Reason why only one of your legs is swollen

Have you ever wondered why your left leg is puffed up while the right one is normal? This is alarming, and it’s essential to know why there is swelling in one leg so that the proper remedy can be prescribed.

According to medical terminology, swelling is edema, which refers to fluid within tissues. Both legs are often swollen, but occasional isolated leg swelling is also possible. This may be caused by one ailment, whether small or big, serious or minor.

What is Edema exactly?

Edema is tissue swelling caused by fluid buildup. It usually occurs in the legs but can develop in any body part. For example, ankle swelling due to varicose veins or hand swelling due to trauma can occur.

Edema of the lower limb is commonly bilateral and affects the lower part of the legs and thighs. It is usually caused by disorders affecting systemic circulation, such as congestive heart failure, valvular diseases, kidney disease, high salt intake, or obesity. However, there are cases when swelling occurs only on one of the legs. 

 

Unilateral vs. Bilateral Swelling

There is also evidence of unilateral and bilateral oedematous changes. One leg’s swelling occurs due to a localized process such as infection or deep vein thrombosis; however, swollen legs affecting both legs are typical of systemic conditions such as heart failure. Another significant difference between the two is the underlying causes: local edema may be due to obstruction of lymphatics or lymph node infection, whereas generalized edema may be due to a generalized illness that results in fluid overload.

 

As a result, the severity and treatment of the condition vary across both cases. If the infection is unilateral, that indicates treatment such as antibiotics is needed. 

 

Do varicose veins cause leg swelling?

Veins are enlarged blood vessels visible at the skin’s surface, most commonly in the lower limbs. Vein valves can be damaged and fail to push blood back to the heart, causing blood to stagnate within the legs and ankle swelling due to varicose veins. Different factors, including age, pregnancy, and obesity, cause veins.

In most cases, varicose veins are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance and, at worst, painful. It also means that they can affect the quality of your life by their look and the sensation they produce. 

 

 

Why Does One Leg Swell and the Other Is Fine? 

A person may have only one leg swollen while the other seems completely normal; however, the process is the same.

The circulation pressure of blood can cause the veins to overstretch, making a person vulnerable to faulty valves.

When this occurs, blood cannot flow back upstream and most certainly accumulates, resulting in venous reflux and swelling. 

 

Common Causes of One Leg Swelling: 

Many simple tasks, such as long flights, sitting in cars, or at your work desk, can cause your legs to swell. However, rigorous movement can prevent this.

It is also important to note that ankle sprains and muscle strains cause local edema. Inflammation is the typical reaction your body has whenever it gets injured. Your body cleanses the area when you help it deliver fluid toward the affected region, which heals. Most of this swelling category can be combatted through rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

 

Medical Conditions of One Leg Swelling:

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT):

DVT happens when blood clots form on the arterial wall and hinder the bloodstream. Severe pain and edema of the leg follow, usually the whole lower limb where the clot is located. A DVT can also cause pain apart from swelling. This condition is common after a long car or airplane ride, bed rest, surgery, etc.

• Lymphedema:

Lymphedema results when Johanson’s drainage system does not work correctly. It can also be a complication of surgically removing or damaging the lymph nodes. This disrupts the fluid flow within the lymph nodes, causing the leg to swell. Illness, injury, or cancer may also appear after an operation. If neglected, heaviness in the leg changes in the skin, ulcers, and a high risk of a drastic disease can develop.

Leg swelling is reduced through compression therapy, physical therapy, a lymphedema pump, and massage therapy.

• Venous Insufficiency:

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is a condition in which the normal functioning of the leg vein valves, which pump blood back to the heart, is compromised or impaired. As a result, blood pools in the wrong area, the pressure in the veins is high, and fluid leaks into nearby tissues, causing the leg to swell.

This can be exacerbated by staying on your feet most of the day or being a part-time boot camper. If venous insufficiency is not managed correctly, it will worsen the situation and bring other symptoms, including swelling of the limbs, skin changes in color, skin thickening, and the development of varicose veins. It can also cause pain, the formation of wounds or ulcers, or an enlarged leg. 

• Arthritis:

Arthritis is when any part of the joint and surrounding tissues becomes swollen, reddened, and painful. It can cause swelling in one leg when inflammation leads to a buildup of fluids in the adjacent tissue of the affected leg. Arthritis is always painful and challenging to manage, let alone when dealing with swollen legs.

 

Investigating the Onset of Swelling of One Leg:

When deciding why one leg is swollen, a physician must physically examine the patient and consider the patient’s medical history. Before conducting tests, the physician will interrogate the patient about the duration of the swelling and the type of symptoms they witness.

 

Basic procedures(Image tests) used to diagnose conditions that lead to inflammation of one leg only include blood tests, MRI, or ultrasound—these aid in identifying other derived causes, such as tumors, infections, or DVTs. 

 

Treatment for Leg Edema:

When one of your legs is swollen, you should take it seriously; seek treatment because any recommended intervention should be taken. The right therapy will vary depending on the manifested symptoms and the underlying condition.

 

Some of the commonly prescribed treatments to help reduce swelling in one leg include: 

 

• • Managing Underlying Conditions: Based on your venous insufficiency diagnosis or lymphedema, the vascular specialist will assess the situation and recommend care to improve the condition. 
  • Elevation: You should also reduce swelling by raising your affected leg above your heart as often as possible. 
  • Compression Therapy: Surgical hose can provide mild pressure and, as a result, control swelling. They are handy to those who stay seated or standing all day or travel most of the time.

• Exercise: Exercise also helps pump blood around your body, removing edema fluids. Engage in light exercises such as swimming, cycling, or rolling.

• Nutrition: The value of every food you take is crucial for any status with circulation or inflammation.” Take more vegetables, fruits, brown rice, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, and other non-fatty meat products and less processed products containing high quantities of salt or sugar, which causes inflammation and swelling.

How to Prevent Leg Swelling?

• Stay Physically Active:

Managing swollen legs requires changing behaviors that provide optimal blood flow and minimize leg accumulation. Each leg should be helped to continue circulation when physically active, such as walking or cycling, to avoid sores.

• Avoid Extended Periods of Sitting or Standing:

Breaking up extended periods of sitting or standing can also help eliminate problems with fluid buildup in your legs. If you sit at a desk in an office for 8+ hours a day, make it a point to at least stand up, stretch, or take a walk. In the same way, do short sitting breaks if you feel nervous. Sitting puts too much pressure on your legs if you stand a lot.

• Elevate Your Leg:

You should raise your legs to a position above the heart level for about fifteen to twenty minutes several times daily. When you do this, gravity pulls the fluids in your legs toward the heart to reduce the accumulated fluid. This also helps in proper blood circulation and prevents the accumulation of blood and fluid in your legs, thus reducing swelling and pain.

 

Why Choose the Vein Center of Arizona?

Our clinic offers many minimally invasive procedures for treating varicose veins, spider veins, and other vein disorders. Our qualified physicians and surgeons provide efficient and safe treatment that does not require surgeries and can be recovered quickly. They focus on the client for a comfortable and unique experience, thus making us well-known as vein clinics in the United States.

 

Call Us Today

If you want the best vein treatment using state-of-the-art equipment, schedule an appointment at the Vein Center of Arizona as soon as possible. Let yourself and your body get the attention and care they deserve. Contact us today!