Swollen Ankles in Pregnancy

One of the most common pregnancy symptoms, swollen ankles, can be painful and difficult to handle, but should not be a cause of concern. It should be considered a part and parcel of the approaching motherhood, like the other side effects, like morning sickness and backaches. Around 90% of women experience swollen ankles in pregnancy. Some of the women may experience swollen ankles in early pregnancy, while some may experience it in the later stages of pregnancy. A few women may also experience swollen ankles and feet in pregnancy. These conditions can be dealt with, by following some easy remedies, but first it is essential to know what causes swollen ankles in pregnancy.

Causes and Symptoms of Swollen Ankles in Pregnancy
The condition of swollen ankles, feet and toes, experienced in pregnancy, is known as edema. This condition is caused due to various reasons. The biggest reason for edema is excessive water retention. During pregnancy, the bodily fluids increase for the nourishment of the baby as well as the mother. At times, the body is unable to flush out these fluids appropriately, which causes water retention in the body tissues and as a result of this, your ankles swell up. Another reason for swollen ankles during pregnancy could be the pressure exerted on the pelvic veins, by the growing uterus. The pressure exerted causes the blood to collect, which forces the fluids down from the veins to the tissues of the ankles and feet.

The symptoms of edema include puffy, sore ankles, which may appear bluish or purplish in color. The feet, knees and toes may also swell up. Swollen ankles in pregnancy, mostly occur at the end of the day and the symptoms may aggravate in the summer. The swelling reduces and disappears completely at the beginning of the day, but returns by night. Although minor swelling is considered normal during pregnancy, swelling that persists and causes even the face and hands to bloat, maybe symptoms of pre-eclampsia. This is a serious disorder observed in pregnant women, during the final trimester, caused due to high blood sugar levels and may need immediate medical attention when diagnosed.

Prevention and Treatment of Swollen Ankles in Pregnancy

The following tips will help you prevent swollen ankles in pregnancy.

• Avoid standing or sitting for long hours. Take adequate rest and get proper sleep.
• Take up some pregnancy exercises and yoga exercises as an essential part of your daily routine. Go for walks in the morning and evening and exercise at home, that involves stretching of the calf muscles.
• Drink plenty of water all throughout the day. This will help flush out the fluids and will prevent water retention.
• Include a lot of potassium rich foods in your diet and avoid the excessive intake of sodium rich foods and caffeine.

Treating swollen ankles in pregnancy is an essential aspect of prenatal care. The following tips will help relieve and treat swollen ankles during pregnancy.

• If you notice swelling or pain in your ankles or feet, keep your feet elevated, that is above your waist, for a while.
• If the pain increases, apply an ice pack to the swollen ankles.
• Wearing a support hose while carrying out daily chores and working, can help reduce the swelling.
• Massage your ankles, feet and knees gently with essential oils like lavender oil or peppermint oil, at the end of the day, to soothe swollen ankles.
• Make sure that your footwear is light, comfortable and soft.
• Avoid wearing tight elastic socks or stockings.
• A tried and tested easy home remedy to treat swollen ankles in pregnancy, is to drink herbal tea twice a day.
• Dip your feet in a solution made by boiling dried parsley leaves and dandelion leaves or either of the two together, to treat swollen ankles.

If the swelling is persistent along with increasing pain, make sure you consult your doctor, to confirm or eliminate the possibility of pre-eclampsia caused swelling.