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What Causes Severe Swelling In The Legs And Ankles?
My husband has been having severe edema in his legs and feet and ankles. He will swell up and they have put him on fluid pills and it gets the fluid off then couple weeks later they start to swell up again. something has to be causing him to swell up like this and no one seems to figure it out. this has been going on for months now and they have told him his heart is normal, his lungs are normal, kidneys are normal. every test he has had done comes back normal. but he keeps swelling up bad. he even has stretch marks on his stomach from where he has swollen up so bad. they put him on lasik last time and he ended up in hospital with 1.6 potassium level and ever since they cant get his potassium to stay up so they put him on different fluid pills to get fluid off. this is crazy I just don t know why they cant figure out what is causing it. please help thanks christy
posted on
Sat, 13 Aug 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 11 Jul 2019
Answered on
Fri, 12 Jul 2019
Last reviewed on
Hi,
Swollen ankles and swollen feet are common and usually not cause for concern, particularly if you have been standing or walking a lot.
But feet and ankles that stay swollen or are accompanied by other symptoms could signal a serious health problem.
Well, if you don't recall injury then swelling of the ankles and feet is often an early symptom of venous insufficiency, a condition in which blood inadequately moves up the veins from the legs and feet up to the heart.
Normally, the veins keep blood flowing upward with one-way valves.
When these valves become damaged or weakened, the blood leaks back down the vessels and fluid is retained in the soft tissue of the lower legs, especially the ankles and feet.
Chronic venous insufficiency can lead to skin changes, skin ulcers, and infection.
You should treat this with elastic stockings, keeping the leg elevated and in severe cases you should see a vascular surgeon for further treatment.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Ivan R. Rommstein, General Surgeon
Swollen ankles and swollen feet are common and usually not cause for concern, particularly if you have been standing or walking a lot.
But feet and ankles that stay swollen or are accompanied by other symptoms could signal a serious health problem.
Well, if you don't recall injury then swelling of the ankles and feet is often an early symptom of venous insufficiency, a condition in which blood inadequately moves up the veins from the legs and feet up to the heart.
Normally, the veins keep blood flowing upward with one-way valves.
When these valves become damaged or weakened, the blood leaks back down the vessels and fluid is retained in the soft tissue of the lower legs, especially the ankles and feet.
Chronic venous insufficiency can lead to skin changes, skin ulcers, and infection.
You should treat this with elastic stockings, keeping the leg elevated and in severe cases you should see a vascular surgeon for further treatment.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Ivan R. Rommstein, General Surgeon
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