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How Can Swelling In The Legs And Ankles Be Treated?
I am visiting my son in a high elevation location. Have been here a week and suddenly my legs and ankles have become very swollen. I have afib which is under control. I take Gladstone which has been keeping my leg swelling under control. I take about 14 meds every day. Can you help?
posted on
Sat, 7 Apr 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 15 Apr 2018
Answered on
Thu, 26 Apr 2018
Last reviewed on
Hello,
You are on afib medication thus a comprehensive treatment plan must have been given by your attending physician [check regularly with INR] and as high altitude location is there thus problems like pulmonary/cerebral edema are more prominent than leg edema, thus
1. Swelling of leg [peripheral edema] can be caused by a problem with the circulatory system, lymphatic system or the kidneys for which consultation with your primary care provider is essential, who might also exclude whether leg edema is :
- arterial: due to poor circulation in the arteries.
- diabetic: due to high blood sugar.
- vasculitic: due to any inflammatory disorder OR
- traumatic: due to injury to the leg
2. One urgent medical condition which has to be immediately excluded, in the legs is DVT [deep vein thrombosis] so seek immediate medical intervention [vascular surgeon opinion] or visit an emergency room.
Venous stasis can occur due to valve incompetency, injury, or poor circulation, and it can indicate the presence of life-threatening blood clots in the deep veins, ask for doppler study [since the clot could break free and travel up to the lungs to cause a fatal embolism.
The symptoms have to be carefully assessed by your doctor to ensure that whether it requires immediate medical attention or long-term therapy.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Munish Sood
You are on afib medication thus a comprehensive treatment plan must have been given by your attending physician [check regularly with INR] and as high altitude location is there thus problems like pulmonary/cerebral edema are more prominent than leg edema, thus
1. Swelling of leg [peripheral edema] can be caused by a problem with the circulatory system, lymphatic system or the kidneys for which consultation with your primary care provider is essential, who might also exclude whether leg edema is :
- arterial: due to poor circulation in the arteries.
- diabetic: due to high blood sugar.
- vasculitic: due to any inflammatory disorder OR
- traumatic: due to injury to the leg
2. One urgent medical condition which has to be immediately excluded, in the legs is DVT [deep vein thrombosis] so seek immediate medical intervention [vascular surgeon opinion] or visit an emergency room.
Venous stasis can occur due to valve incompetency, injury, or poor circulation, and it can indicate the presence of life-threatening blood clots in the deep veins, ask for doppler study [since the clot could break free and travel up to the lungs to cause a fatal embolism.
The symptoms have to be carefully assessed by your doctor to ensure that whether it requires immediate medical attention or long-term therapy.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Munish Sood
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