Do your legs tend to swell at the end of the day? This is a sign of an underlying condition. Often, swelling at the end of the day is a result of varicose veins, but it could be due to other causes of edema and more serious medical issues. Get the details and then seek treatment for your symptoms.
Varicose veins occur when the veins weaken and become damaged. The weak, damaged veins have trouble carrying blood from the lower extremities back to the heart, so it pools in the legs. Sitting, standing, and heat can make the swelling worse, and by the end of the day, it can become severe. In some cases, putting on shoes is a challenge due to the swelling.
If this is the cause of your swelling, you may start to notice other symptoms as well. Common symptoms of varicose veins include a dull aching pain, which progresses as the day goes on. Other symptoms include heaviness, fatigue, itching , burning, cramping and throbbing. Left untreated, varicose veins can lead to inflammation in the walls of the veins and affect the overlying skin. This inflammation is the cause of progressive skin changes from varicose veins including hyperpigmentation, venous stasis dermatitis and lipodermatosclerosis. With continued inflammation and progression of venous disease even skin ulcerations may occur.
You should notice some relief if you elevate your legs. Also, wearing compression stockings can help, but it won’t get rid of the veins. Fortunately, you can undergo a minimally invasive treatment to get your varicose veins under control. Minimally invasive treatments don’t require much downtime, so you can quickly get back to your normal life.
Your legs could swell at the end of the day due to a buildup of fluid. This is called edema, and you’re at elevated risk if you are pregnant or overweight. However, you don’t have to be in a high-risk group to develop this condition.
You’re most likely to experience edema after spending a day sitting or standing. Fortunately, you can likely control the symptoms by walking throughout the day and limiting your salt intake.
However, if the condition is severe, it could be a sign of a serious underlying problem. For instance, you could have deep vein thrombosis, lymphedema, or an infection. Heart, kidney, and liver disease can also cause edema. In these cases, the edema is typically much more severe than you’d experience if you were simply taking in too much salt or not moving around enough. You should seek medical treatment if you think your edema is related to one of these conditions.
If your swelling is due to varicose veins, Dr. Vinay Madan at the Center for Varicose Veins can help. Dr. Madan offers minimally invasive varicose vein treatments, so you can overcome the symptoms without much downtime. Contact the Center for Varicose Veins to schedule a consultation to discuss endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), Sclerotherapy, VenaSeal, or radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
