Swelling is an indicator that something’s going on in your body. Your system uses some swelling — specifically, inflammation — to respond to an injury. Other times, the swelling stems from an excess of fluid.
No matter what’s behind the swelling, it’s a sign that something isn’t right inside your body. And when that swelling develops in one or both legs, it could be a serious warning.
Vascular & Interventional Associates specializes in treating leg swelling for people throughout northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. Our team can help you figure out what’s behind your swelling and apply treatment, which could potentially be life-saving.
Swelling can develop gradually throughout the day, particularly if you’re immobile for a while, or it can develop rapidly in response to trauma or a problem with a vein deep in your leg. Here are five possible reasons that your legs look swollen:
If you don’t move for too long, fluid can accumulate in your legs. This kind of swelling is especially common after long flights and drives, and it tends to resolve with movement.
Leg swelling from sitting or standing too long is technically a form of edema. This is the broad medical term for swelling because of fluid buildup. Medications, pregnancy, and drinking too much alcohol can cause this issue, too.
If the swelling comes on rapidly, it could be deep vein thrombosis (DVT). That means you have a blood clot in one of your deep leg veins. DVT needs prompt medical care because the clot could break free and travel to your lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.
If blood can’t flow through one of your pelvic veins properly, it can cause blood to accumulate in your legs.
When your heart doesn’t pump as it should, it can cause blood pooling in your legs. You might have leg swelling because of pericarditis (heart tissue inflammation) or cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), for example. Swelling in the legs is also a common symptom of heart failure.
At Vascular & Interventional Associates, our team commits to finding out what’s behind your swollen legs. We ask you about any other symptoms you’ve experienced and your personal and family health history, and we carefully examine your legs.
We may recommend additional tests, like bloodwork or a diagnostic vascular ultrasound. The latter is a painless test that lets us see how the veins in your legs function.
Then, we tailor treatment to address the underlying problem. Our vascular and interventional specialists have years of experience and strive to resolve your condition with minimal risk and downtime.
Your leg swelling could be a sign of a serious, even life-threatening issue. Don’t wait to make an appointment at Vascular & Interventional Associates in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. Call the office or book a visit online today.
