Ankle, feet, and leg swelling

Alternative names:

ankle swelling; edema, peripheral; foot swelling; leg swelling; peripheral edema; swelling of the ankle, feet, or leg

Home care:

Elevate the legs above the heart while lying down. Avoid sitting or standing without moving for prolonged periods of time. Avoid putting anything directly under the knees when lying down and don't wear constricting clothing or garters on the upper legs.

Exercising the legs causes the fluid to work back into the veins and lymphatic channels so that the swelling goes down. The pressure applied by elastic bandages or support stockings can help reduce ankle swelling.

A low-salt diet may help reduce fluid retention and decrease the ankle swelling.

Call your health care provider if:

• ankle swelling persists or worsens after the above measures have been taken.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting ankle, feet, and leg swelling in detail include:

• location
  • What specific body part(s) swell?
  • Is there ankle swelling?
  • Is the whole foot swollen?
  • Is there swelling over the small bones of the feet?
  • Is there swelling of the toes?
  • Is the knee swollen?
  • Is the whole leg swollen?

• time pattern
  • Is the swelling always present?
  • Is it worse in the morning or the evening?

• aggravating and relieving factors
  • What makes it better?
  • Does the swelling go down when the legs are elevated?
  • What makes it worse?

• other
  • What other symptoms are also present?

The physical examination may include emphasis on the heart, lungs, kidneys, and legs.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

• blood tests such as a CBC or blood chemistry (Chem-20)
• ECG
• chest X-ray or extremity X-ray

Intervention:
The specific treatment will be directed at whatever underlying cause is found. Diuretics (fluid pills) may be prescribed. These are effective in reducing the swelling but have some side effects. Home treatment for benign causes of leg swelling should be tried before drug therapy under medical supervision.

After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to ankle, feet, and leg swelling to your personal medical record.