Foot swelling is common and sometimes we ignore it thinking that it will just go away with pain relievers and with some kind of cream or oil application on the affected area. Lucky for those who were able to get back on their feet again after days of pain and discomfort due to swollen feet.
Actually, foot swelling (also known as “dependent edema,”) happens when legwork is too much. Gravity pulls blood into the veins of your legs, and some of the water in the blood enters the tissues of your legs and feet, causing them to swell (https://www.health.harvard.edu/).
According to the same source, there are other causes of swelling feet other than using the legs more than often. You may find it worth reading and who knows the information can help you in the future. Other causes of foot swelling are as follow:
- Venous insufficiency - Aging also makes the vein valves age, too. so that it works less efficiently compared to the past, in that it keeps blood from being pulled down by gravity and pooling in the leg veins.
- Heart failure - occurs when the failing heart does not pump as effectively as it should. Consequently, blood in the leg veins that should be pumped back to the heart instead, pools in the veins.
- Kidney disease - Fluid can build up in the tissues if disease makes it hard for the kidneys to get rid of excess fluid in the body (one of the main functions of the kidneys.
- Liver disease - Some liver diseases can lead to low blood levels of a protein called albumin, which is made in the liver. Low albumin levels cause fluid in the blood to pass into the tissues, producing swelling not only of the legs and feet but also other parts of the body, such as the hands and face.
- Phlebitis - This painful inflammation of the veins can cause swollen feet and also leg pain.
- Deep-vein thrombosis - the blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. The clots block the return of blood from the legs to the heart, causing swelling of the legs and feet.
Other causes not related to the flow of body fluids were also discussed in the same published online article from Harvard Health Publishing such as:
- Bone and tendon conditions - "Several problems with the bones and tendons in your feet also can cause swelling, although (in contrast to the vascular causes) they also typically cause pain. Examples include fractures, arthritis, and tendinitis."
- Drug side effects - "Some medications, such as calcium-channel blockers to treat high blood pressure, can also be the culprit."
- Skin and toenails problems - Aging causes our skin to be thin which makes "skin more vulnerable to cuts, that they can become infected, causing swelling of the area near the wound. A cut on the foot can cause the whole foot to swell. Ingrown toenails that dig into the skin also can lead to sores and swelling."
This was also a big problem when I had to walk long distances from home to work and vice versa that my feet were sometimes swollen as I used my legs for walking too often. I was thinking that walking is one of the best exercises to get leaner and healthier. However, I found out that anything that is too much has some bad consequences. Luckily, when I retired, I no longer suffer from it with some medications that were purely herbal, and resting my feet with pillows underneath them proved to be a good treatment for my swollen feet.
In relation to the aforementioned causes of foot swelling, I came across an online article about a study made about foot swelling confirms that “the results showed that the average right foot swelling in offices with sit-stand adjustable furniture was significantly less than that in offices with nonadjustable furniture, 12.3 ml (1.1 percent) compared to 21 ml (1.8 percent). These results suggest that activity promoted using sit-stand workstations benefits sedentary office workers” (https://journals.sagepub.com/).
As such, foot swelling cases in workplaces can be reduced with adjustable office furniture. And this has been proved with reliable and factual information based on this experiment or study conducted with a certain group of workers.
When you are working at home, I highly recommend that you purchase one perfect adjustable standing desk that is ideal for your home office that will not only boost your productivity, it will also reduce disorders and other unwanted situations related to sedentary work life. Flexispot offers an array of ergonomically designed home office furniture that enhances productivity and worker wellness.
