Why Do My Feet Swell in Summer and How Can Pressotherapy Help Us?

High temperatures and poor blood circulation can cause some people to suffer from swelling in both the legs and feet. These signs are known as peripheral edema and consist of an excessive accumulation of fluid in the lower legs and feet.

Heat causes vasodilation, meaning the veins responsible for return circulation enlarge, making venous return difficult. If this return does not occur properly, it causes an increase of fluid in the legs and feet.

Main causes affecting blood circulation

As we mentioned earlier, heat is one of the main causes that can cause foot swelling, however, it is not the only reason. The main causes that can cause peripheral edema, besides high temperatures, are the following:

• Lack of hydration: it may seem contradictory to hear healthcare professionals say it is necessary to drink more water when we have fluid accumulation. However, the explanation is simple: when the body is not sufficiently hydrated, it retains the little fluid it has, thus causing peripheral edema.
• Poor diet: foods high in salt, such as ultra-processed foods, increase fluid retention. Therefore, nutritionists recommend in these cases to consume more fiber, foods rich in magnesium, potassium, and water, such as fruit (watermelon, melon, pineapple, etc.), which will help regulate the electrolyte imbalance that causes fluid retention, drink infusions, reduce salt, etc.
• Excessive hours standing or sedentary lifestyle: both standing for many hours and sitting for many hours are counterproductive for our circulation since they cause excess fluid to accumulate in the lower limbs.
• Few hours of rest: sleeping approximately 8 hours is very important to avoid any type of pathology. Specifically, for fluid accumulation, it is essential because sleeping in a horizontal position suppresses gravity and helps the return circulation do its job.
• Overweight: when a person suffers from obesity, the feet and ankles exert more effort than usual to stand or walk. This causes overexertion of our circulatory system, which gradually performs return circulation worse than a person with an appropriate weight.
• Hormonal changes: menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy cause an increase in fluid retention due to all the hormonal fluctuations that occur in a woman's body.
• Injuries or trauma: when we suffer an injury, inflammation is common. For example, an ankle sprain. Moments after a twist, the foot swells. However, in this case, this swelling is not bad; it is a defense mechanism the body has to keep the ankle more stable. It is important that this swelling is controlled and never excessive.
• Use of certain medications: if when taking certain medications you experience worsening venous return, increasing fluid retention, it is advisable to consult your doctor.
• Inappropriate shoes or socks. If you wear shoes or socks that are too tight, they cause some compression on the ankles and feet that can hinder venous return.
• Diabetes. Diabetic people are more prone to retain fluids and suffer infections in the feet.

How can SIZEN help with your foot swelling?

Just as there are many causes that can cause an increase of fluid in the lower legs and feet, we can also reverse the situation by following a series of tips:

The first is to use the SIZEN compression therapy system. Specifically, it is recommended to use mode 2. This choice is determined by its effectiveness in draining excess accumulated fluid, helping the return circulation do its job.

Mode 2 works by inflating chamber 1, then inflating the second, and so on until all are inflated, always maintaining the inflation pressure of the previous chambers. Once all are inflated, they deflate simultaneously, and the process starts again.

Additionally, for swelling of feet and legs, it is recommended to use the SIZEN PANTS (boots that cover from the feet to the groin) or FULL PANTS (covering from the feet to the navel). Since we can also regulate pressure and time, we recommend a pressure between 30 and 40 mmHg and a duration between 30 and 60 minutes. Regarding position, you should be supine (lying on your back) or seated with legs extended and feet at heart level.

Besides compression therapy, we can follow a series of routines closely related to the causes mentioned earlier:

• You should increase water intake (approximately 2 liters per day) and eat foods that contain water. Good hydration is of little use if you are sedentary, so… move! If you work many hours sitting, try to move occasionally and take a short walk. Conversely, if you work many hours standing, also try to move your legs and promote return circulation.
• In your free time, it is recommended to take walks and exercise because physical activity increases the speed of blood and lymphatic circulation by raising heart rate. This speed increase helps promote venous return.
• On the other hand, taking contrast baths (cold and hot water) or directly immersing your feet in cold water causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of a vessel) in the veins, which is the opposite of vasodilation, the cause of foot swelling.
• Finally, you can also elevate your feet when sitting or sleeping so that excess fluid migrates to more proximal areas and is eventually absorbed.

In conclusion, it is true that high temperatures cause an increase in fluid accumulation in the ankles and feet due to vasodilation of the vessels, but it is not the only cause that can trigger it.

Thanks to SIZEN compression therapy and changing a series of bad habits, we can reverse this situation.