Therapy | Swollen feet

Therapy

The treatment of swollen feet depends largely on the cause. If an injury is responsible for the swelling, treatment is usually done with cooling, sparing and painkillers. Depending on the type of injury, further diagnostics are required.

If a thrombosis is present, blood thinning must be started and this must be taken permanently for at least several months. This is usually combined with compression therapy, i.e. wearing compression stockings. If the cause of the swelling is cardiac insufficiency, this is usually treated with medication. Among other things, draining medication is used here.

Duration

The duration of the swelling also depends on the cause and whether a therapy is initiated. Swelling in the context of cardiac insufficiency usually disappears slowly within a few days after starting drug therapy. The swelling associated with thrombosis often persists for a somewhat longer period of time, and compression therapy is helpful here to contain it.

It is not uncommon, however, for a slight difference in circumference to the unaffected foot to remain.If the cause of the swelling is an injury, cooling in the acute stage helps to reduce the swelling somewhat. However, it will usually not disappear completely until the injury is healed. After a large injury, swelling may remain.

Swelling of feet and legs

If there is a swelling of the feet, the legs are often also affected, especially the lower legs (see: swollen legs). Typical causes of swelling of both lower legs and feet can be lymphedema or cardiac oedema. Cardiac edema is caused by a weak heart.

If the drug therapy is optimized, the swelling that occurs in the context of cardiac insufficiency will rapidly decrease. Lymphedema can be treated in the early stages, for example by means of regular lymph drainage, but the swelling often returns. In the case of thrombosis, too, not only the foot is usually affected, but also the lower leg and sometimes the thigh.

The affected leg section may become overheated and painful under pressure in the area of the sole of the foot, calf or hollow of the knee. Swelling caused by a weakness of the venous system of the legs also often leads to swelling of the legs and feet. When the veins are no longer able to transport the blood in the legs back to the heart, it accumulates in the legs and they swell.

One or both sides can be affected. Often the affected leg is discolored bluish in the area of the lower leg or ankle. Therapeutically, a consistent compression therapy with support stockings or bandages and sufficient physical activity is recommended.