. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some signs of leg swelling are a bit more subtle or may appear to be unrelated, such as:
Some conditions resulting in leg edema can be serious, such as heart failure, respiratory issues, heart valve incompetency, kidney dysfunction as well and underactive thyroid. DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, is another condition that can have drastic consequences. Lymphedema, pelvic congestion syndrome, and venous insufficiency are common causes of leg edema.
We mentioned that edema is the term for swelling caused by fluid buildup. Edema occurs in several different forms, but it’s relatively common if you’ve been standing for a long period of time. Edema can also occur during long periods of sedentary travel, throughout pregnancy, and among individuals who are overweight.
After establishing the diagnosis, we first need to treat the cause. If it is vein-related or related to lymphedema, the best treatment will be with movement. When traveling, stand up and stretch or take a brief walk occasionally. Elevating your legs may help with swelling, and cutting back on salt can also keep edema symptoms at bay.
You may be familiar with chronic venous insufficiency, the underlying term used to describe when the valves in the veins, usually in the legs, have trouble functioning properly and can no longer pump blood back toward the heart. As a result, blood pools in the legs and becomes trapped, causing swelling in the ankles, feet, lower legs, spider veins, varicose veins, and skin ulcers. Changes in skin color are also possible.
The purpose of chronic venous insufficiency treatment is to boost circulation and allow the drainage of the blood from the small branches in the lower legs to drain to the deep system and, ultimately, to the heart and lungs. Vein treatment can be done in several ways depending on your condition's type and severity. Self-care options include compression stockings, which put pressure on the leg veins with damaged valves, helping them pump blood back to the heart.
The first step is conservative management, which includes lifestyle changes to mitigate its symptoms. Weight loss and management coupled with a physician-approved exercise routine can also work wonders in warding off uncomfortable symptoms and increase other aspects of your overall health. The use of compression socks can also help with the symptoms and slow down disease progression.
If it is still symptomatic, these veins can easily be treated. Of course, one of the simplest ways to begin your journey of achieving long-term relief from the bothersome signs of chronic venous insufficiency—whether in the form of spider veins, varicose veins, or other forms of vein disease—is to meet with a board-certified CVR expert to discuss your minimally invasive treatment options. We offer visual and foam sclerotherapy, Varithena, VenaSeal, laser ablation, and more. There is no downtime and few restrictions after any of the procedures.
Deep vein thrombosis is the term for a blood clot that forms, typically in a vein in the thigh, lower leg, or pelvis. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s characterized by pain or tenderness in the affected leg, along with swelling or warmth, redness, and enlarged veins near the surface of the skin. While DVT alone isn’t fatal, its mortality risk increases drastically if the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, blocking blood flow and causing a pulmonary embolism.
Any signs of DVT should be addressed immediately with your physician to reduce the risk of complications. Recommendations vary depending on the patient’s health history but typically include medication, compression stockings, and keeping the legs elevated. Surgical options may be explored, as well.
Did you know? Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) offers a DVT rule-out service for same-day or next-day diagnosis and treatment plans. Our hotline number is 877-SCAN-DVT.
Lymphedema occurs when the body’s lymph nodes can’t efficiently filter lymph fluid. Lymphedema can cause swelling, commonly in the arms and legs, with potentially severe symptoms. Some lymphedema patients get the condition after having their lymph nodes removed as a part of cancer treatment; others develop it spontaneously.
While there’s no cure for lymphedema, there are several ways to manage uncomfortable symptoms. How your healthcare provider diagnoses and treats your case will depend on your medical history and the symptomatic stage of the condition to which you’ve progressed, with Stage 0 being the mildest and Stage III being the most severe.
Like the treatments to other conditions described here, the goal of lymphedema therapy is to boost circulation and keep fluid moving to minimize pain and swelling. After manual lymphatic drainage treatment, physical and compression therapy are a common recommendation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, lymphedema also increases the risk of infections where the condition occurs, so your physician may prescribe antibiotics or pain medication, as well.
It can be challenging to pinpoint the cause of leg swelling without more medical context. Getting the answers you’ve been searching for can bring you peace and clarity as you determine how to best move forward and improve your well-being.
Whatever the cause of your leg swelling, remember to call 911 or seek immediate medical care if it occurs suddenly or is accompanied by breathing problems. These could indicate a heart condition or a blood clot in the lungs.
Are you ready to get to the bottom of what’s causing your irritable, swollen legs? The CVR team is here to help! As a nationally recognized leader in treating venous conditions, our affordable, state-of-the-art treatment options can improve your quality of life the moment you decide it’s time to make a change.
Call 240-965-3915 to speak to a Patient Services Representative or schedule your consultation online at a CVR near you today.
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