Originally Posted by
terrymorse
Good advice, I'm on it. Now all I need to do is navigate the medical bureaucracy. My primary care doctor has quit, and none of the other doctors are accepting new patients.
You're right about the myriad causes of swelling ankles, which include:
- heart valve problem
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- low protein levels
- deep venous thrombosis
- severe lung disease
- congestive heart failure
- varicose veins
- liver disease
- kidney failure
- obesity
- pregnancy
- dehydration
I can cross out obesity and pregnancy, so that's a relief.
Not DVT. If it were, you'd be in the hospital with tubes in you by now. Nor is the greatest possibility on your list: weak vein valves. We have check valves in our veins, just ordinary plumbing. Blood goes toward the heart, doesn't fall back down between beats. As we age, these valves get weak and pressure in the veins increases, starting at the ankles. Then fluid starts to leak out of the veins a bit and saturate surrounding tissues and starts with swollen ankles. This can gradually move up the leg. The immediate fix is compression knee socks, worn all day, every day. Quite stylish ones are available on Amazon. You can also elevate your feet at night if that works for you. Another good thing is simply exercise. Walk an hour every day. Leg muscles pump blood, too. Moving your ankles with the walking motion should help. Some endurance runners wear compression socks during training and events.
How did I learn all this? My wife has had this problem for some time. She tried compression socks on the bike but didn't like it.
But yeah, see a doctor.