How to Determine the Cause of Swollen Ankles

Swollen ankles are usually a sign of injury or fluid retention in the area. There are different reasons as to why ankles swell and when you figure out the cause of the swelling it is easy to treat the symptoms.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Realize that you could have sprained/strained your ankle. A sprain is an injury to the tendon in the ankle and a strain is an injury to the muscle or tendon. Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the United States.

2. Remember that during pregnancy your body retains a lot of fluid and works hard at creating a new blood supply that will support the baby. It's very common to have swollen ankles, especially in late pregnancy.

3. Understand that the longer you stand on your feet, the higher chance they'll begin to swell. The pressure of fluid in your legs moves downward into the lower surrounding tissues.

4. Accept that in rare cases swollen ankles are a sign of heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure. With these conditions, there is too much excess fluid in the body.

Tips & Warnings

• If pain accompanies the swollen ankles be sure to take an ibuprofen or anti-inflammatory to ease the pain and decrease swelling. Rest your ankle as much as possible.
• Ice the ankles by wrapping ice inside a cloth and placing it on your ankle. The ice works to decrease the swelling, pain and bruising from an ankle sprain.

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