Swollen ankle

[mlmcats]

On May 31st I moved to Las Vegas NV from NW Oregon. Since about June 5th my left ankle & foot have been swelling, getting increasingly worse by the day.  I am drinking more water - could this be fluid retention?  The right leg is normal, and there has been no injury to the left leg, ankle or foot.  What might be the cause?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

Common causes of ankle swelling include:
•Traumatic Injury such as an ankle sprain or a broken ankle. Stress fractures can occur around the ankle joint leading to swelling.
•Gout is due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals within the fluid of your ankle.
•Ankle arthritis is much less common than degenerative changes in other joints. Ankle arthritis is most common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or in patients with a previous injury to the ankle joint.
•Infection is an unusual cause of ankle swelling. Infections can either occur in the soft tissues around the ankle joint (cellulitis) or in the joint itself (septic joint).
•Numerous problems with blood flow can impair normal circulation and lead to swelling around the ankles. The most common cause of vascular obstruction is a blood clot, also known as a DVT.
Peripheral edema is also a circulation problem, but is seen in both legs, not just one. These conditions include pregnancy, obesity, and varicose veins.

Edema can be caused by a serious condition of the kidney, heart, liver or blood vessels, but many other factors can contribute to its onset, including: Eating a poor diet high in salt and carbohydrates , Abusing laxatives, Abusing diuretics, Abusing drugs, Taking birth control or hormone replacement therapy pills, Pregnancy and PMS, Sodium retention, Varicose veins and history of phlebitis, Allergic reactions, Neuromuscular disorders, Trauma.

The hallmark of treatment is to reduce foot, leg and ankle swelling, and the first line of defense: leg elevation. Other aids include: Leg wedges to elevate the feet while sleeping, support socks and stocking, proper fitting shoes and socks.

Techniques to help decrease swelling: Increase muscle activity with walking, Avoid standing in place for long periods of time, Avoid sitting with the feet dependent.
Limit salt intake, do not abuse diuretics, but a short-term course may be helpful,
do not abuse laxatives, Drink plenty of water, Avoid contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy if possible, Use a compressions pump to help fluid return to the blood vessels.

If the edema persists or continues to worsen, please consult your physician.

You could read more about the condition at the following link -
http://www.footsmart.com/HealthCondition.aspx?ailmentId=94

Let us know if you need any other information.

Regards.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

There are a no. of causes of swelling feet. In your case, I feel there’s a strong possibility of Minoxidil being the culprit in causing the same. If the swelling of the feet/ankles is troubling you a lot, then you may need to stop Minoxidil. I’ll request you to take an opinion from your treating physician. Other important causes of the swelling of the ankles at this age is weakness of the right side of heart (Doctors call it Right heart failure), varicosities (increased tortuosity of the veins), hypoalbuminemia(decreased protein synthesis by the liver) and thus the fluid(plasma) of the blood comes out into the tissue spaces.

I sincerely hope this helps. Please do keep me posted.

Kind Rgds.