Causes of Swollen Ankles - What Causes Ankle Swelling

Swollen ankle is known as edema in the medical parlance. Swollen ankles is a common problem faced by many people, at different stages of their life. It is not based on gender or even age, though aged people complain most of swollen ankles. Swollen ankles are characterized by swelling, pain, and difficulty in walking. Given below are some causes of ankle swelling.

What Causes Swollen Ankles

Ankle Injury
The ankles support the whole weight of the body, and any imbalance leads to injury. Ankle injury includes sprains, strains and fractures. An ankle sprain occurs when the ankle ligament is damaged due to excess and sudden strain on it. An ankle fracture or broken ankle results from bone breaking in the ankle. The ankle is made up of three bones that are joined together to provide smooth mobility. Any stress fracture, a hairline or even an undetected one, can cause the ankles to swell, hampering the person's mobility.

Water Retention
Our body is well-equipped to only keep the water it needs and discard the rest. However, sometimes, this ability fails due to a number of reasons, such as a high level of salts and alcohol intake, less sweating due to inactivity, menstruation or pregnancy. These causes lead to accumulation of fluid within the ankle joint or in the soft tissues surrounding the ankle, resulting in swollen ankles.

Ankle Tendonitis
Ankle tendonitis occurs commonly amongst physically active individuals. The posterior tibial tendon, just behind the bony knob on the inside part of the ankle, is responsible for raising the arch of the foot. Any injury caused to this tendon, results in pain and swelling around the ankle.

Vascular Disorder
When the blood vessel, arteries and veins get affected due to any reasons, hampering the blood flow to the legs, it can be a cause of ankle swelling. Varicose veins or swollen, enlarged blue veins that resemble twisted cords, venous insufficiency occurs when the valves in the leg veins cannot pump blood to the heart and thrombosis, a blood clot in a deep vein; all these vascular disorders can cause the ankles to swell.

Peripheral Edema
Peripheral edema is a circulatory disorder that refers to the blood transport system seen in both legs. It is a disorder of the blood vessels, and sometimes, blood itself. It can be caused by aging, varicose veins, pregnancy, or obesity. It is characterized by chronic swelling in both legs, including the ankles.

Gout
Gout is the accumulation of uric acid crystals within the fluid of ankle joints. Uric acid is produced by our body to digest food properly, and get rid of waste from our body. People with gout chronically collect the uric acid within joints, resulting in inflammation and swelling in the ankles and the whole leg.

Other Causes of Swollen Ankles

Cellulitis
Cellulitis is an inflammation of the subcutaneous tissues or skin. It is associated with painful, swollen and tender skin around the ankles.

Insect Bite
An allergic reaction to the stinger of an insect bite can also cause swelling in the ankles. Poisonous bites turn blue and are extremely painful.

Pregnancy
Swollen ankles are very common among pregnant women, especially towards their last trimester. It usually occurs because of increase in their weight.

Heart Failure
Swollen ankles are one of the main symptoms of heart failure.

Arthritis
People suffering from arthritis often complain of swollen ankles, because of weak bones.

Overweight
Overweight and obese people suffer from chronic swollen ankles because of the excessive pressure their ankles have to bear.

Ill-fitting Shoes
High heels and ill-fitting shoes cause tremendous pressure on the feet and ankles. The longer they are worn, the longer the ankle will stay swollen.

Most people ignore swollen ankles, often trying out home remedies. However, delayed medical attention can prove to be detrimental in the long run. It is important to heed medical advice of a qualified medical practitioner, and treat swollen ankles at the earliest.