Guide to Treating Swollen Feet: Causes, Symptoms, Ayurvedic Remedies

Understanding Swollen Feet

Due to gravity's effect, swelling is more likely in the feet than in any other place in the body. Many causes of foot swelling exist, and most are related to improper posture and lifestyle errors. 

Secondary causes of swollen feet include but are not limited to conditions like DVT, varicose veins, anaemia, CKD, CLD with pHTN (portal hypertension) and diabetes. Usually, swelling in these cases is reduced when the underlying disease is treated. 

The worrisome subject is the swelling that happens otherwise. Most of the time, we ignore it or get along with it. Let us explore more into the common causes of swollen feet.

Causes of Swollen Feet 

Several other factors contribute to swollen feet; a few are below.

1. Foot or Ankle Injury—A physical injury to the leg can lead to a swollen foot as it disrupts the blood vessels. This usually reduces after the injury heals, but in some instances, it may take a longer time. 
2. Preeclampsia - This happens during or after pregnancy. This is a severe medical emergency, and the onset of swollen feet can be sudden. It can be associated with many other symptoms like high blood pressure, dizziness, headache and protein in urine. 
3. High-salt Diet—Salt retains fluid, which also contributes to high pressure. A diet high in salt does not mean consuming actual salt alone; it includes consuming large amounts of preserved and processed food. These contain high amounts of salt to prolong shelf life, which leads to swelling of feet. 
4. Improper Footwear - This is the most common but unnoticed cause of swelling in the foot. Wearing tight footwear can arrest blood circulation and, in many cases, cause internal damage to local blood vessels, leading to swollen and painful feet. 
5. Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol causes swelling of feet in two ways. One primarily, it increases the tendency to retain water in the body, causing swelling in feet and around the eyes. Number two, it disrupts liver and heart health, which again causes swelling of feet. 
6. Tobacco Consumption - Tobacco is worse than alcohol as it ruptures cell structure. It rapidly promotes accumulation of fluid in the feet. 
7. Climate - During extreme heat, veins may naturally expand to cool the body. This may be seen as swelling in the feet. 

Other pathological causes include: 

1. Prolonged Standing—If your work demands longer hours of standing, it accelerates the downward flow of fluids in the body. This eventually retains the fluids in the feet, leading to swelling. 
2. Prolonged Sitting—This can aggravate fluid retention in the lower limbs, starting from the sacral region. 
3. Pregnancy—Swelling of feet during pregnancy is common. This is mainly due to the growing pressure of the baby coupled with lifestyle practices. 
4. Obesity—Obesity is not just the accumulation of fat; it is often the accumulation of fluids due to inflammatory reactions. Swollen feet are more common in obesity. 
5. Age—Ayurvedic experts say that the lower extremities tend to be affected by old age. Modern science also contemplates the same. As age advances, the valves of the blood vessels that prevent blood from being attracted to gravity. Due to this, fluid accumulation can occur in the feet. 
6. Other Pathological Conditions—Foot swelling is common in any kidney disease, be it small or severe. This is attributed to impaired protein levels and damaged veins. Swollen feet are also common in diabetes due to delayed wound healing of tissues. 

Apart from all these, sudden heavy physical strain can also cause sudden heavy trauma. Such trauma might be temporary and disappear after a few hours of rest. 

Let us discuss the Ayurvedic solutions for the swollen feet. 

Ayurvedic Approach Towards Swollen Feet 

Ayurvedic experts mention that aggravation of kapha dosha in the circulatory system causes swelling. Sweetness, accumulation and stagnation are properties of kapha dosha. Naturally, in the circulatory system, vata is predominant as a lot of movement is involved. 

In case of erratic diet, lifestyle and various other causes, kapha dosha gets imbalanced. Even in the case of diabetes and other imbalances, the accumulation of glucose again adds more kapha into the blood. 

Since kapha dosha is naturally accumulative and reflects earth and water elements, it causes feet to swell as an effect of gravity. 

So, combining both Ayurvedic and modern perspectives, the bottom line for treating swollen feet is to evade the cause of swelling and subside the accumulated fluid. 

If your natural body type is kapha, you are more likely to have swollen feet than others. Get your body type analysis done with us today. 

In case of adamant swelling, the final resort is seeking medical help. However, many natural remedies can give you relief. Let's look at them. 

6 Natural Remedies That Help in Swollen Foot 

Natural remedies aim to provide supportive physical measures that can provide mechanical relief to the feet. Here are a few proven ones that can help you on the go. 

1. Comfortable Footwear—Proper footwear is the first step towards improving swollen feet. It restores circulation and alleviates pain. 
2. Epsom Salt—Soaking the feet in Epsom salt can work like magic on swelling. The combination of magnesium and sulphur eliminates toxins from the body. 
3. Gentle Massage—Before you do this, it is important to ensure that the swelling doesn't spread to the legs and thighs. If you are sure that it is a local harmless swelling, then this is a great relief. Gentle massage, either with your own hands or using an electric massager, can improve fluid elimination around the area. 
4. Hot Water Bags—These are excellent remedies and offer a soothing effect on the feet. These are ideal during bedtime and give good sleep, too. 
5. Sleep Posture—Elevating the feet during sleep can improve circulation and upward movement of blood, reducing swelling. 
6. Yoga - This is an inevitable remedy for swollen feet. It is therapeutic as well. Proper customised yoga asanas can treat the underlying cause and improve swollen feet.  If you have a sedentary lifestyle, work desk yoga will be very beneficial. Speak to our experts to know more. 

These remedies work better with a good diet and certain Ayurvedic herbs. Here are the top four herbs that help with swollen feet. 

4 Wonder Herbs for Swollen Feet

Out of the numerous herbs that can help with swollen feet, here are the top 4 that can be included in your diet to reduce swelling. 

1. Ginger—This is very good in reducing inflammation and swelling. This reduces swelling and also treats the underlying cause of the swelling. 
2. Mint—Mint has excellent water elimination properties, which make it especially suitable during hot weather and eventual swelling. 
3. Cucumber—This is a storehouse of all essential minerals and electrolytes and is effective in treating obesity-induced foot swelling. 
4. Bananas—Surprising, isn't it?! Yes, you read it right. They are rich sources of potassium and magnesium. And both these minerals are needed to reduce swelling. This is a good choice if foot swelling is due to other underlying conditions. 

Conclusion

Ideally, foot swelling is common and can be temporary or permanent, depending on whether it is due to lifestyle or any other disease. Identifying the cause is one part of the treatment. The other important part is to identify your natural body type to choose the right lifestyle and diet to support it. Get an extensive personal consultation with our Nirva experts.