How to Treat Swelling: Are Swollen Legs an Emergency?
If you have swelling in your legs, you’re likely displeased by the appearance and the discomfort, but also concerned about whether to see a doctor. Swollen legs are very common, especially as we age, and there are several causes. But, the most common reason for edema in the legs is a condition called Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). This is not an emergency, but it can become severe and it does require treatment to resolve. In addition, patients with CVI often have other venous issues like blood clots that could become an emergency, particularly if they break loose.
To determine whether your leg swelling is an emergency, look for these symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, faintness, fever, or red, hot skin near the swelling. In addition, if your swelling occurs after an injury or is widespread, rather than localized, seek immediate care. If the swelling is only in your legs and absent of those symptoms, click HERE to consult our award-winning vein doctors in New Jersey for a vein health assessment.
Do Swollen, Leaking Legs Indicate Congestive Heart Failure?
Vein issues account for the majority of swollen legs, however, congestive heart failure can also cause swelling in the legs. Contrary to the name, with this condition, the heart hasn’t “failed” completely, but it is no longer pumping blood efficiently, so blood can back up in the heart, or fluid can back up in the lungs as a result. With congestive heart failure, symptoms extend beyond swollen legs. Patients might have heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and widespread swelling if the kidneys accumulate salt and fluid as a result of not receiving enough blood.
In addition, congestive heart failure patients might develop “leaking” or “weeping” legs, when fluid seeps out of the legs from excess build-up. If you have leaking legs and symptoms involving your heart or lungs, ask your doctor about congestive heart failure. Fluid “leakage” is also possible with venous ulcerations, sometimes referred to as edema blisters, which stem from venous insufficiency. So, talk to our vein doctors about whether your heart or veins are responsible for the symptoms in your legs.
Can a UTI Cause Swelling in Feet? Can Other Diseases?
A UTI is a bacterial infection that won’t cause swelling in feet or legs initially. It typically causes urinary urgency and frequency, lower abdominal pain, and changes in the urine. However, if it goes untreated, it can progress to a kidney infection. When kidneys are involved, swelling is a possibility. However, kidney failure is more likely to cause swelling than kidney infection. And kidney failure is more common with things like congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and diabetes than a UTI. Since high blood pressure and congestive heart failure also impact your veins, see a vein doctor for swelling in the legs and feet to distinguish between circulatory problems and other diseases.
How Can I Tell If I Need a Leg Swelling Doctor?
Acute swelling that occurs after wearing tight shoes or taking a long plane flight is usually no cause for concern. If you don’t have any of the emergency symptoms listed above, it’s safe to wait 24 hours to see if swelling subsides. However, if your swelling follows a fall, accident, or injury, or if it occurs with red flag symptoms, go to the doctor immediately. If you don’t have warning signs with leg swelling, but it doesn’t subside, or it relents and then returns, it’s time to see a vein doctor.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency is a treatable, common condition, but it won’t disappear on its own. It can have a dramatic impact on your life, causing cramping, heaviness, aching, and restlessness in addition to leg swelling. It also causes visible complications like varicose veins, spider veins, venous ulcerations, venous stasis dermatitis, and hyperpigmentation of the skin. If you have any of these signs of CVI, book an appointment at our state-of-the-art NJ vein center today. Our treatments are quick, affordable, and minimally invasive, preventing a nuisance from becoming a severe disease.
Swollen Legs vs. Fluid in Body: Which Symptoms Are Urgent?
Swollen feet and legs require a vein doctor’s assessment, particularly when they recur. Most often, veins are to blame. Swelling is also a common side effect of certain medications like calcium channel blockers, pain relievers, antidepressants, hormones, or corticosteroids. Swelling from veins or medicine requires treatment but is not always an emergency. However, if you develop sudden swelling or fluid throughout your body, this is an urgent scenario, so head to the emergency room. Doctors will want to rule out an allergic reaction, a cardiac emergency, pulmonary issues, or deep vein thrombosis.
Who Should I See for Leg Swelling After a Car Accident?
If you have leg swelling after a car accident, go to the hospital. It could just be a sprain or minor injury. But it could also be a bone fracture or problem with your arteries, veins, or heart. It’s best to seek urgent care for swelling following any type of fall, injury, or accident, particularly if pain, immobility, or additional symptoms are involved. In addition, if the swelling isn’t pitting edema (an indention forms when you press on it), head to the hospital to make sure it’s not something other than fluid bulging beneath your skin.
What Kind of Leg Swelling Doctor Near Me Should I See?
If your swelling is strictly in your lower limbs, and particularly if you see varicose veins or spider veins, or have symptoms like heaviness, restlessness, cramping, or itching in your legs, visit a vein doctor. You’re most likely one of the millions with undiagnosed Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Our vein specialists use innovative methods to treat this disease right in our office in less than 30 minutes. Seek treatment now before symptoms become more debilitating and harder to control.
If your swelling follows an accident or is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting, go to the emergency room. Also seek emergency care for swelling with a rapid onset or widespread proliferation in the body. If your swelling does not have emergency symptoms but occurs in areas like the arms, as well as the legs, ask your vein doctor whether CVI is to blame or whether you should see a specialist in the lymphatic or excretory systems.
What’s the Best Varicose Veins Edema Treatment?
If you’re one of the many whose leg swelling stems from CVI, varicose veins, or spider veins, there are excellent treatment options for you! The best spider or varicose veins edema treatment depends on your unique medical history and circulatory system. Treatments at our renowned medical center include gentle procedures like sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, vein adhesives, and specialty rotating catheters, all of which treat damaged veins and vein disease.
Our vein doctors might also recommend tactics to minimize symptoms at home, like compression stockings, changing positions often, staying active, or elevating your legs while at rest. Our diagnosis and treatment process is highly customized, so that you achieve your desired results in a way that’s comfortable and convenient for you. Our patients love that our treatments not only erase their visible varicose veins, but also treat the frustrating symptoms like edema and heaviness in their legs.
Does Vein-Related Swelling in Your Legs Ever Go Away?
It is possible to treat veins only to have leg swelling recur. But this is typically the result of patients seeking cosmetic treatment for veins that doesn’t address the underlying disease. CVI involves valve failure in a deeper vein that elevates blood pressure, causing those unsightly veins and swelling in the legs. If you seek vein treatment from an esthetician or dermatologist, they’ll likely use topical treatments that don’t treat the origin of the issue.
Veins are essential to every organ system, since they deliver oxygenated blood throughout your body. If you’re considering which doctor to consult for leg swelling, don’t seek medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from anyone who isn’t a qualified physician. If you want lasting relief from leg swelling, choose a board certified NJ vein specialist who treats CVI, not just varicose veins. By eliminating malfunctioning valves, we prevent additional spider veins, varicose veins, and leg swelling from developing.