Swollen feet are unfortunately very common and the problem can afflict almost anyone and does in fact affect almost all of us at some point of time. Swollen feet are not just painful but they can also be horribly uncomfortable and ungainly. Your shoes don’t fit too well, socks feel tight and your feet just look plain weird. The fact however is that this is a common problem and there’s no running away from it. The disorder responsible is termed as pedal oedema and can not be treated easily. The problem can also be caused due to other factors like kidney failure, malnutrition, congestive heart failure, leaky blood vessels, and low blood protein content.
The problem of edema or oedema is particularly common among pregnant women, because of the increased stress on the region. Most of us tend to neglect our feet and this is one aspect that needs urgent correction to avoid the condition and also to prevent or minimize recurrence and facilitate healing. Your diet and lifestyle and foot care, all make a big difference to the health of your feet and the state of the condition. Here are some natural methods that should help you deal with the condition quite effectively.
- Give your feet a chance to rest through the course of the day whenever provided with the opportunity, and keep them elevated.
- Although you should reduce your activities with the aim of reducing stress on the feet, exercise and physical activity are still vital. A sedentary lifestyle is even more damaging than over exertion.
- Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise and is extremely gentle with almost no stress on the feet. A discipline like yoga would also help considerably as it improve circulation and blood flow.
- Your diet does also influence the progress of the condition so be cautious about your sodium intake. Do not resort to any fad diets however as these will provide quick but very brief results that will be followed by increased severity of the problem.
- Moderate your intake of fatty foods as these also hamper healthy blood flow.
- Whenever your feet start to swell make sure that you allow them to rest by either sitting down or reclining. You can use pillows or bolsters to elevate your feet.
- Warm water soaks can also help improve circulation.
- Gentle foot massages are another option that can be extremely soothing.
answered by S D