If Your Feet Swell In the Warmer Weather, We Have 10 Tips
When the summer sun comes out, your feet and ankles do too! No longer hidden, our toes and lower limbs are free to bask in the summer sun. But with the sun comes heat, and with heat often comes swelling of our ankles and feet. Today Dr. Stuart Snyder and Dr. Sara Sharma of Maple Springs Foot Center, LLC are sharing their top 10 tips for dealing with the swelling.
10 Ways To Provide Relief Of Swollen Feet And Ankles In Warmer Weather
If your swelling is being caused by the heat, there are several natural ways you can cool down your lower limbs, boost poor circulation and return fluid to your blood vessels.
Elevate your feet. Gravity isn’t your friend when it comes to swelling, so you need to undo its effect on your limbs by making sure you elevate your feet higher than your heart as often as you can.
Avoid heat whenever possible. Stay in shaded areas or air-conditioned rooms whenever possible. Avoid excessively hot showers/bath and saunas as these can aggravate the swelling.
Remain active. Moderate exercise such as swimming and walking helps to boost your circulation and get the fluid buildup flowing again. Try to exercise at cooler times of the day, such as the early evening or morning.
Drink a lot of water. Too much salt contributes to swelling, so by drinking more water, you can help reduce the amount of salt in your system.
Control your diet. Some foods are natural diuretics and can provide relief from fluid retention. Foods that have this effect include leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce, green beans, asparagus, pumpkin, onion, pineapple and lemons.
Support your feet, ankles, and legs. Compression socks or support tights can help you avoid swelling by providing the right amount of pressure to decrease the size of the expanded veins, boost blood circulation and prevent the collection of fluids in ankles and feet.
Avoid being sedentary. One way to do this is to ensure that you take regular walking breaks when being stationary for long periods of time to relieve discomfort and get blood flowing and fluid moving upwards again.
There are numerous other ways you can ease swelling when it occurs such as applying ice packs to the swollen areas, wrapping your ankles and feet in damp towels and cooling foot soaks with Epsom salts.
If your feet tend to swell in warmer weather, contact the office of Dr. Stuart Snyder and Dr. Sara Sharma of Maple Springs Foot Center, LLC to schedule a checkup so we can make sure there’s not an underlying issue. Call us today us at (301) 762-3338 to schedule an appointment or book it online.
