When the wife and I walk, we both have very noticeable swelling to the hands. My edema will show up after about 6 K and the Mrs. will have symptoms much sooner.
I find some relief by lifting my arms high and working my hands, but it doesn’t go away.
Is this a common thing for walkers?
I don’t know how common it is, but my wife complains about that as well.
FWIW,
Rob
Yeah, it happens to me too, but I have Raynaud’s Phenomenon so I’ve just figured that it was related to that.
I get that all the time. After a walk it’s near-impossible to get my wedding ring off for a while.
Its probably caused by the repetitive swinging action which causes a centripedal force, drawing the blood down into the hands.
regards
FML
Thanks for the responses,
Now lets narrow it down.
We are 55 and I don’t remember this from years ago, more like the last 5 or so.
I am 60 lbs overweight and not an avid walker. I won’t list the Mrs, Here as I really got in trouble when I put here vital on a fishing license year back and learned my lesson. This was before computer issued and the entry was just blanks. I put down eye color as Red as that was how made she would get 
Are there dopers that can walk 4-10+ K and not experience edema in hands and legs?
There is a constant back and forth movement of fluid between the circulatory system and the extracellular area of the various tissues of the body. Hydrostatic pressure causes fluid to leave the circulation. Oncotic forces causes fluid to shift back. The lymphatics also aid fluid movement.
There are many things that can disrupt this balance. Swinging your arms increases hydrostatic force, causing edema. Cardiac disease/hypertension can also play a role. Decreased serum protein levels can have the same effect (big, bloated bellies seen in starvation is an example of this).
I don’t think that it’s solely age related, although it’s possible that it gets more severe over time. My family first noticed hand swelling while hiking about eight years ago, when we ranged in age from 12 to 44. For me, it makes my wedding ring hard/impossible to take off, and it’s visible if you look for it closely, but it doesn’t bother me in any way.
I used to get this–mildly–when hiking. Now I use hiking poles*, and it doesn’t happen anymore.
*This is NOT what they were called when I bought them! Like ski poles, only with a different tip.