With high humidity and temperatures climbing to over 90 fairly consistently in Middlesex County, we at Feet First Foot Care Specialists know patients who experience swelling of the feet and ankles may think the weather is the cause of their discomfort. While it’s true prolonged exposure to high heat can result in dilation of blood vessels, which in turn causes fluid to pool in your feet, there are other, more concerning reasons for swelling (also known as edema). If your swelling doesn’t diminish after you put your feet up for while inside where it’s cooler, it may be due to one of the five reasons below.

1. Sprained ankle—did your ankle give way recently when you were walking? Even it wasn’t bad enough for you to fall, you may have overstretched the ligaments. Swelling can be a sign of a sprain. Try to stay off the foot for a while and keep it elevated as much as possible. Apply ice and a compression bandage to help reduce swelling. If this does not work or it becomes painful, make an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499 so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can examine the injury.
2. Pregnancy complications—if you’re expecting, some swelling is normal due to physical and hormonal changes your body is going through. However, sudden swelling, especially if accompanied by abdominal pain, headache, nausea, or vision changes can signal a serious medical problem called preeclampsia. This condition occurs after the 20^th week of pregnancy and causes dangerously high blood pressure.
3. Medication—many drugs may have the side effect of causing swelling of feet or ankles. Some examples include hormones, steroids, blood pressure medications that are calcium channel blockers, certain anti-depressants, and some drugs used to treat diabetes.
4. Infection—sometimes swelling indicates an infection in your foot. Patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy or other nerve condition are more susceptible to foot infections. If you have one of these conditions, you should report swelling to the podiatrist as soon as possible.
5. Organ disease—the heart, liver, and kidneys when failing can all cause swelling of the feet as a symptom and may be accompanied by loss of appetite, fatigue, and weight gain. These are obviously very serious conditions and illustrate why it’s important to not delay in seeking treatment for edema.

If you have persistent swelling in your lower extremities, Dr.Adam Mucinskas and Feet First Foot Care Specialists can help you. Contact us today, by calling 860-632-5499.