several ways - Fit and Healthy Body

Swollen feet or legs often occurs when the muscles in the feet retains an unusually high amount of liquids. Swelling of the feet is often referred to as edema and may occur for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is good old fashioned gravity. When there is excessive fluid in the body gravity pulls it down causing the majority of the effects to be evident in the feet, legs or ankles. This however can have an effect on many other parts of the body as well. There are many issues which may lead to swelling of the feet, legs or ankles including the following:

Injury to the area

Menstrual cycle

Advanced age

Obesity

Prolonged sitting or standing

Pregnancy

Excessive salt or carbohydrate intake

Improper use of laxatives or diuretics

Drug abuse

Disorders of the muscular system

Poor blood circulation

Use of certain medications

The symptoms of swollen legs, feet and ankles include the obvious signs as well as increased pain in these areas. In some cases a person experiencing this type of swelling may also have difficulty walking and stiffness of the feet.

There are several ways in which swollen feet or legs may be treated. One of the first recommendations that your health care provider will most likely make is to sit with your feet elevated above heart level. Other options may include staying off your feet as much as possible, changing your eating habits and reducing the amount of salt you use. It is important to know that what specific treatment is used for swollen feet is dependent on what specifically causes the problem.

Frequently changing positions, exercise, low salt diet and weight loss are all very effective ways of preventing swelling of the feet. It is important to remember that with any problem prevention is always the best course whenever possible. There are times however when prevention is not possible. When this is the case you should seek medical treatment to determine the cause of the problem and discuss various treatment options with your health care provider.

When swelling of the feet occurs from things that cannot be prevented such as advancement of age or menstruation cycles there are ways to alleviate the problem. One of these is to use a ‘water pill’ supplement which reduces the amount of fluid that a person’s body retains. This in conjunction with the other recommendations of your health care provider will most likely make the problem more bearable until it passes or you otherwise get it more under control.

Regardless of the specific problem it is important to understand that your health care provider can recommend the best ways to treat this problem based on the cause. In some cases this treatment may be more effective than others. Again this is largely dependent on the specific cause of the problem.

It is often misunderstood how important the levels of blood pressure and cholesterol are in relation to conditions of the heart. When a person is affected by high cholesterol it often causes plaque or a fatty like substance to accumulate in the blood vessels. This action in turn can lead to blockages forming to certain areas of the heart. When these blockages occur it causes the amount of blood that flows to and from the heart to be reduced or in severe cases blocked completely which in turn can ultimately cause the occurrence of a heart attack.

When blood vessels become seriously clogged it is a major issue because this blockage prevents vital blood, nutrients and oxygen from reaching certain areas of the heart. When this happens, the tissues in the areas of the heart that do not receive sufficient nutrients begin to die. This death of heart tissue can happen very quickly and often results in a heart attack. When a heart attack occurs it is essential that medical treatment be obtained as quickly as possible to stabilize the condition and prevent this damage from being permanent.

Although prompt medical treatment is often an effective way of treating a heart attack and greatly improves the chances of a full recovery, prevention is always the best course of action. Unfortunately it is not always possible to prevent every heart attack however there are always ways of lowering the risk of being affected by this life altering occurrence.

Some of the most common ways to prevent a heart attack include doing everything you possibly can to reduce your risk of this happening. There are several ways in which this can be done which include proper diet and exercise, regulation of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, healthy weight control and limited use of alcohol.

High blood pressure and cholesterol levels both have the potential to have a serious impact on the overall health of the heart. For this reason it is very important to keep these levels regulated at a healthy level as much as possible. Diet and exercise play a major role here because if you eat healthy and get proper daily exercise it can have a positive effect on many different areas of your health in addition to keeping your weight at a healthy level as well.

Although the exact amounts of alcohol consumption that are considered to be detrimental to your health are not really known it is suggested that you keep the amounts of this activity to no more than two alcoholic beverages per day for men and one per day for women.

Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack and it is strongly suggested that if you do smoke you stop now to prevent further damage not only to your heart but to the rest of your body as well. By doing all you can to keep your body as healthy as possible you will also greatly reduce the chances that you will suffer from a heart attack.

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Swollen Legs, Feet and Ankles

Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels are Key Factors in Heart Health