Swelling of the legs during pregnancy: causes, treatment and prevention

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is the most wonderful time in the life of any woman, but it is associated with a lot of difficulties and inconveniences. During the period of gestation, the expectant mother may feel discomfort in the abdomen, unpleasant pain in the legs, a sharp drop in blood pressure, and much more. As experts recommend, at the first manifestation of any ailment, you should seek help from a qualified specialist. Remember, at the time of bearing the fetus, you are responsible not only for your he alth, but also for the baby.

Swelling of the legs is a very common manifestation in expectant mothers. What to do in this case, because it is already difficult for girls to move around, and such a problem only exacerbates the situation. You need to be ready for everything. Let's try to understand this issue in more detail and find out what is dangerous swelling of the legs during pregnancy, why they occur, and how to deal with this symptom.

General information

Edema of the legs is a clinical manifestation in which the lower limbs are markedly enlarged in circumference. Atother symptoms of various etiologies may also be present. The reason for this is the excessive accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues, which penetrates into them through the walls of blood vessels. As a result, it becomes difficult for expectant mothers to move around, and their legs constantly hurt.

Classification

Edema during pregnancy can be divided into the following types:

• hydrostatic - obstructed outflow of blood from the internal organs, caused by weakness of the heart muscle or poor patency of blood vessels and capillaries;
• hypoproteinemic - fluid accumulates in tissues due to increased osmotic pressure caused by low protein content in the blood;
• membranogenic - microscopic cracks have formed on the walls of blood vessels, through which fluid penetrates into tissues and accumulates in them;
• neurogenic - a malfunction in the functioning of the nervous system led to disturbances in the functioning of the circulatory system;
• inflammatory processes - symptoms may be associated with the presence of an infectious disease or with an allergic reaction.

In addition to all of the above, swelling of the ankles during pregnancy may be associated with previous injuries, such as a fracture.

Causes of puffiness

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy is far from rare. The causes of this symptom can be very diverse, but they are directly related to an increase in the woman's body weight, a violation of the water balance in the body, as well as a malfunction in metabolic processes. All this is due to the fact thatThe mother-to-be needs more water every day. Thus, the body does not have time to remove all the fluid and it accumulates in the soft tissues.

The problem of puffiness can also be associated with the presence of chronic diseases that used to be in a latent form and made themselves felt due to a decrease in immunity, which is quite common in pregnant women. Most often, this problem is faced by people over 35 years old, suffering from varicose veins or various heart diseases. At the same time, it is very important to treat not the edema itself, but to identify and eliminate the reason why it develops. Therefore, doctors recommend seeking qualified help from medical institutions, because the expectant mother is responsible not only for her he alth, but also for the unborn baby.

It is worth noting that swelling of the legs during pregnancy in the later stages of bearing a child can gradually spread to the upper limbs, and in the absence of proper treatment, throughout the body. As a result of this, the expectant mother begins to gain weight very quickly. In this case, in addition to treatment, a woman should monitor her diet, trying to stick to proper nutrition.

Among the common factors that can cause puffiness are:

• great mobility;
• heavy fluid intake;
• flat feet;
• overweight;
• sitting on low objects for a long time;
• uncomfortable shoes.

All this leads to disruption of normal blood flowlower extremities, causing them to swell.

Treatment of swelling of the lower extremities

Every woman carrying a child is interested in the question of how to relieve swelling of the legs during pregnancy. There is no one-size-fits-all solution as the treatment program depends on what is behind the problem.

First you need to establish what exactly caused the puffiness, what to do in the early stages is quite problematic. The best way out in this situation would be to go to the doctor, who will prescribe all the necessary tests, and based on the results obtained, will be able to determine the essence of the problem. The thing is that pregnancy (swelling of the legs, treatment can be carried out both with drug therapy and folk remedies) is accompanied by a change in the hormonal background and many processes in the body, so it is not recommended to self-medicate, because it can be dangerous to he alth.

How to relieve swelling of the legs?

There is a set of exercises with which you can reduce discomfort and pain.

Here are the most effective ones:

• in a sitting or standing position alternately lift the heel and toe several times a day;
• with your toes, try to pick up a pen or other small objects from the floor;
• rotate the feet of the lower limbs clockwise and counterclockwise;
• walk at your fingertips for a few minutes;
• do tiptoe jumps.

At first glance, these exercises may seem primitive, but they are very effective and can improve the well-being of pregnant women.

Medicated treatment

There are a number of medications that are prescribed by specialized specialists to expectant mothers with swelling of various parts of the body, but you should understand that taking any pills and ointments should be done only after consulting your doctor. This is due to the fact that edema, in itself, poses absolutely no threat to the life and he alth of the mother and her baby, which cannot be said about the reasons behind it. In addition, if the etiology of the symptom is not determined, then drug treatment aimed only at relieving puffiness will not be effective.

Among drugs, the most common are the following:

• "Essaven" - a gel that promotes healing and strengthening of the blood vessels of the lower extremities.
• Heparin ointment - normalizes blood circulation, relieves inflammation and promotes liquefaction of blood clots.
• "Venitan" - has the same effect as "Essaven", but costs much less.
• "Troxevasin" - relieves pain and strengthens blood vessels and capillaries.

In addition to the drugs listed above, you can use any ointments and gels that contain chestnut extract. Since the syndrome is largely associated with difficulty in removing fluid from the body, along the way, you can take any diuretics for swelling of the legs during pregnancy. They will normalize the water balance and improve the woman's well-being.

Folk remedies

It is not necessary to take medication if you have swollen legs during pregnancy. Folk remedies can be an excellent substitute for all kinds of ointments, gels and tablets. They were tested on themselves by our ancestors, who lived at a time when medicine did not yet exist as such, so there is no doubt about their effectiveness.

Here are some folk recipes that can be used at home for swelling of the lower extremities:

1. Mix turpentine and castor oil in a ratio of 1 to 2 and rub your feet with this remedy before going to bed, then put on woolen socks and go to bed. In the morning you will notice a significant improvement.
2. Another good rub will require an egg yolk, one teaspoon of turpentine and two apple cider vinegar.
3. Take 10 grams of astragalus plant and brew it with 200 milliliters of water. When the decoction is well infused, strain it and take two tablespoons in the morning and evening for 14 days, after which take a short break. This remedy not only relieves puffiness well, but also has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
4. If your feet are swollen during pregnancy, doctors recommend taking diuretics. However, herbal decoctions made from birch buds, knotweed and horsetail extract will be an excellent substitute for medicines. Take twotablespoons of each herb and brew them in 200 ml of water in a steam bath, then let it brew for a bit and strain. The decoction is taken three times a day after meals for three weeks.

In folk medicine, there are many other effective recipes to help deal with puffiness, so if you know of other methods that were not mentioned in this article, then you can safely use them.

Massage and baths

If your legs swell, what if medications are useless and you don't trust traditional medicine? Relaxing massages and therapeutic baths can help in this case.

If you get very tired during the day due to a lot of daily chores, then massage with ice cubes will help you relax in the evening. However, they should not be prepared from ordinary water. It is best to use an herbal infusion for them, such as sage, eucalyptus or peppermint. Also, after water procedures, you can knead the swollen parts of the limbs in the direction from the feet and up to the thigh.

Various baths performed well. Fill a bowl with cold water and add sea s alt. Hold your legs in it for a while, and then massage the swollen areas for several minutes. Another option is contrast baths. Soak your feet for about 10 minutes in hot water, then dip them in cold water for 5 seconds. To enhance the effect, you can add medicinal herbs and s alt to them. However, it is important to understand here that ifsymptom is caused by varicose veins, then hot procedures are strictly prohibited. In this case, only a relaxing massage will help you with swelling of the legs during pregnancy.

General tips and tricks

Unfortunately, absolutely every woman faces swelling of the lower extremities during gestation. Therefore, the expectant mother should have an idea of how to reduce the discomfort of this syndrome.

By following these tips and tricks, you can noticeably improve your well-being:

• Try to drink as little liquid as possible before bed.
• Take diuretics and herbal teas to normalize the water balance in the body.
• For varicose veins, apply steamed elderberry leaves to the knots.
• Try not to overload yourself during the day and get as much rest as possible to reduce the load on your legs.
• Don't eat foods that make you thirsty. These include sweet, spicy, fried and fatty foods, kefir, carbonated drinks and many others. Instead, include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Try to steam your food.
• Don't sit too long, try to move around the house to stretch your legs.
• To prevent stasis of blood in the legs, before getting out of bed in the morning, put on tights or leggings with a high waist.
• Don't stay too long in a hot room.
• Only wear comfortable shoes that do not make it difficultcirculation of the lower extremities.
• Place a pillow under your feet while you sleep to drain blood from them.
• After coming home from work, lie on your back and prop your feet against the wall. Lie in this position for about 10 minutes and you will notice how much easier you feel.

In addition to all of the above, do not take on all household chores at once. Distribute responsibilities and do them gradually so that there is time for rest, because bearing a fetus in itself is very tiring, and if you have a lot of responsibilities, then it will not be surprising that you will have leg swelling during pregnancy.

Why should we be afraid of this disease?

Foreign experts consider swelling of the legs during pregnancy to be quite common physiological changes that do not require any treatment if there is no high protein content in the urine, as well as high blood pressure.

Domestic doctors hold a completely opposite point of view, believing that this problem needs therapy. As medical practice shows, in 90 percent of cases, increased swelling of the lower extremities is a harbinger of preeclampsia, which complicates the course of pregnancy and can cause many negative consequences.

Therefore, you should not take lightly, at first glance, a completely harmless symptom. If you encounter a similar problem, it is recommended that you go to the hospital as soon as possible to undergo an examination and prescribe a course of therapy.

Conclusion

Swelling of the legs in early pregnancy is quite common. But if the symptom does not go away, but only worsens, then this may be a sign of the presence of various diseases and abnormalities in the body. In this case, the best solution would be to go to the hospital. After all, if you fight only with puffiness, without doing any treatment for the cause behind it, then you will not achieve any effect.

As mentioned earlier, edema is the first stage of preeclampsia, which can lead to pregnancy complications, so therapy should be comprehensive. At the same time, no ointments, gels and folk remedies can help, because they have a short-term effect and only temporarily help to relieve the symptom a little.

Do not neglect your he alth, because you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for your future baby, who is waiting for his time to be born. Remember, any disease is easier to cure in the early stages, so a lot depends on the timely visit to the hospital.