Swelling of the legs in heat causes and treatment. Why do legs swell so much in the heat and how to get rid of this problem

Date: 22.04.2019

Swelling in the summer occurs due to imbalance in water balance, as well as expansion of peripheral veins. Exercise, clean water and some folk remedies that help remove excess fluid from the body will help cope with edema. Learn how to deal with swelling in the summer.

Why does edema appear in summer?

Swelling is a problem faced by many. , which lasts for several days (and longer), as a rule, indicates some kind of pathology. It is imperative to consult a doctor and undergo all relevant examinations.

However, edema can also occur in healthy person... True, the next day they pass without a trace, you just have to rest. Edema is especially common in summer time.

The main cause of puffiness in the summer is overuse liquids. In hot weather, we drink a lot, which puts additional stress on the heart and kidneys. Even in a healthy person under such conditions, the heart simply does not have time to completely "pump" all the blood and remove excess fluid from the body. So the fluid passes through the vessels and accumulates in the intercellular space, especially in the lower body, which leads to swelling of the legs and feet.

Another reason for puffiness in summer is when it is hot. Peripheral vessels in the heat they expand greatly, because of this, the blood stagnates, which leads to edema.

How to deal with edema in the heat?

First of all, you should make sure that you do not have any pathologies. If everything is in order with health, then the following recommendations will help you get rid of edema:

Drink at least 2-2.5 liters of fluid a day. Better if it's pure water. It is better to refuse soda, tea and coffee. The water can be slightly acidified with lemon.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes to keep you comfortable.
Move more. A sedentary lifestyle only contributes to the development of puffiness. Take time for walking, swimming, biking and more physical activity... This will keep your body in good shape and prevent stagnant processes in the vessels.
Broths of cranberry, wild rose and hawthorn well "drive" liquid from the body. You can take a pinch of these berries and brew them in a thermos. You need to drink such tea in small amounts throughout the day.
Food for edema should be light. On very hot days, stop eating meat and sausages. It is best to lean on vegetables and dairy products.

If the edema is caused by other diseases, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and undergo a course of drug treatment of the underlying disease, along with taking diuretics (indapamide), which help to remove excess fluid from the body.

For some, summer is associated with fun, long walks and beach parties, and for others - with health problems, heavy legs and other discomfort. The prerequisites for such disease states can be hidden in various diseases.

Identifying and eliminating the causes of puffiness will help not only get rid of this trouble, but also improve general state health. So, if your legs swell in the heat - what to do?

Why tissues swell

Swelling of the legs in hot weather is a very common phenomenon that is known to many. Basically, women are susceptible to this phenomenon. It is they who often complain that by the end of the day, their feet are filled with lead, and their favorite shoes turn into instruments of torture. Of course, there is no question of wearing high-heeled shoes in such situations.

An increase in the volume of the lower extremities, a feeling of heaviness and fatigue occurs, as a rule, in the evening. By this time, the cells and intercellular space of the tissues of the legs and feet are overflowing with fluid.

This process takes place independently, it is not easy to regulate it.

The frequency and intensity of leg edema that occurs in the heat depends on individual characteristics each specific organism. When examining and prescribing treatment essential have initial causes, Why is this happening.

It often happens that the next morning there is no trace of puffiness that appears in the evening. The intensity of this phenomenon does not change over time, and it becomes habitual. Many doctors agree that such leg edema is not a pathology and does not require serious treatment. However, the situation cannot be ignored; it should be observed. If heaviness in the legs, an increase in their volume and other discomfort drags on for a long time or the swelling becomes more and more, you should responsibly approach the problem and understand its causes.

So, why the legs swell in the heat - the reasons for the phenomenon:

diseases of the heart and kidneys have edema as one of the symptoms. Moreover, fluid retention is noted not only in lower limbs, but also in the hands and face. The swelling may decrease slightly after being in a horizontal position;
vein diseases (varicose veins, phlebitis and others) are often manifested by edema of the legs. It is characteristic that with such pathologies, edema occurs asymmetrically: on one leg, swelling is always less or not at all;
diseases of bones and joints in many cases lead to swelling. Such phenomena are characterized by pain syndrome and impaired mobility of the lower extremities;
erysipelas or other pathologies from the outside lymphatic system characterized by unilateral edema, which is located, as a rule, on the back of the foot;
the condition of pregnancy is often accompanied by swelling of the legs. This is due to the fact that the load on the kidneys and heart increases. In addition, the changed hormonal background leads to stagnation of fluid in the tissues;
violation of water-salt balance caused by an improper diet: excessive or insufficient fluid intake.

In some cases, swelling of the lower extremities indicates serious diseases that require medical attention. Therefore, it is important to identify why the discomfort arose. If such phenomena have become frequent and cause significant inconvenience, consult a doctor for advice.

Treatment options for when your legs are swollen

The treatment regimen depends on the background of the problem. In cases where swelling of the legs in the heat is not accompanied serious illness, you can do with a simple rest in a supine position. If we are talking about the pathology of vital organs and systems, then getting rid of the underlying disease will lead to the elimination of such a symptom as leg edema.

Drug treatment

If the tissues swell due to the heart-kidney tandem, then a whole complex is used medicines.

Swelling of the legs in the heat, caused by diseases of the veins, also require intensive complex treatment.

Drugs that strengthen the walls of blood vessels - phlebotonics. Among them Detralex, Troxevasin, Eskuzan stand out.
Medicines that help thin the blood: Aspecard, Clopiogrel and others. A decrease in blood viscosity leads to its better outflow and a decrease in the swelling of the lower extremities.
Topically applied gels, creams and ointments: Lioton gel, Heparin ointment, Hepatrombin. These remedies have worked well in the treatment of leg edema. Moreover, they can be used even if the patient does not have varicose veins, but there is chronic leg fatigue due to working conditions or other reasons.
Regular wearing of compression hosiery, selected by a phlebologist or surgeon, taking into account the individual characteristics of a particular patient. Such products contribute to the preservation of liquid in vessels.

Do not rely on TV ads or the advice of others to find the best treatment regimen. It is better to seek qualified help from a doctor.

Treatment of leg edema at home

If your health condition allows you to do without drugs, you can use folk methods treatment of leg edema. Sometimes, to relieve the condition, it is enough to lie down with your feet on a pillow so that the feet are above the level of the body. If this does not help, you will have to take more active steps.

Quite common methods of getting rid of this trouble are relaxing baths or rubbing for the feet.

Make a remedy according to the suggested recipe:

3 teaspoons of baking soda;
200 g table salt;
1 teaspoon of iodine.
3 liters of warm water.

In such a solution, it is very useful and pleasant to hold tired legs after a hot day. In addition, such foot baths are recommended to improve blood flow in the veins and reduce fatigue and swelling.

Lotions of garlic gruel help to get rid of discomfort in the feet and calves in the heat. A few cloves of garlic are rubbed on a fine grater and poured with boiling water for half an hour. Then the water is drained, and the soaked garlic is applied to problem areas under a bandage or compression hosiery.
Swollen feet can be rubbed with a mixture of heated castor oil and turpentine. Ingredients are taken in a 2: 1 ratio. After applying such a composition, warm knee-highs made of natural materials or compression stockings are put on the legs.

Physical therapy has also proven itself well for the treatment of edema of the lower extremities.

These simple exercises, aimed at improving blood circulation, will help relieve heaviness and swelling.

In addition, in the heat, you should adhere to a diet that involves avoiding fast food, fried, fatty and overly salty foods. Alcohol consumption should also be kept to a minimum. This will help rid your legs of unpleasant sensations and improve the general condition.

Pre-preventive activities in the heat

Swelling of the legs during the hot season is an unpleasant phenomenon.

To avoid confronting him, there are a number of measures.

To prevent blood from stagnating in the lower extremities, you need to walk every day, at least for short distances. This activates blood flow and improves the condition of blood vessels and muscles.
In order for the liquid not to linger in cells and intercellular space, you need to consume more unsweetened herbal drinks or green tea.
In addition, people who are prone to edema in the heat should wear comfortable shoes that are appropriate in size and weight. This is especially true of those who, due to the work performed for a long time holds on his feet.

In most cases, swelling of the legs during the hot season is a normal physiological phenomenon that should not be scared. However, if it is inconvenient, then simple preventive measures will help you forget about the discomfort associated with puffiness.

Why do legs swell in the heat? The thing is that the swelling of the legs is a consequence of the accumulation of excess fluid in the body. In summer, because of the heat, people try to drink a lot, often sweat, as a result of this, the water-salt balance in the body is disturbed. This is especially noticeable in the second half of the day, when puffiness manifests itself as much as possible. In women, swelling of the legs often causes panic, as, unlike men, they are more prone to caring for their bodies and maintaining their beauty.

Why do my legs swell? Among the most common reasons why women have swelling of their feet in the heat are overwork, long legs in an unnatural position, tight shoes, pregnancy, allergies to the sun. In some cases, with prolonged exposure to the sun, puffiness may appear after sunburn. Also, swelling can be the result of certain diseases in women, and not a hot summer. The most common reasons are listed below.

Varicose veins veins. With varicose veins, the legs swell unevenly, usually on one of them the swelling is more pronounced. Swelling of the legs in the heat becomes more pronounced, appearing in the late afternoon, and disappears in the morning. Varicose veins can be easily detected. On visual examination, red-blue capillaries in the form of a fine mesh are observed on the skin.
Kidney disease. If the kidneys are broken, both legs swell. This causes small bags under the eyes, as well as dark circles.
Heart failure. Swelling of the legs occurs symmetrically. This usually occurs after prolonged standing or after severe physical activity... Swelling is often accompanied by shortness of breath and pale skin.
Thyroid disease. Edema is observed in the lower leg. It is accompanied by swelling of the tongue, shoulders and rapid fatigue. When you press on the swelling, the dent does not form.

Feet swell in the heat quite often, and if you suspect any irregularities in the body, for example, swelling of the fingers, face, body, consult a doctor who will examine you and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Ways to relieve puffiness

If your legs are swollen in the summer, but this is not accompanied by alarming symptoms such as sharp pain, bloating of veins, tingling in the kidneys or heart, then the problem can be dealt with using certain simple methods:

If you need to sit in one place for a long time, put a chair opposite and put your feet on it. If it is possible to accept horizontal position, lift your legs just above your head with a couple of pillows underneath.
At work, try to walk as much as possible. Take short breaks every hour. This method will improve circulation and help relieve leg swelling.
Use a foot massage. Blood flow will help improve lymphatic drainage so that the swelling becomes less painful.

Treatment of leg edema

You can also reduce puffiness with medications... They usually come in the form of ointments and gels, which are available over the counter without a prescription.

They are allowed to be used if the legs are very swollen precisely because of the heat, and not because of any disease. The most common of them are: Heparin, Troxerutin, Lioton-gel. These drugs stimulate blood circulation, help increase muscle tone, relieve swelling well. But it is better to prevent this by adhering to preventive measures.

You can successfully prevent leg swelling in the heat by observing some rules:

Include in your daily schedule cold and hot showeras it hardens the vessels. Pay special attention to your legs.
Train yourself to walk. Movement keeps muscles toned and neutralizes fluid retention in the body.
Wear comfortable shoes, at least during the heat wave. This problem occurs more often in women. Avoiding heels and tapered socks on shoes will relieve you of unnecessary stress on your feet.
If you are in summer period relaxing on the sea, go swimming. Water, especially sea water, quickly cools and tones the body, preventing the vessels from expanding in the heat. The presence of salts and minerals in such water helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system.

If your legs hurt with swelling, you may need to change your diet and add foods that have diuretic properties to it. Drinking ginger, green tea, watermelon, grape or apple juice will promote faster removal of excess fluid from the body.

Removal of edema by folk methods

Birch tea. Tea brewed on birch buds has a good diuretic property. To prepare one serving, you need 1 tbsp. l. pour birch buds with 1 tbsp. boiling water. Drink in small sips for 2 days.

Cornflower broth. In order to relieve puffiness, you need 1 teaspoon of cornflower flowers to pour 200 g of boiling water and let it brew. The broth is ready. Drink 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day before meals.

Flax seed decoction. 1 tsp pour flaxseed with a liter of boiling water. Boil over low heat for 15 minutes. Close the dish with a lid and let it brew in a warm place. Drink the broth warm, every 2 hours, 0.5 tbsp. You need to consume 6-8 times a day. And so on for 2 weeks, depending on the result.

It is better to consult a specialist about why the legs swell in your particular case. He will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatment.

The human body is quite complex system, which sometimes fails when exposed to certain factors. The feeling that at the end of the day comfortable and familiar shoes seem to suddenly become one size smaller and press, obvious traces of elastic bands of stockings or socks, the appearance of dimples when pressing on the skin in the lower leg area - all these signs will be direct evidence of leg swelling. Quite often, the legs swell in the summer. Why is this happening and what to do about this problem?

Why do legs swell in heat?

A huge percentage of people experience swelling of the lower extremities during the heat. This condition does not depend on gender, age, or any individual characteristics. To understand what this is connected with, you need to delve a little deeper into physiology.

Oxygen saturation of all body tissues is carried out through the circulation of blood through the veins. High temperature environment blood circulation begins to function in a mode that allows you to prevent overheating of the body. This is due to the expansion of blood vessels, as a result of which the mechanism of blood outflow is disrupted and swelling occurs.

Doctors say that this phenomenon is quite natural and does not pose any danger to health, because after some time it goes away by itself, therefore, urgent intervention or special therapy is not required here. You should also not be afraid that the swelling appears unevenly (for example, on one leg, they are more pronounced than on the other).

It is necessary to worry about swelling only when it does not subside for a long time and is accompanied by such troubles as pain, itching or extensive redness of the skin. The reasons causing edema in this case can be:

diseases of the heart and liver (often they join the main symptom pain in the lumbar region and sacrum);

kidney disease (in this case, as a rule, the face also swells);

problems with blood vessels;

systematic stress on the legs, especially among people of the so-called "standing" professions: teachers, doctors, salesmen, hairdressers;

pregnancy, during which the volume of fluid in the body almost doubles;

the habit of bending your legs under you or sitting, putting them on top of one another.

What to do if legs swell in the heat?

Of course, if the edema of the legs indicates serious malfunctions in the body, first of all, you should definitely visit a specialist, undergo appropriate diagnostics and take measures to eliminate the pathology. The problem caused by external reasons, you can decide on your own at home.

Massage

Need to accept comfortable position and start kneading your legs. It is advisable to start the massage with thumb and move up to the hip. You can also make it with ice cubes (ideally, if you make ice from tinctures of medicinal plants).

Healing baths

For these purposes, cooking and sea \u200b\u200bsalt, pine needles extract, dry mustard (at the rate of 50-60 grams per liter of water). Baths perfectly relieve fatigue after a hard day's work. The duration of the procedure should be no more than 15 minutes.

Cold and hot shower

This method is even simpler than the previous two. A contrast shower means an alternate change in water temperature (cool and warm). The jets directed to the legs will tone the blood vessels and remove tension. Particular attention should be paid to inside legs, because it is in this place that there is a large accumulation of connective veins suffering from varicose veins.

Gymnastics for the legs

If your legs swell in the heat, simple exercises that take just a few minutes will help to cope with the gap. Some of them can be done even while sitting in front of a TV or computer:

Place both feet on the floor and alternately lift the heel and toe off the ground. In this case, you need to try to raise them as high as possible.

Walk a little or tiptoe up 10 times.

Place a pencil or any other small object on the floor and try to pick it up with your fingers.

Focus on your heels and spread your toes as wide as possible.

Rotate your feet in both directions alternately.

Phytotherapy

In the heat, the body needs to be helped to get rid of excess fluid. For this, decoctions from birch and linden flowers, bearberry, flax seeds, dill seeds, fennel, horsetail, juniper and elderberry tinctures. Healing and healthy drink can be drunk in the evening before bedtime or throughout the day. By the way, such a drink is good for refreshing and energizing.

Although this method is considered completely safe, people who are allergic to the above ingredients should avoid herbal medicine. In addition to using broths and tinctures, you must include as many vegetables and fruits as possible in your menu. Watermelons, melons, pears, apples, cherries, mulberries, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes, as well as exotic fruits and fruits - papaya, coconut, mango have a powerful diuretic effect.

Treatment with folk remedies

Many recipes have survived to this day that were used by healers to get rid of edema:

Add 2 drops of essential oil (grapefruit, lemon, orange, mint) to a teaspoon of honey and take orally.

Soak a cotton pad in essential oil (lavender, cypress, rosemary) and rub your feet well.

Take 1 beet and 1 potato, peel and finely grate. Apply the resulting gruel to the swollen places, wrap with a film, and on top with a cloth. Keep the compress for at least half an hour.

Gather up birch branches, separate the leaves and fill linen bags or pillowcases with them, then place your legs (preferably up to your knees) there and keep them in this position for several hours. At the same time, increased sweating will be noted, but you should not worry about this, since it should be so. Usually just a couple of sessions are enough to forget about the problem for a long time.

Grind the Kalanchoe leaves until a homogeneous mass is obtained, fill a glass container with gruel (up to half) and pour the same amount of vodka. Insist 14 days, and then rub every day.

Drug treatment

If your legs swell in the summer, but you can't solve the problem using the above methods, or you just want a quick and effective solution, you can try to resort to drug treatment... The modern pharmacological market offers a huge selection various means in the form of gels and ointments that have analgesic and cooling effects and can relieve swelling of the legs in the shortest possible time. However, again, it is worth remembering that chronic swelling is alarm signal about serious illnesses internal organs and systems, therefore, before starting therapy, you must definitely visit a specialist.

A good result is given by the use of such drugs, as:

heparin ointment;

troxevasin;

hapatrobin;

essaven;

lyoton;

aescin.

Prevention of puffiness in summer

To reduce the likelihood of leg swelling in the heat, experts recommend adhering to simple rules prevention:

When you come home from work every day, lie down on the sofa and put your feet on the roller so that they are in a slightly raised position. This will restore blood circulation and the outflow of fluids from the tissues. You need to lie down for at least 15-20 minutes.

Do not forget to take a contrast shower before going to bed. This lesson will allow not only to tone the blood vessels, but also help to avoid such dangerous diseases as varicose veins and thrombophlebitis.

Adjust your diet, namely, give up spicy, spicy, smoked and fried foods that provoke thirst and at the same time disrupt the process of removing fluid from the body.

Do not wear shoes and sandals with too high heels and stiletto heels, as well as sandals with very tight straps that pinch your legs. At this time of the year, it is best to change into the most comfortable shoes.

Get plenty of fresh air and take evening walks.

In the summer, it is necessary to increase the amount of fluid consumed and drink at least 2.5 liters, only it should not be soda, but plain water, freshly squeezed juices, berry fruit drinks and compotes. Such drinks perfectly quench thirst, help restore electrolyte balance. Alcohol consumption should be kept to a minimum.

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The accumulation of excess fluid in the body occurs for many reasons. It can be pathological conditions or temporary physiological abnormalities. Since a person spends most of the time in upright position, then excess water accumulates in the distal part of the lower extremities. Many people notice that especially often and severely swelling of the legs in the heat, even in the absence serious diseases... What are the reasons for this phenomenon and what should be done?

The main causes and symptoms

The first signs of puffiness appear as follows:

legs increase in volume, swell;
heaviness or soreness occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe violation;
if you remove the sock, then a trace remains in the place of the elastic;
familiar shoes become tight;
when you press on the ankle area, a fossa is formed, which does not go away for some time.

It should be noted that the pathology does not depend on gender and age. However, swelling of the legs as a result of diseases of various organs is more observed in the elderly. And the pastiness due to fluctuations hormonal background often recorded in women of childbearing age. Depending on the cause of the edema, it can be one- or two-sided, temporary (passing after a night's rest) or permanent.

There can be many reasons for water retention in the body, but it should be understood why legs swell in summer? This happens for the following reasons:

In hot weather, the need for fluid intake increases due to overheating and increased sweating. The kidneys do not have time to cope with the excretion of urine from the body, and fluid accumulates in the lower extremities... At the same time, additional provoking factors are the consumption of carbonated drinks with an excess of dyes and preservatives, cold beer.
Blood circulation in the feet is impaired due to tight, poor-quality or improperly selected shoes. Women develop swelling as they often walk in high heels and the foot begins to deform.
Physical exercise. Extended walking, lifting and carrying heavy objects in conjunction with high temperature the environment provoke an increase in pressure in the capillaries. This leads to the sweating of the liquid part of the blood into the intercellular spaces, and later into the cells.
Prolonged stay in a forced position. In the summer, work in the country or in the garden can provoke the development of swelling on the legs.
The most serious causes of edema formation are acute and chronic diseases... In this case, you need to seek advice and treatment from a doctor.

The risk of developing edema is increased in people with excess body weight, in women during pregnancy, in people who constantly consume "intoxicating" drinks. Sometimes the syndrome develops while taking medications... If summer heat joins these predisposing factors, then it becomes no wonder why the legs swell in the heat.

What can be done

To prevent fluid retention in the body in the absence of pathological changes, the following measures should be taken to prevent edema:

Stop drinking soda, beer and other alcohol and switch to clean water and natural juices.
There is a watermelon, which not only supplies the body useful materialbut also acts as a diuretic, preventing swelling and expelling unnecessary substances. Cucumber, melon, apples, celery have the same effect. If you have kidney disease, it is good to drink grape juice.
Try to spend as little time as possible standing in one place. During the day, it is recommended to carry out light exercises for the legs, self-massage. If possible, you should raise your legs and hold them at the level of the pelvis or higher.
In summer, it becomes possible to walk barefoot and swim in water bodies. These are very useful movements for improving the flow of lymph and blood from the lower extremities.
After a hard day, it is recommended to make a contrasting foot bath... It is even better if you dissolve a little sea salt in water before that.

If after all measures taken the swelling persists, then you should go for an examination. This sign may indicate the presence of a pathological process. Only a specialist will be able to find out the real reason why the legs swell in the summer, and give recommendations for the treatment of this phenomenon.

Folk ways

Before use folk remedies for help with swelling of the legs, you should consult your doctor.

Flaxseed will help

Flaxseed decoction helps to eliminate puffiness. For cooking, you need to boil 4 large spoons of raw materials in a liter of boiling water for 10 minutes. After that, the container must be set aside from the heat, wrap it up and wait another hour. With severe edema, it is recommended to drink half a glass of infusion every two hours (as a result, up to eight doses per day are obtained). You do not need to filter the broth before use.

Infusion of parsley and lemon

Effectively relieve puffiness with lemon and parsley... The grass along with the roots is taken in an amount of 200 grams and crushed with a meat grinder. Then it is poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1 to 2 and insisted overnight, having previously wrapped the container. Strain in the morning, add the juice of one lemon and drink a third of a glass in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bedtime. After two days of treatment, you need to take a break for three days, and then repeat. The course is unlimited and can continue until the edema is completely eliminated.

We use Kalanchoe

For local application with persistent edema on summer days, Kalanchoe tincture will help. The leaf of the plant should be ground to a mushy state and the jar should be filled to half the volume. From above, the raw material is poured with vodka to the edges of the container and infused for three days. No straining required. Swollen legs should be rubbed with the product every day and after a week or 10 days they will return to their original volume.

If the swelling is caused not only by heat, but also by venous congestion, the tincture should stand for three weeks in a dark place. It should be used until the venous network disappears completely.

Herbs will help

When it's hot different reasons legs swell, then you can make a decoction of diuretic herbs. The most potent natural diuretic is knotweed. The preparation is simple: you need to take three small spoons of herbs and pour boiling water over them (half a liter). After a 4-hour infusion, filter the infusion and take 50 ml up to 4 times a day. The herb has a negative effect on the enamel of the teeth, so it is advisable to drink the medicine through a straw.
Burdock leaf compress helps... They should be slightly kneaded and applied to the legs for three hours, wrapped with an elastic bandage. It is believed that after 7-10 such sessions, the puffiness disappears completely.
If lameness and pain appear against the background of swelling of the legs, a more complex compress can be made. For him you need to take a burdock leaf, plantain in equal proportions, and finely chop. Add black bread, a pinch of salt and Vishnevsky's ointment to the mixture. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Apply to sore spots and keep for 3-4 hours. After removing the rest of the compress, rinse with water.

Swelling of the legs is quite common in the summer. To fix the problem, you should find out its cause, and then take all possible measures. Since this symptom is sometimes a sign of trouble on the part of the work of vital organs, it is necessary to turn to professionals for prevention and treatment.