There is a general belief that swollen feet is a sign of heart failure. And while heart failure can cause swelling in the feet and other parts of the body, such as the abdomen by causing fluid retention in the body; when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body effectively, it pools in the lower extremities.
However, swelling in the feet can happen for many reasons and heart failure is not the only reason for which one can have a swollen feet. It can be caused by other reasons including kidney failure, lymphedema, a blood clot, injury or an infection.
Swollen feet do not always mean that a person has a serious medical condition. However, it can be an important early warning sign of heart disease or other health issues, particularly if it persists, recurs, or occurs alongside other symptoms.
Aside heart failure, other conditions that can cause swollen feet include pregnancy due to increased blood volume, blood clot in the veins of the leg, problems with other organs, such as the liver or kidneys. Organ failure may also eventually affect the heart.
Also, long periods of standing or sitting and other physical activities may cause swelling that goes down when a person rests. Likewise, sitting for long periods, such as when flying, can also cause swelling which improves with movement. And at times, the swelling is worse in the heat. Instead of standing, sitting with the feet raised or walking around can help.
Other factors include injuries to the feet or legs which can cause inflammation and swelling and often, when it is caused by injury, swelling will be in just one foot; venous insufficiency where the veins in the legs do not function properly, potentially leading to a buildup of blood in the feet also causes swelling while lymphedema which occurs when damage to the lymph system leads to the accumulation of fluids.
Infections are also a major cause of swelling in the feet especially cellulitis, a skin and soft tissue infection.
The most serious health condition associated with swollen feet aside failure of other vital organs is heart failure and it comes with other symptoms like feet suddenly looking larger or puffy, shoes are not fitting as usual, pain in the feet or legs, more difficulty walking, swelling elsewhere in the body, such as the abdomen and unexplained weight gain, getting easily winded, finding exercise difficult, unexplained fatigue or weakness, even if a person is well-rested, pain in the right upper stomach, under the ribs, heart palpitations and difficulty breathing while lying flat.
People should see a doctor if there is new or persistent swelling, or if their symptoms are severe. They should also seek medical help if they have a fever or other symptoms or if the swollen area feels red or hot to the touch.
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