There are actually any number of things that can cause your ankles or your feet to become swollen. For example, when a woman is pregnant, swollen feet are not at all uncommon. During pregnancy, this swelling is more likely to occur at the end of the day, after you have been on your feet quite a bit. Also, when the weather is warm, it tends to make your ankles and feet swollen more as well. This can also be true for people who are not pregnant. Still, one of the more common causes of swollen feet is indeed high blood pressure.

If your feet are swollen on a regular basis, it is worth speaking to your health care provider. If your health care provider determines that high blood pressure is not the cause of your swollen feet, there are some things that you can do in order to soothe your swollen feet. For example, you should try, if at all possible, to get off your feet for a few minutes several times a day. You should try to get your ankles up off the ground, and at least slightly elevated when you do this. If your circumstances allow it, you might even consider lying down for about an hour each day, sometime in the afternoon, with your feet elevated. At nighttime, you can help to soothe your swollen ankles by either sleeping on your side or sleeping with your legs elevated by pillows.

You can also use herbal foot baths to soothe your swollen feet. To be sure, herbal foot baths won’t eliminate the swelling itself. However, using a herbal foot bath gets you off your feet, which is beneficial. In addition, the herbs in these foot baths, such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, peppermint, and yarrow can help to perk up your swollen feet. There are even herbal foot baths that contain essential oils and herbs that act as an antifungal, in case you are experiencing athlete’s foot.

This entry was posted in Pregnancy.