Generality
Within certain limits, the phenomenon of swollen feet in pregnancy is a physiological consequence of gestation, especially in the last trimester.
To moderate and / or prevent swelling of the feet, there are several remedies. First of all, it is good to rest and avoid standing for long; after that, it is good practice to practice moderate exercise, take care of the diet, wear comfortable shoes, etc.
Barring complications, such as preeclampsia, swollen feet in pregnancy disappear after delivery within a week.
Symptoms
Swollen feet in pregnancy are one of the possible effects of water retention, which takes place in the body tissues of pregnant women, especially during the last period of gestation. For this reason, swelling of the feet and other areas is considered, unless worsening. , a physiological response of the body that is preparing for childbirth.
It is quite easy to notice their onset, because the skin takes on a very particular aspect; the skin, in fact, appears as stretched, shiny and, obviously, swollen.
Water retention, in addition to affecting the feet, can also affect the legs, buttocks, hands and face.
DEFINITION OF WATER RETENTION
In medicine, water retention is the tendency to retain fluids in the body, both within the tissues and in the pre-formed cavities of the body. The stagnation of these fluids causes the affected sites to swell and manifests itself with a characteristic sign: edema.
In addition, in the long run, toxic substances accumulate in the stagnated liquid, which complicate the situation.
The liquids, which we refer to when we talk about water retention, have a blood origin: they, in fact, are made up of plasma, which escapes from the venous vessels. Containing water, minerals and proteins, plasma is the non-corpuscular part of the blood.
A characteristic sign of water retention: the skin of a person with strong water retention, if pressed with a finger, forms a concavity, very similar to a hole, which disappears within a few seconds / minutes.
To assess the degree of water retention, the doctor uses this feature for a test: he presses in a point, where water retention is evident (usually the thigh), and observes how deep is the footprint formed and how long it takes to to disappear.
WHEN DO THEY INFLATE PRECISE?
Figure: typical formation of a dimple (called fovea) after compressing the swelling with a finger. From the site: www.mayoclinic.org
Water retention is a typical phenomenon of the last trimester of pregnancy, but swelling is particularly accentuated in the last two / three weeks of gestation.
Causes
Swollen feet in pregnancy are caused by the stagnation of body fluids inside the tissues, in other words, by a process of water retention. To favor these processes, it is the same state of pregnancy. Why?
- During pregnancy, the blood changes composition, increasing the liquid part (plasma) compared to the corpuscular part (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). The non-corpuscular part, as mentioned, is the liquid that causes the phenomenon of water retention.
- From the very first moments, in pregnant women, an increase in the levels of a hormone, progesterone, is observed. This hormone, acting as a vasodilator, slows down blood circulation and promotes blood stasis, thus causing water retention.
- In the "last trimester, the" uterus s "enlarges considerably, compressing the venous vessels that carry blood from the lower parts of the body (feet and legs) to the heart. This makes it difficult for the blood flow to rise again and favors the stagnation of fluids along the lower limbs.
FACTORS THAT ACCENTATE THE SYMPTOMS
To worsen the swelling of the feet, sometimes even decisively, it can be a concomitance of several factors, such as: overweight or obesity, high temperatures (ie the atmospheric heat) and standing for long periods of time.
The influence of overweight and obesity is explained by the fact that body fluids tend to stagnate more easily in the adipose tissue; in overweight and obese women, the adipose tissue content is considerable.
The atmospheric heat increases the dilation of blood vessels and, on the other hand, slows down blood circulation, favoring blood stasis; in other words, a behavior similar to that described above is observed for progesterone.
Finally, standing for many hours, as a matter of gravity, makes it more difficult for the blood to rise upwards and increases, as in the case of atmospheric heat, blood stasis in the lower limbs.
Remedies
In most pregnant women, swollen feet in pregnancy begin to deflate soon after delivery, and within a week or so, a return to normal is observed.
Nevertheless, both during the acute phase (last weeks of pregnancy) and after childbirth (to speed up healing), it is possible to put into practice the following remedies:
- Avoid standing for a long time. If it is not possible to follow this advice, it is good to take care to balance the body weight on both feet.
- Rest and postures to assume. One of the most important remedies is to rest with the legs and feet higher than the hips, at least one "hour a day. This position, in fact, due to gravity, favors the return of venous blood from the lower limbs towards the heart. A sofa is the ideal sofa where you can assume the aforementioned posture, however you get the same result, lying on a bed and putting one or two cushions under your feet.
Finally, avoid crossing your legs. - Wear comfortable shoes. It may be useful to get shoes without laces and a larger size, so as not to increase blood stasis. Shoes that are too tight, in fact, tend to block the circulation of blood and body fluids.
- Do some foot exercises. Bend and stretch the feet and rotate the ankles clockwise and counterclockwise, all for a different number of times and for several sets per day; such movements promote blood circulation and reduce blood stasis in the body's tissues
- Doing moderate exercise. To promote blood circulation and venous return, it may be helpful to go for walks. Obviously, the amount of exercise performed must be adequate and not excessive.
- Avoid too hot environments. If possible, during the day, it is good to avoid too hot environments or to expose yourself to the summer sun in the central hours of the day.
- Wear compression stockings. They are special elastic stockings, which promote blood and lymphatic (ie lymph) circulation.
- Natural remedies. Natural remedies include foot and ankle massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy and phytotherapy. Before practicing any of these treatments, it is advisable to consult your doctor.
HOW DOES NATURAL HEALING HAPPEN AFTER BIRTH?
After childbirth, swollen feet, as well as other parts of the body subject to retention, deflate and return to normal, thanks to an increase in sweating and kidney activity, which increases the daily amount of urine eliminated.
Warning: if the complaints persist for more than a week, you do not see any improvement and you feel pain in the legs and severe headaches, it is advisable to consult your doctor and undergo clinical examinations.
Prevention
Swollen feet during pregnancy are a condition that cannot be completely prevented, as, as mentioned, they are the result of a physiological response of the body to the state of pregnancy.
However, this does not mean that the severity of water retention cannot be reduced in some way. By adopting a healthy and balanced diet, it is possible to keep body weight under control, promote diuresis and improve blood circulation.
Below, we report the dietary precautions that are generally put in place on the occasion of swelling in the feet, hands, hips and legs.
- Do not eat too much. Pregnancy requires a higher than normal calorie intake, it is true, but we must not exaggerate. As we have seen, in fact, weight gain is one of the factors responsible for water retention.
- Do not exceed in starchy foods, especially those containing yeast (bread, pizza, etc.), as they tend to increase swelling.
- Avoid salty, fatty, poorly digestible foods, as they tend to promote water retention. In addition, it is advisable to avoid certain packaged foods, as they contain unknown (therefore uncontrollable) and, often, excessive quantities of salt.
- Drink plenty of water to promote kidney activity and diuresis.
- Increase the intake of foods such as fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are healthy foods, promote diuresis and contain a lot of fiber, which regulates intestinal activity. In addition, fruit partially replaces the eliminated starchy foods.
- Increase the intake of foods rich in vitamins. Vitamins are contained not only in fruit and vegetables, but also in olive oil, almonds, peanuts, wheat germ and so on.
- Increase your intake of foods, which are known to improve blood circulation. Some examples of blood circulation promoting foods are: garlic, onion and berries.
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