Leg Swelling With Diabetes

How to treat leg swelling in diabetes

Swelling of the legs is the most common disease in diabetes. Therefore, for those who suffer from this disease, it is recommended to conduct daily examinations of the limbs. Neglecting edema can lead to serious consequences, including amputation. A patient with diabetes must know clearly why the swelling of the legs occurs and how to eliminate them.

causes

Swelling of the legs in diabetes is usually caused by two reasons:
Development of nephrotic syndrome resulting from a long course of the disease.

Injury of blood vessels due to poor circulation in the legs.

Both factors affect the sensitivity of the legs with equal force, disrupt blood circulation and lead to prolonged wound healing. Even a small scratch in the presence of diabetes can cause purulent inflammation, develop into gangrene, and cause amputation of the legs. Treat due attention to emerging edema.

In addition to the two main causes of limb swelling, there are other factors that affect fluid accumulation. This can be a violation of water and salt metabolism, kidney problems, poor diet, pregnancy, heart failure, varicose veins or wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes.

Among the most dangerous causes, doctors call venous thrombosis, accompanied by uneven swelling of the limbs, pain, and redness while standing. Edema caused by thrombosis does not die at night: in the morning the swollen leg remains enlarged. In the presence of blood clots, massage is forbidden, because it can lead to blockage of the pulmonary arteries and, as a result, death.

symptoms

To avoid the negative consequences caused by swelling of the legs, a patient with diabetes mellitus, it is important to recognize in time the signs of impaired blood circulation in the limbs. These symptoms include:

Increasing the size of the legs. When you press the swelling with your finger on the skin, the fossa remains for a while.
Numbness of the feet.
severe.
Change in the shape of the toes, deformation of the feet (shortening and spreading).
Decreased sensation, goosebumps, tingling, or coldness in the limbs.

Treatment

Swelling of the legs with diabetes does not go away on its own. They need to be treated. Methods and methods of therapy depend on the cause of the pathology.

Neuropathic edema in diabetes should be eliminated by normalizing glycemia and proper nutrition. It is recommended to avoid fast carbohydrates, fatty and salty foods. Diabetic smokers should quit bad habits: nicotine also leads to fluid retention.

If the swelling of the legs is caused by heart failure, it should be removed with special medications. The following groups of drugs are considered the most effective in this case.

Drugs that lower blood pressure and block the enzyme that converts angiotensin. For example, Valsartan.
Drugs that prevent kidney problems and serve as inhibitors of the enzyme that converts angiotensin, such as Captopril.
Diuretics: Furosemide, Verospirone and others.

Swelling of the legs caused by hormonal imbalance in patients with type 2 diabetes should be treated with complete caution. This includes intake of vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements.

To eliminate the pain caused by nephropathy, it is recommended to take analgesics. The most effective in this case are Ketorol, Ketorolac, and other drugs.

In the treatment of edema of the legs caused by diabetes on the background of renal failure, it is necessary to combine several methods: antihypertensive therapy, glycemic control, and the use of metabolic agents that have vasodilating effect. In case of advanced renal failure, hemodialysis is recommended.

In old age, swelling of the extremities is recommended to be treated with folk remedies. Such medicinal plants as ironia, umbilical tooth, oats, fish, ginseng root, and Hydrastis possess anti-edematous properties. Cayenne pepper helps eliminate fluid buildup in soft tissues. Restores the work of blood vessels and nerve endings.

Many diabetics prefer to use a special ointment to relieve swelling of the feet, which includes a tincture of honey and eucalyptus. It is rubbed into swollen limbs 2-3 times a day.

Fig compote is considered to be the most delicious way to alleviate leg swelling in type 1 diabetes. It is cooked from sliced fruit. At the same time, at the end of cooking, add a little water to the food of the finished drink. The tool is taken in 1 tbsp. l 5-6 times a day.

prevention

Relieving swelling is just a small step on the road to health. It is much more important to prevent its occurrence. To do this, you need to follow certain actions. In the first place among the preventive measures to remove the swelling are daily moderate physical activity. Physiotherapy exercises strengthen blood vessels, remove excess water from the body, normalize glycemic indicators and strengthen immunity.

Remember safety precautions and carefully inspect your feet, feet, and toes for damage and deformities on a daily basis. Personal hygiene is essential: wash your feet every day with soap and dry them with a towel.

Be sure to walk in comfortable and quality shoes. Sometimes they are tight shoes or shoes that cause foot deformity. It is advised that orthopedic shoes be purchased to avoid such issues.

To avoid unnecessary problems, it should be borne in mind that if there is swelling of the legs with diabetes, it is forbidden to treat wounds on the skin with iodine and bright green paint. For this reason, it is preferable to employ hydrogen peroxide or medicines such as Betadine and Miramistin.

With diabetes, heat sensitivity is often impaired. Therefore, warming the feet with heating pads or mustard is not recommended. Otherwise, burns may occur.

Apply a moisturizing or nourishing cream to your feet daily to reduce the chance of getting sores.

Despite the fact that patients with diabetes can experience swelling of the legs, do not despair. You can get rid of the disease. The main thing is to find the cause of the phenomenon and deal with it purposefully.

Tumors and swelling of the lower extremities in diabetes

Leg damage in patients with diabetes is a serious but solvable problem.

Advances in the study of diseases such as diabetes mellitus are not moving by leaps and bounds, but despite all advances, the diabetic disease is characterized by high risk, so-called late complications caused by disorders of blood vessels and the nervous system. These changes can occur in different organs. Common forms of these complications are swelling of the face, swelling of the legs, and swelling with diabetes that occurs on the legs. Swelling of the legs in diabetes and other lesions affecting the lower limb is called "diabetic foot syndrome" (diabetic foot). This disorder can become a true “Achilles heel,” i.e., the most sensitive point in a sick person’s body.

Therefore, every diabetic should know how to maintain the health of the legs and their good performance, as well as be educated on the basis of the treatment of leg edema based on diabetes. Not only because prudent care and treatment of limb edema reduce the risk of amputation, but healthy legs will help a person to fully enjoy daily activities, his life will not be limited by anything.

What is a diabetic foot?

Is it a lesion of the lower extremity characteristic only for patients with diabetes, which is characterized by swelling of the legs, swelling of the ankles, and other, more unpleasant phenomena? And why is diabetes the cause of this problem.?

The term "diabetic foot" refers to the area of vascular disease, nervous, joint, and bone disorders that affect the legs with diabetes under the influence of two main factors - nerve damage and damage to the bloodstream, thereby damaging blood vessels. This whole situation worsens in the presence of infection and high blood pressure.

Limb defeat in diabetics has long been associated with very serious complications in the public mind, which often lead to the need for amputation. In fact, if a person ignores their illness (sometimes due to ignorance and misunderstanding of what to do in such a situation), this situation often occurs today. This phenomenon always reflects serious shortcomings in the approach of the disease or the person himself, or the doctor, or both. It alludes to the need to address deficiencies in the organization of health care for patients with diabetes. The question therefore arises: is it possible to prevent peripheral nerve damage due to diabetes so that there is no need to treat such serious complications? The only option is to lower your blood sugar to almost normal levels.

From the point of view of the development of diabetic foot syndrome, the advanced stage of the complication is important, which is manifested by the weakening or complete loss of pain in the legs, the feeling of touch, heat, pressure. There is a formation of deformity of the feet with the development of hammertoes, blisters, limiting the mobility of the joints. Due to the simultaneous damage of the autonomic nerve, sweating of the legs is lost and there is a violation of the regulation of blood flow. The skin becomes dry, keratinized, prone to cracking, which in turn is an easily accessible entrance door for infection.

Another decisive factor in the development of diabetic foot syndrome is a violation of the supply of the arteries of the lower extremities. As a result of the comprehensive action of diabetic metabolic disorders, there is an accelerated development of atherosclerosis and a specific disorder of tissue microcirculation, the so-called diabetic microangiopathy.

Violation of blood circulation accelerates smoking, high blood pressure, violation of the spectrum of fats in the blood, lack of physical activity. Every diabetic ulcer is infected, and treatment of this problem in most cases is required by applying antibacterial therapy, often within a few weeks or even months.

However, in people who are at high risk of developing a diabetic ulcer, this discomfort can be prevented by following the principles of proper foot care and wearing appropriate shoes. Basic principles of foot care include daily examination of limbs, focusing on bruises, redness, cracks in the skin, fungal infections, or scratches. for this purpose, you can use mirrors to help you check the feet of people with reduced mobility. With dry skin it must be regularly softened, removing dead skin layers. Excessive soaking of the skin of the feet in the bath should be avoided. Regular pedicure is also important, which should be performed by a person specializing in diabetic foot care. It is important to note that in such cases, the dry pedicure procedure is performed without moisturizing the skin, as is done under normal conditions.

Another important factor is proper shoes, as it has been found that 40% of all damage to the lower limbs is caused by wearing inappropriate shoes. In the principles of a suitable shoe, the correct size is important, therefore, sufficient width of the shoe, sufficient length, soft insoles, leather upper. There should be no internal seams or creases on the lining, the sole should be non-slip. The key element is the use of protective multilayer inserts, individual for each person.

Simple principles for the prophylaxis of diabetic foot

Daily foot examination.
Daily change of socks or stockings.
Wear the most comfortable shoes.
Prevent the appearance of corn.
Do not expose your feet to heat, frost, or prolonged standing.
Regular nail cutting - always in a straight line; Pedicure masters should be warned that you have diabetes.
Do not walk barefoot if possible.
Do not perform any "surgical" leg surgery on your own.

There is no effective treatment for the diabetic foot. Major therapeutic strategies include either procedures that prevent the development of the disease (primary prevention) or measures that slow the progression, stabilize, or improve an existing disorder (secondary prevention).

Diabetes edema - causes and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment methods, and prevention

Visual impairment, heart, and kidney failure - these are all serious complications of diabetes. The disease can cause swelling. If you do not start treatment on time, there is a risk of heart problems, kidney problems, amputation of the lower extremities. It is important to know the cause and the symptoms specific to the symptom, the methods of treatment. This will allow you to diagnose complications and prevent irreversible consequences. Information on measures to prevent such swelling is also needed by diabetics, as it will help avoid a negative outcome of the disease.

What is edema in diabetes?

Impaired carbohydrate metabolism increases blood sugar levels. Diabetes is accompanied by various symptoms, among which swelling is indicated. They are one of the most common signs of the disease. Diabetes edema is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the soft tissues and internal organs. The mechanism of development of this process is the penetration of plasma through the damaged vascular walls. The blood then settles in the space between the cells, trapping fluid there.

Testicular swelling disrupts the functioning of all vital systems. The patient begins to experience discomfort, which is manifested in the inability to wear a favorite shoe, spend a long time in a standing position, completely relax. Type 2 diabetes edema is characterized by pain in the limbs, which is the reason for the decrease in working ability, deterioration of the quality of life of diabetics.

Why do my legs swell from diabetes?

To prevent a symptom, you need to know the causes of its appearance. That includes:

Diabetic neuropathy - characterized by pathology of nerve endings.
Arthropathy - affects the joint.
Nephropathy - kidney disease.
Heart failure, ischemia, vasospasm.
Violation of water and salt metabolism.
Weakness, damage to the vascular system.
Dietary failure - the use of large amounts of fluid, salt in the diet.
Wearing tight shoes - makes it difficult for blood to circulate in the foot.
Pregnancy, overweight, lack of physical activity, lack of sleep.

symptoms

The external manifestation of the signs begins with the modification of the lower extremities. They may swell, turn red, the fingers become deformed, become rounded. The general symptoms of edema in diabetes are as follows:

burning and stinging sensation;
skin redness;
foot skin stratification;
strong crack;
decreased limb sensitivity;
leg stiffness;
feeling goosebumps on the skin;
foot roughness;
reduction of limb hair to complete baldness;
slow wound healing;
frequent occurrence of corn, droplets;
pain in the feet or lower legs.

If a person with diabetes has some symptoms but there is no way to see a doctor, you can determine the presence of swelling at home. To do this, press the area of swelling with your finger and remove it abruptly. If a hole remains at the pressure site, which disappears after 5-7 seconds, which means that fluid accumulates in the tissues, do not delay contacting a specialist.

Why are neuropathic edemas dangerous?

Distal sensory neuropathy occurs in type 1 and 2 diabetes. The illness is caused by a lack of prompt therapy. This leads to damage to the nerve endings. As a result, a person's legs fall upside down, the possibility of feeling pain from wounds, burns, uncomfortable wearing shoes disappears. The loss of sensation can result in infection due to damage to the skin, which causes the risk of amputation of the damaged limb.

With diabetes, the disease develops over a long period of time. Its main phases are:

Initial - no pronounced symptoms, you can diagnose the problem using special procedures.
Acute - legs may ache, followed by tingling, tingling. Patients older than 60 years and with type 2 diabetes have a decrease in muscle mass ..
Final - begins the formation of ulcers, tissue necrosis, and gangrene, followed by amputation.

A dangerous consequence of diabetes and edema is deep vein thrombosis. It is accompanied by uneven swelling of the legs, pain, discomfort in a standing position. It is strictly forbidden to perform massage procedures with this diagnosis. This can lead to acute blockage of the blood vessel of the pulmonary artery by a thrombus, which in 85% of cases leads to the death of the patient.

Diagnostic

Consult a vascular surgeon and endocrinologist to make a diagnosis. Specialists will collect a medical history to determine the possible causes of the symptoms. Diagnosis of the disease consists of the following steps:

Visual examination by palpation to determine skin thickness.
Control of different types of sensitivity.
Measurement of pulse in the legs in the absence of extensive edema.
Knee reflex check.
Ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities.
Determination of peripheral nerves and muscles using ENMG (electron-neural myography).

Treatment

To eliminate diabetic edema, you must follow a series of rules. You must perform the following steps:

Normalize glycemia (sugar levels) to reduce the risk of damage to peripheral blood vessels.
Follow a therapeutic diet, especially for type 2 diabetes edema. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of animal fats and fast carbohydrates, which negatively affect the walls of blood vessels.
Stop smoking because nicotine causes vasospasm, which leads to angiopathy.

Medical treatment is aimed at relieving bloating. Methods of therapy are divided into:

Conservative - normalization of blood glucose, removal of swelling with the help of drugs and folk remedies, prevention of possible complications.
Surgical - removal of small areas of skin with necrotic lesions. Vascular regeneration (angioplasty) is performed. If complications are severe, partial or complete amputation of the foot is used.

Treatment

Swelling of the legs in diabetes is treated with several groups of drugs. That includes:

Angiotensin receptor blockers (Valsartan) - lower blood pressure.
Diuretics (Furosemide, Veroshpiron) - remove excess fluid by increasing the amount of urine.
ACE inhibitors (captopril) - prevent the development of complications in the kidneys.
Analgesics (Ketorol, Ketorolac) - relieve pain.
Metabolism (Riboxin) - dilates blood vessels.
Antiseptics (Miramistin, Furatsilin) - disinfect wounds, ulcers.
Supplements (Oligim) - restore vitamin and mineral balance.

Effective medications to treat diabetic edema are several medications. The best three are opened by Valsartan:

The drug is prescribed to reduce the risk of heart failure, normalize blood pressure.
Edema tablets should be taken without chewing at a dose of 40 mg 2 r / d. The capsules are taken once a day (all 80 mg).
The advantages of the drug include high efficacy, a rare manifestation of side effects.
A disadvantage of Valsartan is the necessity for a lengthy course of therapy.

Actovegin follows. Short description:

A nootropic agent is used to improve cellular metabolism, increase capillary flow.
Intravenous injections must be given in combination with sodium chloride or glucose solution. The daily dose is 20 ml, and the infusion - 10-50 ml. Then prescribe 3 tablets 3 r / d course 4-5 months.
The advantages of Actovegin are high efficiency, the absence of side effects.
Disadvantages include the high cost of the drug.

In third place is the drug Tiogamma. His description:

The drug belongs to the group of antioxidants, increases the level of glycogen in the liver, improves the condition of peripheral nerve fibers in diabetes.
Take 1 tablet daily before breakfast. The course of treatment of swelling is 1-2 months.
The advantages of Thiogamma are ease of use, fast positive therapeutic effect.
The disadvantages include a long list of contraindications and side effects, however, adverse responses are uncommon.

If scratches, cracks, or fissures appear in diabetes and edema, it is forbidden to treat them with diamond green, alcohol, or iodine. This can make the problem worse. these agents dry the skin even more, so Betadine is better to use. To reduce the risk of skin lesions, it is necessary to moisturize the feet with nourishing creams and ointments every night, after the completion of water procedures.

Read Fruits to avoid in diabetes

physiotherapy

Exercise is forbidden to perform with decompensation of diabetes, pain in the calf without load, dry gangrene, extensive swelling. Physical education must be practiced daily, for at least 20 minutes. Each set of exercises is performed 10-15 times. Starting position - standing, hands leaning on the back of the chair:

Rolling from heel to toe and back.
Standing on one foot, the sole of the other should massage the lower leg.
Stand on your toes and slowly lower yourself towards your heels, at the same time moving your center of gravity from one foot to the other.

The next set of exercises. Position - lying with straight lower limbs:

Lift your straight leg, pull the sock towards you as much as possible, and then come back. Similar actions are carried out with other limbs, and then - with both at the same time.
Lift your legs, bend at the knees and turn your legs inward. Then connect them so that the soles touch completely.
Place your feet flat on the roller, feet apart at a distance of 15 cm. Then spread all your toes for 4-5 seconds and then pull back.
Keeping your feet perpendicular to the floor, lift one by one and make circular movements with your feet.

The last set of physical education for edema. Position - sitting on a chair:

Unique rolling for 4 minutes on the floor with a roller or tennis ball.
Press your feet to the floor, focus on your heels and lift your socks. Then bend and extend the toes 10-15 times.
Raise your right knee, straighten your leg. Use your toes to draw numbers 1 through 10. Then pull your toe, lower your foot to the floor, and pull it toward you. Repeat the exercise with the left foot.
Hold the matchbox with your fingers. Then pick it up and move away from you. You can use pencils to complete the exercise by folding them into a frame.

Traditional remedies

In diabetes, treating edema with traditional medicine prescriptions is an effective way to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms. Baths with a decoction of burdock, pine, needle, Hydrastis will help normalize water and salt metabolism and accelerate the excretion of the fluid. Execution rules:

6 tbsp. spoons of grass must be poured into the bath tank, raw materials pour 2 liters of boiling water and insist about 40 minutes.
Then lower your feet into the medicinal infusion for half an hour.
After completing the procedure, the feet must be dried and horizontally for 20-30 minutes.

Traditional remedies for edema are presented with several treatment options. That includes:

Decoctions. 50 g of flaxseed should be poured into 500 ml of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Insist on the broth for about 3 hours, then strain it and take 3 r / d of 100 ml for 5 days.
Procedures. Dissolve a packet of salt in a bucket of cold water. Soak a towel in the solution, squeeze it, and place it on your lower back for 1-2 minutes with a repeat 10-15 times. It will relieve pain in the limbs.
Use of diuretic products. These include watermelon, parsley, onion, pumpkin, garlic, celery.

With edema, massage is effective. This will help increase blood circulation. Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare the mixture for treatment. It consists of 2 teaspoons of castor oil, 1 raw egg, and 3 tablespoons. spoons of warm turpentine. The mixture must be thoroughly rubbed and massaged for 10-15 minutes. Then you need to wear cotton socks or knee-high socks and lie down for at least 30 minutes. The procedure will help improve lymph flow, remove accumulated fluid. Contraindication for massage is venous thrombosis.

Cayenne pepper tincture is considered one of the most effective treatments for edema in diabetes, varicose veins. The capsaicin contained in the plant improves blood circulation and activates tissue regeneration. To prepare the tincture, you need 7 pods of pepper pour 500 ml of vodka, insist 2 weeks. It is necessary to take the drug for 7-10 days for 1 tbsp. spoon daily.

prevention

Measures to prevent edema include diabetes care rules. That includes:

Monitoring the symptoms of diabetic edema. If any of the signs appear, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Wash your feet regularly with proper skincare (creams with natural moisturizers).
Daily limb examination. This will allow you to notice an infected wound, roughness or another skin breakage in time.
Cutting nails. They can grow into the skin of the finger and cause inflammation.
Prevention of fungal infection.

In addition to the rules of personal hygiene, there are general rules for preventing edema. They are:

Use of comfortable shoes with special insoles for diabetics.
The use of compression stockings to prevent the formation of edema, blood clots.
Follow a diet that forbids consuming a lot of carbohydrates and salt.
Drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water a day. It is not recommended to drink before bedtime.
Regular physical therapy exercises.
Prevention of overheating or hypothermia of limbs.
Comprehensive treatment of chronic diseases and compensation of diabetes.

Diabetes treatment

Do your legs swell from diabetes?

Yes, moreover, this is one of the consequences of the unpleasant disease. By the way, quite common, because it is faced by almost all diabetics.

In addition to the legs, the arms and lower lid may swell. At the same time, swelling on the face is more pronounced than the lower leg., Legs with diabetes can swell with venous diseases - varicose veins and thrombophlebitis.

Swelling of the legs with diabetes along with edema of the internal organs are factors that threaten diabetics., Can a person swell from diabetes? THE PROBLEM IS NO MORE!

Women often swell their bellies, arms, and faces.

Swelling of the legs with diabetes., Occurs locally (only in certain places, for example on the face or legs) or in general., Causes. Swelling with diabetes occurs quite often.

Endocrinology. Diabetes. Kidney damage in type 2 diabetes:

As far as I understand, his head swells?

In addition to diabetes, the face can also swell. Kidney disease: the

lower eyelids swell in a person, and the swelling itself is soft and elastic. In addition to the swelling, an increase in blood pressure may be noticed.

In some cases, edema does not cause severe discomfort to diabetics and.

Swelling of the legs - a warning sign, its onset. Sweating is accompanied by tingling in the legs, numbness, throbbing or tingling., With diabetes, changes occur not only in the veins of the limbs.

Edema with diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a polysymptomatic disease that can manifest in many different signs.

Is it possible to beat the swelling of the legs in diabetes?

Swelling of the lower extremities is a common occurrence in patients with diabetes. Legs swell for several reasons.

Edema in patients with diabetes is of two types:

They are common. It spreads to the tissues of all organs:

limbs, face, body.,

Edema in diabetes

The symptomatology and etiology of diabetes mellitus enable the identification of diseases in the class of diseases dangerous to human life and health. Swelling of the legs with diabetes along with edema of the internal organs are factors that threaten diabetics. It is the swelling of the legs that first indicates that the diabetic has impaired blood circulation and nervous regulation. If a patient with diabetes has severely swollen extremities, such edema is visible. But if the internal organ is swollen, then it will be invisible. For example, only a doctor can diagnose cerebral edema. It is necessary to consult a doctor because it is possible to remove severe swelling of internal organs only with medication.

Reasons and course

A vascular surgeon and endocrinologist will help diagnose the strongest edema of the internal organs.

Sweating is a collection of fluid in the soft tissue. The disease manifests itself unevenly. In 70% of cases where a person swells, the lower and upper limbs swell. In 30% - the internal organs swell. It has been determined that in diabetics, one leg is thicker than the other. If the arm or leg is swollen, then when you click on the limb, a characteristic dent appears on the body. Swelling of the legs with diabetes is the most common. Because a person's internal and external organs swell in diabetes, the causes of swelling vary. Swelling of the body with type 1 diabetes is generally natural and worsens a person’s well-being.

Swelling of the lower and upper extremities can occur in diabetics if they suffer from arthropathy (damage to the diabetic joint). The initial indication of the sickness is swelling and coloring of the natural to red. In patients with angiopathy (damage to the vascular system), neuropathy (damage to the nerves), and cardiovascular disease, the legs also swell first. The main reason that causes swelling of the legs in diabetes is considered to be poor nervous regulation and inadequate blood circulation. Edema in type 2 diabetes is common. Women often swell their bellies, arms, and faces.

Edema can potentially lead to renal disease and other chronic illnesses.

Soft tissue swelling in diabetics causes:

renal failure;
pregnancy condition;
varicose veins;
diet not followed;
tight shoes;
impaired water and salt metabolism;
decreased nerve conduction;
weakness and damage to blood vessels;
chronic disease.

What are the dangers and consequences?

If the swelling of the feet is not treated in time, unpleasant consequences can occur. The toes can become deformed, the shape of the feet changes, there are often subluxations, dislocations, and broken legs. Some foot hurts, changes color from natural to red, expands or shortens. To recognize a diabetic foot, doctors have introduced a special medical concept of "diabetic foot". Then diabetics have swollen legs, sore and dry skin, and cornets on the legs.

In diabetics, nails can sometimes become deformed. The risk of skin infection increases. If the finger is so swollen that the color has changed from natural to bluish, then there is a huge risk of finger amputation. Pulmonary edema occurs if the patient is selected with the wrong therapy. The most serious consequence of the condition is the emergence of venous thrombosis and cerebral edema, which can result in the patient's death.

Symptoms of swelling of the lower extremities have their own characteristics:

burning in the hands or feet;
strong pulsations in the upper or lower extremities;
painful sensation;
skin redness;
hair loss in the upper or lower extremities;
slow wound healing;
deformity of toes and toes;
decreased sensitivity, upper or lower limbs swollen.

Treatment to relieve edema in diabetes

The treatment of edema in diabetics is complex. It consists of medications, but sometimes diabetics resort to alternative methods and diets.

The medicine against leg edema in diabetes is advised to be coordinated with doctors, as well as to be properly combined with those medicines that the diabetic is already taking. It is necessary to focus on the compatibility of drugs containing ingredients, as some substances mutually exclude the use of other drugs. Doctors advise choosing a drug against edema in diabetes based on the etiology of the disease. If the cause of leg swelling is nephropathy, then normalize the glycemic index. Special attention is paid to the diet menu. If the cardiovascular disease has become the cause of the swelling, then drug therapy cannot be omitted. Valsartan will lower blood pressure. With the help of Captopril ACE inhibitors, blood pressure is reduced and the development of kidney diseases is prevented. With the help of diuretics: "Furosemide", "Verospirone", excess water is removed from the tissues.

If the etiology of the swelling is a hormonal failure, which occurs on the background of type 2 diabetes, then maintenance therapy will help diabetics. Swelling can be removed with the help of mineral and vitamin complexes. In addition to neuropathy, the diabetic has been prescribed an analgesic (Ketorol, Ketorolac). To treat skin damage in diabetes, it is better to use Betadine, Miramistin, or hydrogen peroxide.

Traditional remedies

Treatment with traditional remedies is preferred by the elderly. Relieves swelling of the lower extremities, homemade ointments with honey, and eucalyptus tincture. They are rubbed into the skin 2-3 times a day. If the foot swells, decoctions of primrose, ginseng root, beet, oats, or hydration help. To prepare a decoction 1 tbsp. l Pour 200-250 g of boiling water over the dry collection and let it boil. Figs will help reduce swelling. To prepare figs, a few fruits are poured with water and brought to a boil. One tablespoon of fig water helps to remove excess water from the soft tissues. You must take the tincture 5 times a day until the symptoms completely disappear.

What to do with prevention?

If the patient's legs swell from diabetes mellitus from time to time, then preventive measures should be taken.

Diabetics need to examine their feet carefully every day. More attention should be paid to the soles, interdigital space, and feet. Daily hygienic procedures. It is recommended to wash your feet with cold water during the day. If a diabetic has skin diseases, then they should be treated on time, not started.

It is advisable to use oily nourishing creams for foot skincare. To prevent swelling, you can massage your feet with essential oil. Physical activity and physiotherapy are beneficial for diabetics. A diabetic diet should eliminate excessive consumption of foods that are sugary. Diabetics need more rest. In this case, the legs should be more than the body.

Swollen leg with diabetes: what to do, causes of swelling

Diabetes mellitus leads to complications with a prolonged course of the disease or insufficient compensation. The most common lower extremity neuropathy.

The leading mechanism for the development of diabetic polyneuropathy is damage to the vascular wall by elevated blood glucose. Impaired blood supply and weakened nerve conduction lead to the formation of diabetic foot.

One of the symptoms of neuropathy is swelling of the lower extremities. Nervous system pathology is not the only reason why patients complain that their lower leg is swollen in diabetes.

Causes of leg swelling in diabetes

Swelling of the legs occurs when cells and the intercellular space are full of fluid. The legs, as the lowest parts of the body, experience the greatest load in the upright position.

Swelling of the legs and feet also depends on the excessive accumulation of fluid in the body, as well as on the permeability of the vascular walls, the work of the venous and lymphatic systems.

Swelling of the legs in diabetes can have several degrees of severity:

Past feet and lower legs: when pressed against the skin of the front surface of the foot, it has a slight trace, as well as from the elastic on the socks

.Local swelling may be unilateral or on both feet in the ankles, ankle joints.

Swelling of the lower leg to knee level. When pressed for a long time, a deep indentation remains. Swelling can be on both legs or just on one.

Trophic skin disorders on the background of edema. Overgrown skin can be covered with cracks that develop into non-healing wounds and ulcers.

With a long stay in an upright position, with increased physical exertion, edema in the anterior part of the lower leg may occur in the evening, associated with increased hydrostatic pressure on the vessels and impaired microcirculation. Such edema passes independently without treatment.

Legs swell in patients with diabetes with impaired cardiovascular function, damage to the kidneys, venous and lymphatic vessels, as well as the manifestation of arthropathy or with purulent inflammatory processes in the tissues.

Disturbed innervation and pathology of the vascular wall accompany the syndrome of diabetic polyneuropathy. Swelling is usually more pronounced with the development of an ischemic variant of this complication.

The process continues by damaging the walls of blood vessels in which fat and calcium are deposited on the walls, and cholesterol plaques form in the lumen of the arteries. Reduced arterial blood flow, congestion in the veins contribute to bleeding on the skin and the formation of edema.

With neuropathy, swelling may occur, more pronounced on one leg. The skin is cold and dry. Patients complain of pain when walking, stiffness, decreased sensitivity, increased dryness, and thickening of the skin, the appearance of cracks on the heels.

In the case of progression on the legs or feet, ulcers develop that do not heal for a long time

Cardiac edema with circulatory failure has the following characteristic features:

Manifest usually on both feet.

Edema in the initial stages is mild, with severe decompensation - dense, spreading to the knees.

Sweating in the morning decreases and increases in the evening.

Symmetrical edema in the morning may be one of the symptoms of diabetic nephropathy. In addition to the legs, the arms and lower lid may swell. At the same time, the swelling on the face is more pronounced than the lower leg. Kidney damage in diabetes usually occurs in the background of high blood pressure.

Legs with diabetes can swell with venous diseases - varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. Edema is unilateral or more pronounced on one of the legs, persistent, dense. Strengthen after a long stand. Most swollen ankles. After taking a horizontal position, reduce.

With diseases of the lymphatic system, the consequences of erysipelas result in dense and very persistent edema that is not affected by the time of day or changes in body position. The “pillow” shape on the back of the foot is characteristic.

Diabetic arthropathy occurs with swelling of the ankle or knee joints. In this case, local edema, only in the area of the inflamed joint, is accompanied by impaired mobility and pain during movement.

Why feet swell with diabetes and how to treat diabetic swelling

"Sweet disease" is full of various complications. Most often, patients are worried about problems with the lower extremities. For example, edema of the legs in patients with diabetes is a fairly common phenomenon, which must compete competently. Why do my legs swell and how to deal with this condition quickly? Are there proven folk remedies that help normalize fluid metabolism?

It is important to know! A novelty advised by endocrinologists for continuous monitoring of diabetes! It is only needed every day. Read more >>

Causes of edema

Experts often wonder why the legs swell from diabetes. A similar pathology occurs when fluid accumulates in soft tissues. Local swelling (occurring in a particular part of the body) and in general (when a significant amount of fluid accumulates) greatly interfere with normal body activity.

Blood plasma, leaving the damaged vascular walls, is retained in the extracellular space, attracting fluid. In type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the main cause of edema is a pathology of the heart and blood vessels, which increases the permeability of capillaries, arteries, and veins. In addition, pathologies of the nervous and urinary systems, brain disease can cause violations.

Swelling of the legs brings a lot of problems to the diabetic: the victim cannot get dressed, stand for a long time, lie down or rest. This condition often brings pain, adversely affects the ability to work, impairs the quality of sleep. But if the patient knows what to do, if the legs have started to swell, he can easily avoid annoying troubles.

In diabetics, the legs swell due to:

Diabetic neuropathy. The disease develops due to high blood sugar and is characterized by a gradual decrease in sensitivity in the lower extremities. The victim stops feeling acute pain, does not feel that his foot is frozen or the new shoe squeezes it hard. This happens because the nerve cells die off, stop giving impulse pain and swelling occurs. In addition to the swelling, there are other alarming symptoms: ulcers, deep cracks, erosions on the legs, which the patient may not notice in time, which significantly increases the risk of wound infection and the development of gangrene - read more.
Angiopathy, characterized by problems with the vascular walls in the legs. As a result, blood plasma penetrates intensively into the intercellular space, which becomes the cause of edema - read more.
Disorders of water and salt metabolism, in which salt is deposited in the cells, attracting excess fluid. Basically, this pathology causes general edema ..
Kidney problems, whose job is to remove fluid from the body. The effect of high sugar has an extremely negative effect on the work of these organs, causing various pathologies, among which kidney failure is considered particularly dangerous. A pronounced sign of it is swelling.
Obesity. Being overweight puts additional strain on the body, which is already impaired by type 1 and 2 diabetes. As a result, the victim suffers from shortness of breath, tachycardia, hypertension, swelling of the legs - read more.
Diet failure. Diabetes is known to require a strict diet. Not only glucose-boosting sweets are excluded from consumption, but also pickles, smoked meats, marinades, alcohol. All these products contribute to fluid stagnation.

Which is dangerous swelling of the legs

If the victim is swollen, his legs are suffering from type 2 diabetes, then you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor. Excess fluid worsens the condition of the skin: they become overly vulnerable. Any injury can result in serious extensive injuries. Because skin lesions slowly heal in diabetes, the risk of their infection with pathogenic microbes or fungi increases. If the swelling of the legs is not treated at all, venous thrombosis can occur over time, which can be detected by the following symptoms:

uneven swelling, in which one leg appears much larger than the other;
lack of swelling in the morning and its appearance in the afternoon;
redness of the legs;
the feeling of discomfort, pain in the calf muscles while standing.

Important! Swelling and redness of the legs is a direct contraindication to massage. This procedure does not eliminate the unpleasant symptoms, but can significantly worsen the condition of the victim. Any physical effect on problematic legs with this pathology can cause a blood clot to separate from the thinned vascular wall, often ending in death.

How to quickly remove puffiness

As a rule, every diabetic should take it daily and carefully examine his legs for swelling or wounds. If there is swelling and the legs have lost sensitivity, it is important to normalize blood circulation, which will improve fluid flow.

For treatment, patients are prescribed drugs based on:

Cayenne pepper removes swelling of the legs, and the result will be noticed very quickly. You can also resort to other recipes and herbs.

Treatment with folk remedies for swelling of the legs includes the use of:

Therapeutic infusion based on oats, bean pods, currants, bud lilac bushes. All photoing ingredients were mixed in the same amount. Two tablespoons of raw materials insist in a glass of boiling water for two hours. Take the resulting infusion in a large spoon 4-5 times a day. The recommended course of treatment lasts two to three weeks.
Flaxseed decoction. For two tablespoons of raw materials, ½ liters of boiling water is enough. The mixture is boiled on low heat for half an hour, then filtered and drunk 1/2 cup in the morning. The course of treatment is one month. This tool relieves swelling, reduces painful apples, improves metabolic processes, removes the feeling of heaviness in the legs.
Fig compote. Washed fruit is cut into slices and looked like an ordinary compote. Just add not sugar at the end, but a little soda. A medicinal drink should be drunk one tablespoon five times a day.

How to treat a complication

It is very important to visit medical professionals on time and undergo the treatment prescribed to them. Often the swelling is removed, removing the real cause of fluid accumulation in the body. With neuropathy, you need to bring your sugar levels back to normal, follow a diet, quit bad habits. To relieve severe symptoms, the patient is prescribed pain medication.

Do you suffer from high blood pressure? Did you know that hypertension leads to heart attacks and strokes? Normalize your blood pressure.

With heart failure, antihypertensives, ACE inhibitors, diuretics are prescribed. If the problem is a hormonal imbalance, conduct supportive therapy based on vitamin therapy, taking mineral complexes.

prevention

To prevent swelling of the legs with diabetes and slow down the development of other pathological conditions associated with this disease, you need to physically recharge your body daily. Physical therapy, gymnastics, walking, jogging, athletic walking - all this helps to remove stagnant processes, remove fluid from the body, strengthen immunity, increase the mood of diabetics - exercises for diabetics.

With swelling:

You can not warm up, bend your legs: with impaired sensitivity of the feet the patient may get a severe burn;

Do not treat wounds with iodine or bright green paint. It is better to consult a doctor. It will tell you in detail which medicine should be used and how to carry out effective treatment;

lubricate the skin daily with cream for diabetics;

No smoking;

wear comfortable shoes made of quality materials and match the exact size;

With itching and redness on your feet, you should definitely visit a doctor who will prescribe adequate treatment.