Puffy

The problem started Friday evening when my lower legs began to swell. I have had edema in my left leg because of several varicose veins and is nothing unusual. I prop my leg up and as I sleep with my legs elevated during the night, the small amount of edema usually resolves itself. On Saturday, the swelling became more noticeable and involved both legs. As a retired nurse, I knew that there could be several causes. Trauma, but I’d had no injuries. Too much salt, that could be the culprit, because I ate at a local restaurant and had limited control over the sodium content. Another possibility could have been on Saturday I was on my feet much of the day with the activity or it could have been the wide variety of food served at the Miner Family Reunion. Even a small sampling from the many delicious dishes exposed me to multiple variations of salt context. When I woke Sunday morning, the edema hadn’t gone down.

Because I was part of the men’s ensemble to sing a special hymn, I couldn’t stay home and keep my feet elevated, so I wore a pair of the low ankle socks to try and lessen the constriction on my circulation. I also attended the Sunday night services. Much of the day I had been sitting without being able to elevate my feet.

Another problem that can cause leg edema is that the heart doesn’t pump as efficiently as it should and the blood pools in the lower extremities. I didn’t have accompanying chest pain or shortness of breath, but that thought remained in the back of my mind. Monday morning, the edema was still there and I called my primary care physician for a advice.

The appointment was set for Tuesday morning. By this time, much of the edema in my right leg has dissipated, but not in the left. There remained pitting edema in both, but the right had lessened during the night.

With no shortness of breath, no chest pain, and all of my vital signs: blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation within normal limits, the doctor decided that it was a combination of too much sitting, too much standing, and too much salt, so I guess I’m good for at least another hundred miles.