Let me say at the outset that I’ve already been to my doctor for this problem, and I’ve had a full ultrasound of both legs to rule out any vein blockages or other circulation problems. So, I’m not asking for medical advice for something I should clearly see my doctor about, since I’ve already done that.
My problem is that my left ankle is chronically swollen, and it gets especially bad this time of year when the weather turns warm and humid. I think that this ankle is more prone to swelling, as I had a very bad break of both bones just above the ankle when I was 10 (I’m now 33). I try hard to drink lots of water every day and get some exercise, but it seems like no matter what I do, I can’t keep it under control. I don’t want to take a diuretic, since I’m not having water retention problems in general, just in my one ankle.
Generally, my ankle looks OK when I get out of bed in the morning, but I have a desk job that has me seated most of the day, and by lunchtime, I can feel my ankle starting to swell. It gets tight and feels sort of tingly.
Is there anything I can do to improve this condition beyond what I already do? I’m frustrated that the only things I can think of (staying hydrated to prevent water retention in general, staying active to try to work the swelling out of the joint) don’t seem to have much effect.
I have the same problem with my left foot. When I’m sitting at my desk, I have my chair at the lowest setting so there isn’t as much preasure on the back of my legs. It looks weird but it helps the circulation.
Sometimes when my feet & ankles get swollen (from standing/sitting for long periods of time), I soak them in really warm (nearly as warm as I can stand) water with epsom salts. The epsom salts seem to help “draw out” excess fluids or something and it usually helps alleviate the swelling.
I have had the same problem with my left ankle (I had sprained it badly a few years ago and the swelling never did go down all the way, and yes, doctors did look at it).
I couldn’t figure out what it was until one time I went on a 2 week vacation. The swelling went down immediately and dramatically and didn’t come back until I returned home (and stupidly ate a heavy meal with lots of salt). I finally have come to the conclusion that it’s probably an allergy to soy and probably some other foods. (I used to work at a place where certain foods were always present and I ate these foods. When I went on vacation and didn’t eat them, the swelling immediately went away.) These days I rarely have a problem with the swelling since I more carefully watch what I eat.
Elevate your feet as much as possible. Wear “support” stockings, if really severe, use hospital grade “anti-embolism” stockings. You may need a perscription for these.
Salt is an enemy of svelte ankles. Avoid it as much as possible. Healthy folks never need to add salt to a normal diet. There’s plenty naturally occurring Sodium in just about everything, it seems.
