Many of us often notice swollen and heavy legs and even cause us pain. This worries us for our health and also for how little it helps us aesthetically to have legs that are swollen and out of proportion to the rest of our body. This is especially visible during the summer, since at this time of the year our legs are exposed for much of the day.
Swimsuits, bikinis and short skirts are the usual attire at this time and having swollen legs will make these clothes not fit us as well as they should. But it is time for us to stop worrying, inform ourselves, and use the means to solve or improve this problem that also affects our health... In this article we will give you a series of tips that will help your legs to be and look less swollen this summer.
What Causes Swollen Legs?
Swollen legs is a problem that usually occurs due to poor blood circulation. That is, this problem is due to an insufficiency in the veins that produces stagnation of blood in the legs, producing fluid retention (peripheral edema).
This problem can also be a sign of liver, kidney, or heart failure. There are also certain drugs and hormones that lower blood pressure as well as steroids and antidepressants that can also cause the legs to swell. Other causes that can cause swollen legs are trauma and infections. Swollen legs they can also be due to fluid retention in the body, which has not been able to regulate the amount of water it needs through hormones.
How to combat swollen legs
- Do not keep your legs resting for a long time: Avoid sedentary activities. When traveling by plane or sitting for a long time in the office, it is a good idea to get up from time to time or move your legs to stimulate blood circulation. Sitting for a long time prevents the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining some liquids, from working properly. When you lie down, do it with your legs slightly elevated, so that the blood returns from the extremities to the heart.
- Do exercise: Exercise will give you many benefits, in addition to improving circulation in your legs, reducing pain and swelling. Swimming and walking are the exercises that will benefit you the most, if you do them regularly.
- Wear appropriate clothing: When clothing is too tight, it prevents good blood circulation, which consequently causes fluid accumulation.
- Eat appropriate foods: Try to follow a diet based on natural foods. Celery, green leafy vegetables, watercress, tomato, carrot, red pepper and onion are just some of the vegetables that will help you eliminate excess fluid in your body
- Drink a lot of fluids: One of the main causes why many people retain fluids is due to dehydration, so staying hydrated will make you retain less fluids. Drinking a lot of fluids will also help you to eliminate substances through urine that your body no longer needs.
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco: These products decrease blood circulation in the legs, so you should avoid their consumption.
- Use pressure stockings: Exerting pressure on the legs favors circulation. When you wear these types of stockings, you rest your legs and reduce swelling. In addition, this type of stockings are especially appropriate for varicose veins.
- Get massages: Massages will help you drain the lymphatic system, removing excess materials from your body. The lymphatic massage will cleanse your body, helping you eliminate fluid retention and combat obesity and cellulite.
- I hope you put these tips into practice to reduce fluid retention and to improve the problem of your swollen legs. Taking care of your health depends on you and do not forget to go to the doctor so that he can control you, monitor you and help you solve and prevent swollen legs.