5 Keys To Heat-Swollen Legs

Heat-swollen legs are a common summer complaint, especially among women. In this article, we’ll tell you five steps you can take to alleviate and avoid this condition.

It is estimated that more than two-thirds of women over the age of thirty-five suffer from heat-swollen legs. This happens mostly in summer due to the high ambient temperatures.

While heat-swollen legs can show up at any time of the year, summer is the perfect time. The heat of the season, combined with certain practices that promote swelling, is the ideal combination for the symptom to appear.

The hot environment causes changes in the body that attempt to counter the heat. These changes, expected and physiological, often cause discomfort. These changes include sweating, feeling thirsty, and vasodilation.

This latter mechanism is responsible for swollen legs. The body dilates the blood vessels to transport heat to the outside and not to store it inside the body. Dilated veins are less elastic and circulate blood more slowly and collect in the lower extremities, due to gravity.

The veins are responsible for returning blood from the limbs to the heart. When the changes we describe occur due to heat, the slowed down blood permeates the tissues instead of circulating. As a result, the legs swell.

This is usually not a serious problem. In any case, if the symptom persists over time, loses its connection to the hot season or if cardiac and renal signs are associated, a medical consultation is necessary to rule out the underlying chronic diseases. Heart and kidney disease are dangerous.

For the usual summer leg swelling, here are five keys that can give you relief:

1. Exercises for heat-swollen legs

While heat is a factor that generates fatigue and weakens the desire to exercise, you really have to face it and give it a try. Doing the right exercises for the lower extremities can help compensate for fluid build-up.

Certain repetitive movements of the legs promote lymphatic and venous drainage. In this way, they help the blood to return through the circulatory system to the heart. Exercise also increases your heart rate, which propels your blood faster and faster.

For heat-swollen legs, you can:

• Perform squats.
• Jumping : The movement of body fluids is stimulated by jumping. You can do them from the ground or using trampolines.
• Aquatic movements : simulating running in water is an interesting exercise. It also helps to cool the lower limbs.
• Climbing the stairs : for those who live in apartment buildings, this method offers the possibility of being carried out on a daily basis by avoiding the elevator.

2. Hydration

Heat-swollen legs respond to fluid buildup in the tissues of the lower extremities, but that doesn’t mean hydration should be avoided. Many people mistakenly believe that by drinking less water, they avoid stagnation or edema.

On the contrary, a good intake of fluids during the day stimulates the production of urine. When the kidney is working at the speed it should, the blood circulates better. The fluids then leave their stagnant state to return to the heart or be eliminated outside.

The main recommendation is therefore to always drink pure water, without additives. Ionic drinks can be used in certain sports. But under no circumstances should you hydrate normally with sugary drinks, which can be counterproductive for the swelling of the legs.

3. Lift your legs

A simple but effective measure is to elevate the lower limbs. Acting against gravity which carries fluids to the legs, the elevation forces blood to flow back to the heart to keep flowing.

The legs can be lifted at different times of the day. For example, you can use a bench or another chair to position them. They can also be lifted up against a wall, stretching the back on the floor into a position that doesn’t cause pain in the lumbar spine.

If, for work reasons, it is necessary to stay in the same position for a long time without being able to move, small movements that stimulate circulation are also recommended, such as tiptoeing.

4. Massages and cold baths for heat-swollen legs

Heat-swollen legs can also benefit from massages and cold baths. Some recommend combining massage with aromatherapy, to promote relaxation and soothe any pain caused by the accumulation of fluid.

Cold baths also relieve pain. Remember that the root of the problem is heat. In the same vein as aromatherapy, compresses of apple cider vinegar are recommended to wrap the lower limbs.

5. Cut down on salt in your diet

Reducing salt in meals is not just a measure for heart patients. Salt is a substance bound to liquids and capable of promoting their retention. For this reason, its lower consumption results in less accumulation of fluids.

So, you don’t just have to think about the table salt that is added to the food you prepare. Many of the processed foods you buy are high in sodium, due to the manufacturing process. It is essential to read the labels carefully to be informed.