I am a 76 year old woman and have had very swollen feet for two years now. I cycle and run a lot, play tennis weekly and do gym. The GP has prescribed water pills (furosemide 40 mg) and elastic stockings, but to no avail. Can I take other measures?
Female (76)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
I’m afraid not. Thick feet have two possible causes. One: the drainage of fluid through the veins is poor because the valves in the veins are damaged. These valves ensure that the blood can only flow in one direction. The most common approach is compression stockings.
Or two: the problem is ‘central’. The kidneys do not carry enough moisture. This can have various causes, including problems with the heart. But as far as I understand, your condition is good, so ‘the pump’ is probably still doing well. The only thing I can think of is regularly putting the feet a little high. If it’s really bad, you can have a dermatologist look at it. It probably doesn’t do much other than check these basic things, but for a kind of second opinion it might be a good idea.
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