Symptoms

Water in the feet is a common symptom. It is primarily noticeable as a swelling on the foot, which is usually most pronounced in the ankle area. It can occur on one or both sides, depending on the cause.

The tissue can swell so much that an unpleasant feeling of tension appears over the skin. Pain, on the other hand, does not occur due to water in the feet. The swelling is initially noticeable mainly by the fact that the clothing on the foot becomes tighter and the shoes no longer fit. Typical for water in the feet is that a dent is left by pressing the tissue slightly and only slowly disappears. The swelling is usually more pronounced in the evening or after standing for a long time due to the greater pressure in the vessel caused by gravity.

Diagnosis

One can quickly recognize water in the feet by its typical signs such as swelling and indentability without pain. So an inspection and palpation of the affected area is usually sufficient. This makes it all the more important to find the cause of the edema during diagnostics.

To do this, one must ask whether the swelling is worse in certain situations and whether there are triggers. First of all, all the possibilities mentioned under causes come into consideration. If the reason is not clear from the medication history or pregnancy, it may be necessary to have a heart and kidney examination. The veins in the leg should also be examined. In the case of malignant diseases, imaging procedures such as a CT or MRI and special blood tests are required.

Therapy

The therapy of water in the feet is divided into two aspects. Firstly, the cause should be found and treated as soon as possible, which fights the edema at the root. On the other hand, there are a number of measures that alleviate the symptoms and reduce the extent.

These include, for example, special massage techniques that press the water out of the tissue. Compression stockings or special bandages also help the drainage. In persistent cases, a doctor may prescribe so-called diuretics, which, when applied to the kidneys, promote the elimination of body water.