How to treat swelling of the legs in heart failure?

Many people who have heart problems probably know what swelling of the legs is with heart failure. Treatment of this symptom does not require much effort, but greatly helps to alleviate the course of the disease.

There is a simple test to detect the presence of swelling in the legs. It is necessary to press on the inside of the lower leg and hold for a few seconds. The depressed fossa remaining after this indicates that the person has swelling of the lower extremities. Additional signs are also a discrepancy between shoes in size in the evening or a deep mark on the skin from the gum of socks.

Causes of swelling in the legs

Billions of people, coming home from work, voice the same complaint: "The legs are completely numb." Some struggle with this by lying on the couch, others prefer to take a hot bath with sea salt, some lucky ones receive treatment in the massage therapist's office. But few people think about the essence of the problem: what causes swelling and what the treatment of the consequences of the problem, and not its causes, can lead to.

Edema is the accumulation of fluid in the tissues and intercellular space of the lower extremities.

This is a symptom that is caused by a variety of diseases:

1. Of course, these are violations of the venous and lymphatic systems.
2. Edema of the legs in heart failure is symmetrical, that is, approximately the same on both legs, and is associated with an ischemic history.

Many women complain that their feet are swollen by the end of the day. If swelling is not observed in the morning, then we can talk about fatigue syndrome. Change of shoes and sufficient rest will help to remove it.

Swelling of the legs - a symptom of heart failure

Any problems with the heart are the ground for the occurrence of edema. A healthy “motor” of the body and normal blood pressure are the key to their absence. Deviation from the norm (120/80) makes one think about the presence of symptoms of heart failure, and, as a result, manifestations of swelling in the legs.

Puffiness in heart failure has its own characteristics, in contrast to edema caused by other diseases:

• puffiness manifests itself symmetrically on two legs at the same time;
• the process of development of edema can be long-term and reach several months;
• over time, swelling spreads to all parts of the body;
• edema has a compacted structure;
• with the development of abdominal edema caused by insufficiency, there is a high probability of an increase in the liver.

Severe edema, which is observed in the morning, does not disappear when lifting up the legs, makes you think about heart failure - a serious problematic disease. Edema of the lower extremities is a clear manifestation of this disease. If they occur unexpectedly and develop rapidly, then a person needs to contact a medical institution as soon as possible to find out the reasons for their origin.

At the same time, they spoil the appearance of a person and deliver a lot of unpleasant sensations. Most often they occur in the elderly or in young people with hereditary and congenital heart pathology.

Origins can be:

• Feet;
• ankles
• lower parts of the leg;
• hips.

Specific edema can cause some pills prescribed for heart disease (Tanakan, Prestarium). In this case, you should contact your doctor, who can make a replacement for equally effective drugs that do not cause side effects.

Treatment of "cardiac" edema

Treatment of lower extremity edema in patients with heart failure begins with salt restriction. Diuretics are also given. And depending on the disease of the heart, specific treatment is prescribed.

It is necessary to control the level of water consumed per day: it must be in large quantities. With a lack of fluid, the body is able to accumulate it, which leads to the formation of puffiness.

Doctors prescribe diuretic pills, otherwise called diuretics, to patients with edema associated with heart problems. They increase the rate of urine formation and remove excess fluid and mineral salts from the body. If such drugs help, then the swelling subsides.

If the swelling is strong, doctors prescribe loop diuretics, which have a pronounced positive effect and quickly relieve swelling, but at the same time have a number of possible side effects:

• the appearance of ringing in the ears, as well as partial hearing loss;
• gout - swelling and pain in the joints, most often on the big toes;
• an allergic reaction, due to the content of sulfamilanides in such preparations.

The doctor selects drugs in accordance with the severity of the pathology and determines the dosage. Heart diseases should also be treated, first of all, it is necessary to normalize blood pressure.

Help of traditional medicine

In addition to the main treatment aimed at eliminating the disease, you can use simple folk remedies to help relieve swelling of the legs:

1. Pumpkin is unique. It can be used in any form, but it is with edema that pumpkin juice helps to fight. It is rich in trace elements and vitamins, removes sodium salts that cause edema, and eases the load on the heart. It is recommended to drink it half a cup in the morning on an empty stomach and before going to bed. You can add a teaspoon of lingonberries or a few sprigs of parsley to the juice.
2. Massage of the acupuncture points of the hands, which are responsible for the work of the heart, has a positive effect. They are on the little finger and wrist. If you do this procedure several times a day, you can significantly strengthen the heart muscle and reduce swelling. You can use bean seeds glued with plasters to the points on the arm. Seeds should be discarded a day after use.

In the arsenal of traditional medicine there is a wide variety of remedies aimed at treating edema. The simplest and most effective is parsley infusion, which gently removes all excess water from the body. It is necessary to make such a drink from the whole plant: leaves and roots. Grind a bunch of fresh, washed greens, pour 2 cups of boiling water and place in a thermos. Take this medicine for 2 days, then take a short break and repeat the treatment again.

Remember that folk remedies are an addition to the main treatment prescribed by the doctor.