Swelling in the Lower Extremities

[letitburn]

Hello, I am a 23 year old woman that has periodically been suffering from swelling in my legs, ankles, and feet. Most of the time the swelling is minimal and tolerable, however, I recently went on a trip to Asia. On the plane ride back, my feet had swollen so large they could not fit in any of my shoes. They were very painful, and I could see the fluid bulging under my skin. Despite icing them and propping them up, it took several days for the swelling to completely go away. I have been on several camping trips since, which within one day, my feet, ankles, and legs began to swell. It is miserable that every time I go on a trip this happens. I have tried to wear the same shoes and not change my diet much on these trips. The swelling makes traveling very different; I don't know if this is a symptom of some condition or what, but I would love to prevent it from happening again. Thank you.

[letitburn]

Thank you. I think that anemia and/or low protein could be the problem. Several years ago a doctor told me I was borderline anemic. On these trips I have tended to not take my usual vitamin supplements and my diet changed somewhat. I will ask my doctor for blood tests.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
The swelling of feet could be due to water retention as in low protein in blood, kidney problems, heart problems, pressure on the dorsal aorta, severe anemia, deep vein thrombosis, liver diseases etc. It could be due to hypothyroidism too. Diabetes Mellitus too can cause similar symptoms. I think you should discuss these possibilities with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!