Dear LPG,

My dad lives alone and had just returned from hospital.  Being a dutiful daughter, I thought that it might be a good idea to stay with him for a few days just until he was up and on his feet again.  I spent a few nights sleeping in a chair next to his bed and then I noticed what was happening to my feet.

I have to say that getting up one morning, looking down and seeing my feet all blown up was quite a shock to me.   In retrospect, and having taken a look at some of the pictures on the internet, if I am really honest, they were not that swollen at first but the difference was worrying enough for me.  Another thing that surprised me was that I don’t think I felt any pain until I had seen what was happening to them either, so I have to ask myself if the pain I experienced after a while was psychosomatic.

After a day or two when nothing changed, I decided it was time to visit my own GP and he was able to tell me that there is a real reason why we sleep horizontally and that it is important to elevate your feet so that they are at least the same height as your heart for a few hours each day.   He told me that it would go down in time as long as I sleep properly in future, but he also said there is nearly always a medical reason for swollen feet, some quite serious.  He said that in my case it had been caused because of fluid retention and gravity, and that I was right to make an appointment to see him.

It was a very temporary situation for me, but it got me thinking about what I could do to improve the state of my swollen legs and I learned quite a lot from the internet. 

I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the facts, treatments and exercises which might help any other LPG readers with a similar problem. 

IB, Crofton Park

IB offers some facts and treatments that might help …

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