Swollen feet can be caused by long standing, heat, pregnancy, salt, or circulation problems. See a doctor if swelling is sudden or in one foot.
Common causes
- Standing or sitting for long periods.
- Heat.
- Salt intake.
- Pregnancy.
- Obesity.
- Medicines (calcium channel blockers, NSAIDs).
- Venous insufficiency.
- Heart, kidney or liver disease.
Relief
Elevate your feet, move, wear compression socks and cut salt.
See a doctor
If swelling is sudden, one sided, or with pain or breathlessness.
Emergency
Swelling with shortness of breath or chest pain. Call 911.
Causes of edema in the feet
Swollen feet result from fluid buildup (edema). Common causes include standing or sitting for long periods, heat, high salt intake, pregnancy, obesity, injuries and medicines such as calcium channel blockers (amlodipine), NSAIDs, steroids and some diabetes drugs.
- Chronic venous insufficiency, where leg valves fail, affects about 25 percent of adults to some degree.
- Heart failure, kidney disease and liver disease cause fluid retention, often both feet.
- One swollen leg with pain or warmth may be a deep vein thrombosis.
Relief and emergencies
Elevate the legs above heart level for 30 minutes several times a day, walk regularly, wear compression socks (15 to 20 mmHg for mild swelling), cut salt and avoid tight shoes. See a doctor if swelling is new, persistent or comes with shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid weight gain or leaky skin. Call emergency services for swelling with chest pain or sudden breathlessness.
Causes of edema in the feet
Swollen feet can result from standing long, heat, pregnancy, salt, venous insufficiency, heart failure, kidney or liver disease, medicines such as amlodipine and NSAIDs, or injury. Chronic venous insufficiency affects about 40 percent of people.
Relief and emergencies
Elevate legs above the heart, walk, reduce salt and wear compression stockings. Sudden swelling in one leg with pain may signal DVT. Swelling with shortness of breath or chest pain needs emergency care.
Heart, kidney and liver causes
Edema in both feet suggests systemic causes: heart failure (affects 6.7 million US adults), nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis and hypothyroidism. Medications including calcium channel blockers like amlodipine cause ankle swelling in up to 10 to 15 percent of users. Pregnancy swells feet in up to 75 percent.
Management tips
Elevate legs above heart level for 30 minutes several times a day, reduce sodium below 2,300 mg, walk and wear 15 to 20 mmHg compression stockings. Persistent swelling needs evaluation with blood tests, urinalysis and heart tests. Rapid swelling with breathlessness or weight gain over 2 to 3 pounds a day signals heart failure worsening.
Based on data from the American Heart Association and the Mayo Clinic
