Swelling in the legs

[SmallFry]

Dr. Steve,
Three weeks ago, I noticed my ankles were swollen. What do I do? Go.

http://www.spreadtheiris.com/images/smilies/TrainWreck1.gif

I'm 36, I drive a truck, am 6'5", and overweight (a little over 3 bills), go figure.
With my job, I do get excercise by unloading my trailer by hand on average of twice a week. I do drive long hours in one stretch, (up to 650 miles - maybe more than that, Jim) usually only stopping to fuel or use the terlet. I've been trying to break it up where I stop more, park a little farther away where I have to walk a little more. I also use as my excuse to not walk at night that it is not safe in some/most of these truck stops to just "excercise". The same goes for when I'm at my customer for the night say in Brooklyn or Queens, etc.

As for my diet, I bring my own food, so I generally don't eat a lot of fast food, but sometimes do because I'm really pressed for time and it's just easier. Most of the time I eat chicken with brown rice. I do however drink a lot of diet soda along with a little bit of water. I've started cutting back the soda to see if the sodium intake is to blame. I've also stopped adding salt to my food.

Some days, at the end of the day, the swelling looks like my wife's when she was pregnant. Others, there's very little swelling to speak of. If I lay down in back with my feet up, within 20 min, the swelling is about gone.

PS, I do have an appointment to see my doctor, but have to wait until the 19th.

[Don Stugots]

Hi small fry.

[Dr Steve]

Dr. Steve,
Three weeks ago, I noticed my ankles were swollen. What do I do? Go.

http://www.spreadtheiris.com/images/smilies/TrainWreck1.gif

I'm 36, I drive a truck, am 6'5", and overweight (a little over 3 bills), go figure.
With my job, I do get excercise by unloading my trailer by hand on average of twice a week. I do drive long hours in one stretch, (up to 650 miles - maybe more than that, Jim) usually only stopping to fuel or use the terlet. I've been trying to break it up where I stop more, park a little farther away where I have to walk a little more. I also use as my excuse to not walk at night that it is not safe in some/most of these truck stops to just "excercise". The same goes for when I'm at my customer for the night say in Brooklyn or Queens, etc.

As for my diet, I bring my own food, so I generally don't eat a lot of fast food, but sometimes do because I'm really pressed for time and it's just easier. Most of the time I eat chicken with brown rice. I do however drink a lot of diet soda along with a little bit of water. I've started cutting back the soda to see if the sodium intake is to blame. I've also stopped adding salt to my food.

Some days, at the end of the day, the swelling looks like my wife's when she was pregnant. Others, there's very little swelling to speak of. If I lay down in back with my feet up, within 20 min, the swelling is about gone.

PS, I do have an appointment to see my doctor, but have to wait until the 19th.


SmallFry:

Swelling in the legs (called "dependent edema") is always worth checking out with your doctor. Since yours goes away with elevation, it's most likely due to "venous stasis". Here's how it works:

If your feet are below the level of your heart during a large portion of the day AND you're not moving them around a lot (to pump fluid out of them), gravity will tend to pull fluid down into the legs, distending the veins of the legs. These veins are thin and relatively porous...clear fluid leaks out of the circulation and into the tissues, causing edema. Once you relieve the pressure on the circulatory system by elevating your legs, the fluid is resorbed and the legs go back to normal...at least for the first few years. After that, the body may not always be able to reverse the problem and you end up with chronic edema.

Your doctor will want to rule out spooky things that can cause edema, like severe sleep apnea syndrome (do you snore or stop breathing when you sleep?), and congestive heart failure (unlikely...those folks usually feel really bad and have shortness of breath when they lay down, among other things), but if he/she agrees it's venous stasis, they'll usually prescribe some elastic compression socks (i'm hesitating in calling them "stockings" just so you won't get bashed by humorists who read this forum :smile:) and have you elevate whenever possible, and try to flex your leg muscles frequently even when driving.

Hope this helps...let us know what they say when you see 'em.


your friend,


steve

[mudflap170]

Hey Small Fry. Sup buddy boy?
I know what you're talking about. I've got the same problem, and my Doctor gave me the same advice Dr. Steve gave, only he told me it comes from my fat ass driving for about 1o hours at a time. I promptly told him that if I knew I was gonna live this long I would've took better care of myself.

Be cool buddy. Truck 'em up

[FezsAssistant]

Hillary, is that you?

[Bossanova]

I think your going through the change Mable

[Marc with a c]

the swelling apparently comes from standing on candy apples.

[SinA]

bee stings?
http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/image_upload/product_variety_5780.jpg

[west milly Tom]

You have the gout