Well known expert has taken to Instagram to explain the common causes of leg swelling, or oedema
Dr. Amir Khan, a familiar face from ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, has posted an Instagram video about the causes of swollen legs, and the one sign you should definitely see a doctor.
Discussing the topic of swollen legs, or oedema, to give it its medical name, Dr. Amir says it’s caused by fluid accumulation in the tissues, often affecting feet, ankles, or legs for a variety of reasons. Some of these can be easy to solve, while others may mean you need a trip to your GP.
According to Dr. Amir, gravity can simply be the cause of leg swelling: “If you spend a lot of time sitting or standing for one place for too long without moving around, water can naturally get pulled down into your legs and feet.” He also noted weak veins as a cause: “When the valves in your veins are weak, it’s hard for them to push blood back up to your heart and leads to varicose veins and a build-up of fluid in the legs.”
Dr. Amir flagged some other common causes of swollen legs as being medications, such as blood pressure pills, salty foods, pregnancy, and even hot weather. He stressed that if the swelling is just in one leg, you should seek immediate medical advice: “There are some things that can cause swelling in just one leg. And as a general rule, I would always get single leg swelling checked out as it could be something serious like a blood clot or DVT.
“It could be an infection or it could even be a cancer in the pelvis or abdomen, which is obstructing the flow of fluid in the leg. Always, always, always get it investigated.”
Unfortunately, leg swelling can be a sign of something more serious. Dr Amir said: “There are a number of medical underlying conditions that can cause leg swelling as well. So heart failure, lung disease, liver and kidney disease as well as thyroid diseases can all cause swelling in the legs.”
He brought attention to yet another potential issue: “Lymphedema occurs when your body lymph nodes aren’t filtering lymph fluid as well as they should When that happens it can cause swelling in any of the limbs including the legs and it can be quite dramatic.”
If you’re suffering from swollen legs he finished the video with some home remedies: “things you can do at home include keeping your legs elevated when you’re resting, keeping as mobile as possible, going for regular walks. “Sometimes stockings or compression bandages can help, but only on the advice of a healthcare professional and remember to keep salt intake to healthy levels.”
For more information about oedema, visit the NHS website.
