When you Should Worry About Swollen Feet

It’s quite normal for your feet to swell somewhat during the course of your day. Once you get up, you spend most your time either on your feet or allowing fluids to settle into your feet by sitting down. For this reason, your feet will be bigger in the late afternoon than they are first thing in the morning, and you should not go shoe shopping at 9:00 a.m. if you want to find a comfortable pair of footwear.

You can also experience swollen feet if you are standing on them for a long period of time, either while attending an event or while going hiking or site seeing on vacation. During pregnancy, it’s normal for women to experience swelling in the feet and ankles. When should you worry about swollen feet? Here are some situations when you should get professional advice:

When to See a Podiatrist About Swollen Feet

• You can’t get your feet into your shoes.

If you aren’t able to put on your regular footwear by the end of the day without pain, get your feet checked out by a podiatrist. It is not normal for the change in your foot size to be noticeable.

• Swelling is confined to only one foot.

You may have sustained an injury or an infection. If the swelling is higher up toward the ankle region, it may indicate a sprain or a strain.

• The joints in the toes are swollen.

Swelling in one of your toe joints can indicate an injury to the joint or one of the areas close by. You may also notice pain, stiffness, redness, warmth and loss of range of movement in addition to the swelling. This array of symptoms may be caused by one of the forms of arthritis, and your podiatrist can confirm whether this is the case and discuss a treatment plan with you.

If your feet are swollen, don’t let this condition continue without having it checked out. Contact Sheldon Nadal D.P.M. for your personal consultation and to get a proper diagnosis right away.