Is swelling in the feet and ankles a sign of thrombosis? – GOOD SHAPE

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Swelling in the legs and ankles can occur in different situations such as heat, standing for many hours, or uncompensated clinical situations such as high blood pressure, presence of circulatory problems such as varicose veins, hypothyroidism or even rheumatism.

In general, these situations can be aggravated by poor eating habits, such as excessive consumption of salt and industrialized foods and a diet low in water. Incredible as it seems, drinking more water helps to deflate.

But when this swelling is persistent, associated with pain and unilateral, that is, affecting only one of the legs, we need to worry about deep venous thrombosis, a serious illness and an important cause of sudden death due to pulmonary embolism.

The swelling of one leg can only be caused by orthopedic problems, erysipelas or even rheumatological alterations, but as thrombosis is a more serious manifestation, it must be immediately discarded.

While general, bilateral swelling should be investigated at some point, swelling of just one leg, associated with pain, should always be evaluated by a specialist on an urgent basis.