Leg Swelling Causes

Leg swellings can prove to be a very discomforting condition to deal with. A leg swelling could be purely due to edema or may even occur due to growths in the leg. A leg swelling can affect any one, or both the legs. Furthermore, these swellings may be painful or may be asymptomatic. Swellings are normally more noticeable when they occur in the lower leg, due to the effect of gravity. However, leg swellings causes are aplenty, which is what makes diagnosing this condition all the more difficult. Leg swellings can occur due to trauma to the leg or may even occur due to kidney failure or multiple organ failure. The basic pathophysiology of this condition lies in the fact that there is buildup of fluids in the leg tissues, which is generally supplemented by various other factors. Given below are the several causes of leg swelling.

Causes of Leg Swelling

• One of the relatively physiological causes of leg swelling is prolonged standing. Prolonged standing tends to push the blood towards the lower extremities, where it tends to accumulate.
• Being overweight also increases the chances of landing up with leg swellings. This is because the heart has to work harder to ensure that blood flows to all parts of the body.
• One of the most common leg swelling causes is pregnancy. There is normally swelling of the ankles, feet and toes in pregnancy, a condition known as edema. This can occur due to various reasons, the most common of which is excess water retention. During pregnancy body fluids tend to increase so as to manage the nourishment of the baby. However, sometimes this extra fluid tends to accumulate in the body, leading to swollen ankles in pregnancy.
• Normally, increase in age also leads to an increased tendency to get swollen feet.
• Any kind of injury, like a fracture, can lead to swelling in the legs.
• Sometimes, when there is kidney failure, then a person may land up with leg swelling. This occurs because kidneys are responsible for filtering out the waste products and any extra water that may have built up inside the body.
• Sometimes, heart failure or liver failure can also lead to edema in the legs and feet.
• A blood clot in the lower leg can act as an obstruction to normal blood flow in the limbs. This could lead to fluid build up, which in turn, could lead to swelling in the leg.
• An infection, like filariasis, leads to lymphedema, which in turn, causes swelling of the limbs.
• Varicose veins is a condition where the veins in the legs become tortuous and swollen. This leads to swollen lower limbs.
• After burns, there is often collection of fluid due to the inflammation. This can also lead to swelling in the legs.
• There are certain medications that can lead to swelling of the lower limbs, like excess of estrogen, steroids, blood pressure medicines (calcium channel blockers), antidepressants, etc.

Causes of Lower Leg Swelling

• Trauma or injury to the lower leg can lead to calf trauma.
• Calf muscle diseases and conditions.
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Thrombophlebitis (inflammation and blockage of veins)
• Cellulitis
• Ruptured muscle, like rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle can lead to unilateral calf swelling
• Chronic compartment syndrome
• Occlusion of an artery in the lower limb
• Baker's cyst
• Lymphedema
• Edema of peripheries

The treatment for this condition will depend on the exact underlying cause that is leading up to these symptoms. Although this symptom in itself may not be very serious, it could point towards another underlying condition, which will need to be addressed on a priority basis.