If you often feel that your feet are inflamed or suffer from swollen ankles, it is time to find the cause that is causing it and remedy it. While it's important to see a doctor to rule out serious illnesses that require medical attention, there are many mild, easy-to-treat causes that could put an end to this annoying inflammation.
Do you want to know how to deflate your feet? In we give you the keys to simple care that will help you improve the condition of your feet and reduce their inflammation. Discover the best treatments for swollen feet.
Why your feet swell
If you have come this far, you probably suffer from swollen feet or ankles. What causes swelling of the feet? Although it is a very common problem, the causes of swollen feet can be very varied:
- Spend many hours on foot.
- Footwear that squeezes the feet.
- Hormonal changes, such as menopause and pregnancy).
- Vascular alterations.
- Biomechanical alteration that produces imbalance.
- Fluid retention.
- Renal insufficiency.
- Overweight or obesity.
- High temperatures.
- Infection.
- Lymphoidema.
- Foot injury.
- Certain medications.
Activates circulation
Knowing how to deflate swollen feet will allow you to end this discomfort immediately. One of the best remedies to deflate the feet is to activate the circulation of the area. How? It's very simple: raising and stretching them. Putting your feet up, while keeping the rest of your body lying down, will help reduce inflammation. Follow these tips:
- If you spend a lot of time sitting, try to move your feet slightly, or get up to walk for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Another option is to lie down and raise your feet until they are above the rest of the body lying down.
If you have circulation problems, you can browse this other article on How to treat poor circulation naturally.
Take baths of warm water, vinegar and salt
One of the most effective and effective remedies to deflate the feet is to take a bath of warm water, vinegar and salt. It is because vinegar has natural properties to decrease inflammation. In addition, thanks to warm water you will help activate circulation. To perform this treatment against swollen feet, follow these steps:
- Fill a tub or basin with warm water. Avoid that the water is very cold or very hot, because remember that extreme temperatures are not good friends of circulation.
- Then add a splash of vinegar and a handful of salt.
- Afterward, soak your feet for 15 or 20 minutes and relax.
Dip your feet in chamomile baths
Another good natural remedy for swollen feet is chamomile baths. And it is that this medicinal herb has anti-inflammatory properties very beneficial for the body. To perform this treatment on the feet you must:
- Prepare an infusion with plenty of chamomile and plenty of water. You can do it in a pot.
- Then, put the infusion in a bowl or tub and when it is warm submerge the feet until the infusion has completely cooled.
- Next, perform a small massage on the feet to encourage chamomile to penetrate the skin.
Get lymphatic drains
Lymphatic drainage massages allow to activate circulation and reduce swelling of the feet. In addition, they contribute to reduce fluid retention and edema. To perform them properly, you will need to massage your feet and ankles with gentle, repetitive and circular movements.
To make the massage much more effective, we propose you to do it with some type of oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil, which also has anti-inflammatory effects.
Massage your feet with a ball
In addition to lymphatic massages, we propose another simple option that you can do at home. It is about massaging the foot with a tennis ball. To do this:
- Place the tennis ball on the floor and step on it with the sole of your foot.
- Then, move your foot forward, backward, or in circular motions, so that the ball travels through the sole of your foot completely.
Drink infusions
If the cause that is causing the swelling of the feet is poor circulation, you can incorporate some infusions into your day to day. They can help you activate circulation and, consequently, decrease inflammation of the feet.
Among the most recommended natural infusions for their anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties we highlight: sage, mint, horsetail, dandelion, ginkgo biloba, ginger, mint, mistletoe or rosemary silver, among others. Here you can learn more about what are the most diuretic infusions.
Take food and diuretic drinks
In addition to infusions, it is very effective to incorporate diuretic drinks into your diet that allow you to reduce the swelling of the feet caused by fluid retention. The goal of this type of drink is to help you expel retained liquids. We leave you the list of some of the most effective foods and drinks:
- Carrot juice
- Cranberry juice
- Tomato juice
- Horsetail infusion
- Diuretic foods: asparagus, artichokes, watermelon, celery, cucumber, tomato or eggplant, among others.
Apply ice to your swollen feet
Cold is an ally against inflammation. Therefore, we recommend using ice to reduce inflammation of the ankle or foot. If the cause of this inflammation has been a minor injury, such as a blow or a sprain, it will also help to mitigate the pain. To do this correctly, keep in mind the following considerations:
- Never apply the ice directly to the skin, you could get burned.
- Place ice cubes or a frozen bag wrapped in a towel or cloth.
- Apply the cold to the inflamed area for a few minutes to take effect.
Use cold cucumber slices
Cucumber is a food that has anti-inflammatory properties. Just as you use it to reduce eye inflammation or dark circles, it also serves to treat swollen feet and ankles. The trick is simple:
- Cut a cucumber into slices. It is recommended that the cucumber is in the fridge beforehand to help reduce inflammation, too, through the cold.
- Place the slices on the inflamed foot and take the opportunity to place it high, which helps to also reduce swelling.
- Let it act for a few minutes.
Reduce salt intake
Excessive consumption of sodium, in addition to promoting hypertension, can also produce fluid retention and, consequently, favor swelling of the feet. Therefore, if you want to show off your feet free of inflammation, you should start reducing your salt intake. Low-salt diets aim to take no more than 200 mg of salt a day.
If you are determined to reduce salt in your diet, in this other article from we tell you how to replace salt when cooking.
Wear the right shoes
As we have pointed out above, wearing improper footwear can be one of the causes of foot and ankle inflammation. To avoid this, always try to choose comfortable shoes, in addition to using the correct size. In this sense, avoid buying them without having tried them before and do not forget that high heels can promote inflammation.
Change posture
If you are one of those who spend many hours sitting, either for work or for a long flight, for example, you should know that to avoid swelling of the feet it is necessary to change posture every 15 minutes approximately. During this change, try to keep your legs straight or get up and walk for about 5 minutes. This will help you deflate your feet.
Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle causes poor blood circulation and is one of the causes of swollen feet. If this is your case, try to change habits and start doing moderate exercise on a regular basis.
Walking is one of the most recommended exercises in these cases, but you can practice any sport, always doing a warm-up and stretching both before and at the end of your routine. In addition, exercising on a regular basis is very important to maintain a healthy body and mind.
