- 1. Switch between hot and cold
- 2. Rest with your legs up
- 3. Receive foot massage
- What causes swelling in the feet
A great and simple home treatment to combat foot swelling is to dip your feet alternately in a basin of hot and cold water, as this increases the local blood circulation and facilitates the return of this excess liquid to the blood, and the excess is then eliminated through urine. But to complement this home treatment, you also need to lie down with your feet elevated and receive a foot massage.
This home treatment can be done during pregnancy, after cesarean section, after walking a lot on a very hot day, or when the foot is swollen because of a sprain or after having removed the cast, for example.
This whole step by step is well explained in this video, relaxed and fun:
Here are the details of each technique:
1. Switch between hot and cold
To do this treatment against swelling of the feet and ankle, you need 2 buckets or 2 basins that fit your foot comfortably. The following should be:
- Place hot water in one container and cold or ice water in another; Dip your feet in hot water first, for a maximum of 3 to 5 minutes; Then dip your feet in the basin with cold water, for a maximum of 1 or 2 minutes..
This sequence can be done up to 3 times in a row, and it should always end with cold water. You can do this treatment 1, 2 or as many times as you want, according to your time availability.
Before placing your feet in the hot water, you should check with your elbow the temperature of the water, which should not be too hot, so as not to burn the skin. And to make sure the water is very cold, you can add a few ice cubes to the water.
This home treatment should not be performed unless you have a skin wound; when the skin is very sensitive or anesthetized or if there are many varicose veins in the ankles.
2. Rest with your legs up
To complement this home treatment, it is necessary to lie down comfortably with your legs up, so that your feet are above the level of the heart, because this also facilitates the venous return and deflates the lower limbs more quickly. It is important to always lie on your back and place some pillows under your legs so as not to strain your knees.
3. Receive foot massage
While lying on your back, you can ask someone else to massage your feet. Massage is also a great complement that helps to deflate your feet, but it should always be done in an upward direction, so you should press your feet in the direction of the fingers towards the legs. Applying a moisturizing cream or sweet almond oil, for example, is also an excellent way to make the massage even more relaxing. You must massage each foot for about 1 minute.
What causes swelling in the feet
The feet and ankles may become swollen during pregnancy, after childbirth, when the person is standing for a long time, in diabetes or in case of fluid retention. In addition, it is also common for the foot or ankle to become swollen when twisting the foot or after removing the cast from the foot, for example.
The main cause of swelling in the feet is gravity and that is why whenever the person is standing still from the same position for a long time, whether sitting or standing, the legs can become swollen, heavy and painful. But when there is an electrolyte imbalance in the body and the person is retaining fluids this symptom can also manifest itself.
Lack of physical activity is also another factor that influences body swelling, so anyone who has a tendency to get swollen feet at the end of the day should invest in regular physical activity regularly because it improves blood circulation and helps to eliminate excess fluids.
