First Aid Against Swollen Feet And Ankles

Swollen “fat feet” are uncomfortable and can be a symptom of a serious illness!

You should try the following tips not only in summer, even if you are generally prone to water retention. It is often a combination of home remedies and medicinal herbs that lead to success. Try these home remedies for swollen feet !

What makes feet swell?

Especially in summer there is increased water retention and our feet become fat.

This is a simple measure for the body to quickly enlarge the body surface in order to have more cooling surface available for cooling with sweat.

What is a practical air conditioner for our body can be a nuisance to us. Especially in the evening, when the beautiful shoes no longer fit, our legs get heavy or the afternoon heat has made our feet and ankles swell.

If your legs and feet are swollen, it is usually because you have been standing for a long time and the venous pump has not worked properly.

That is normal. Try rocking up and down as you stand to keep the venous pump going.

Extreme heat also leads to water retention, as the vessels expand and more water can flow in. Another cause could be an impaired drainage of the tissue fluid (lymph) if you are wearing too tight stockings or clothing.

Cycle-dependent hormone fluctuations can also cause water retention – so the morning shock on the scales can really only be water, not fat!

Warning: risk!

Before you try our tips, you should first and foremost clarify whether the symptoms are not caused by a heart problem.

A thrombosis could also be behind it and this is life-threatening and belongs in the hands of a doctor!

Heart, liver and kidney diseases, as well as allergies and thyroid dysfunction can also promote water retention and are sometimes life-threatening!

Therefore, it is essential to clarify unclear water retention with a doctor before you follow our tips!

Cold water for swollen feet

Cold showers are not for everyone, but they are easy to take on the legs or feet.

The cold water causes the vessels to contract and the stored water is transported away.

Alternating showers keep the vessels elastic and are also useful.

In general, the narrowing vessels mean that less water can be stored in cold temperatures. If you have the opportunity to work (or sleep) with air conditioning in summer, for example, then take this opportunity!

Support stockings for swollen feet

Especially if you know that you tend to have water retention in your legs and feet, you should wear prophylactic support stockings if you have to stand for a long time.

Support stockings are also an effective measure to prevent thrombosis, for example on long journeys.

Today there are many models of support stockings that are not in “granny beige” and that cannot be visually differentiated from normal stockings. Get advice from specialist retailers!

Watch your diet!

Diet is the key to success in fighting puffy feet and water retention.

To prevent water retention in general, you should avoid all foods that promote water retention in the body. This includes not only salt, but also sugar.

Your diet should be particularly rich in fruits and vegetables that contain potassium. Melons and rice, for example, are good sources for this!

Rice and potatoes, as well as quinoa and millet, have a dehydrating effect due to the high potassium content.

Combine rice or potatoes with vegetables and spices that stimulate the metabolism and can also have a dehydrating effect: fennel, celery, parsley and ginger, for example.

Be careful not to eat meat that is very salty with it. Sausage should be taboo because it contains a lot of salt!

A piece of poultry or meat that is nicely peppered or seasoned with herbs doesn’t need salt to be tasty!

Foods that are not good for you because they promote water retention are:

• Ready meals because they contain a lot of salt and sugar.
• Sausage, because sausage products and marinated meat products are very salty.
• Smoked fish or smoked meat (ham, etc.), as these also contain a lot of salt.

• Sweets and sweet drinks when they are sweetened with sugar.
• Breakfast cereals, even sweet ones, because they also contain too much salt!

Avoid these foods or, best of all, cross them off your shopping list and menu altogether, because there are many healthier alternatives!

Drink a lot!

Drinking a lot promotes a good metabolism, which in turn ensures that the body has a balanced fluid ratio.

Drinking a lot does not mean: a lot of water retention, but exactly the opposite!

Please only drink calorie-free drinks such as water or herbal teas in order not to gain weight or store water with sugar again!