How to combat swollen legs in summer: treatments and tips

Summer should be a time of enjoyment and disconnection, after an intense course full of worries and responsibilities. However, it is common that with the arrival of high temperatures and changes in habits, pathologies such as swelling of the legs also appear. It is an annoying sensation and can cause various inconveniences. Of course, there are solutions available to anyone.

What causes legs to swell in summer?

There is no summer without heat. There are those who love high temperatures and those who cannot find the time to get into the water at the beach or the pool to escape them until the arrival of autumn. Be that as it may, there is no heat without swelling in the legs, since heat dilates the veins and causes their walls to lose elasticity, making it difficult for blood to return from the legs to the heart. . However, pain or discomfort in the legs does not have to be something irremediable and that we must accept with stoicism.

What causes poor circulation?

The circulatory system is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients to all the organs and tissues of our body. The pathologies related to this can therefore be a serious health problem, but incorrect blood flow can also lead to discomforts such as swelling of the legs, the appearance of varicose veins or the feeling of tired legs. In most cases, healthy habits can reduce and even eliminate these unpleasant sensations, and help improve quality of life, since an unhealthy diet, lack of physical exercise and consumption tobacco are the main causes of poor circulation.

Tips to improve circulation in the legs

Enjoying correct circulation in the legs is essential to enjoying a good quality of life and there are different actions that are in our power to improve it. Here are some tips:

• Exercise and don't sit for too long.
• Massages the legs and feet.
• Put your legs up.
• Avoid extreme heat.
• Follow a diet that promotes circulation: you should avoid processed foods and those with too high levels of salt and introduce fruits with a high content of vitamin C, foods with omega-3 such as oily fish, as well as garlic and onion, which contain allicin.
• Perform exercises that promote circulation: walking, lying down and cycling in the air, leg raises and ankle twists are ideal options.

Treatments for swollen legs

In addition to the advice already mentioned, there are different treatments to remedy leg swelling, among which pressotherapy stands out. However, another option is lymphatic massage, a technique which aims to stimulate the network of vessels and lymph nodes so that there is a correct purification of toxins and body fluids, including fats, by eliminating interstitial fluid, excess fluid. You can also choose to use compression stockings, preferably under the advice and supervision of a professional.

Pressotherapy against leg swelling

The Body pressure therapy is a therapeutic technique that does not remain in the aesthetic aspect, since by applying controlled air pressure, it is possible to reactivate both the lymphatic and circulatory systems, which provides a series of benefits for the human body. This innovative technique combines compression and relaxation, and has been shown to be considerably more effective than others in reducing leg swelling caused by the summer heat, as well as having better and faster muscle recovery, and to relieve various problems such as tired legs and cellulite.

Pressotherapy works by applying pressure to different parts of the body, which helps to stimulate blood flow and lymphatic. During the treatment, the patient puts on the pressure therapy suit (such as boots), which is connected to an air pump. The air pump sequentially inflates and deflates the suit's air chambers, exerting pressure on the treated areas. The pressure exerted by the suit helps improve blood and lymph circulation, which in turn can reduce cellulite, fluid retention and swelling. A pressotherapy session usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, and multiple pressotherapy sessions are generally needed to see significant results. If you cannot go to a professional, a home pressotherapy device is equally effective, although it has less power.