Swelling of the feet and its symptoms:
Scientifically this disease is referred to as edema. In this condition the fluid present in the muscle tissues of the feet undergoes an excessive build up and results in a rapid increase of the feet within a very short span of time. In some cases the swelling is accompanied with shortness of breadth, excessive gain in weight of the feet, or damages in the epidermis or upper layer of the skin. The swelling is mainly caused by the fluid build up within the muscle tissues and when the gravity pulls the fluid to the lower parts of the body like the ankles and the feet resulting those parts to swell rapidly. However the swelling does not comes up with pain particularly in older people who are in the age group of 55-75 as researches reveal.

Causes of swelling:
Reasons which may lead to the swelling of the feet are clotting of blood in the lower parts of the body, infections of the legs, sunburns, certain medications like excessive intake of hormones such as estrogen & testosterone, steroids, antidepressants & tricyclics or drugs that lower the blood pressure. In some cases swelling of the feet are also observed due to inefficiency of the veins to pump the blood back to the heart efficiently. Commonly it also may be the outcome of increased age, being overweight or a previous injury in the feet. In women, the swelling may be the outcome of menstrual periods or pregnancy in which excessive swelling occurs due to the inflammations of the veins or high blood pressure. This is also called as toxemia in medical terms. Diseases such as elephantiasis may also cause inflammation or swelling of the foot. Although the swelling of the feet are painless but they may act as messengers to certain acute problems of the body such as failure of the heart, kidney or liver.

Preventive measures and medical attention:
Some common preventive measures and cautiousness can prove helpful in fighting the swelling easily if the symptoms are not that serious. Avoiding sitting or standing for a longer period, stretching or exercising of legs regularly, avoiding wearing of restrictive or tight clothing and garters around the thighs or the lower parts of the body can really prove fruitful. Elevating the legs while sleeping or lying down and a low salt diet are other steps which help in reducing the fluid retention and preventing the swelling. In case of a decreased output in urine, a considerable increase in temperature of the feet and reddening of the feet or a sudden increase in the swelling immediate medical treatment should be sought.