Content

• Steps
• Warning

It is wonderful to sit down and relax and raise your feet, especially if your feet are swollen. Whether your feet are swollen from pregnancy or walking too much, raising your feet will help you feel more comfortable. By raising your legs and resting your feet, reducing swelling and maintaining leg health, you can get your feet ready for all the activities you love.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Raise your legs and let them rest

1. 

   Leave shoes. Take off your shoes and socks before lifting your feet. Shoes cause blood to accumulate and swell. The sock has a similar effect, especially when it tightens the ankle. You should move your toes to increase blood circulation.

2. 

   
   
   Lie on a comfortable couch or bed. Stretch out on a bench or bed, lying on your back. Make sure the couch and bed have enough space to keep you from rolling to the ground. Raise your back and neck with 1-2 pillows if you feel more comfortable doing so.
   • Avoid lying on your back if you are pregnant and have passed the first trimester. The uterus can put too much pressure on the central artery, thereby blocking blood circulation - something you don't want. Put some pillows behind your back so you can get the person up to 45 degrees.

3. 

   
   
   Use pillows to elevate your legs with your heart. Put some pillows underneath to elevate your feet and ankles. Use as many pillows as possible to raise your feet with the heart. This can reduce blood retention in the legs and make the heart easier to increase blood circulation.
   • You may feel most comfortable with 1-2 extra pillows under your shins to support your feet up.

4. 

   
   
   Raise your feet for 20 minutes throughout the day. Regular 20-minute foot lifts can help reduce swelling. You can use this time to check your email, watch a movie or complete other tasks without standing.
   • If you have an injury, such as an ankle sprain, you should raise your leg more often. Try to lift your feet for a total of 2-3 hours each day.
   • If you find that your feet don't reduce swelling with this routine for a few days, see your doctor.

5. 

   Put your feet on the footrest while sitting. With just a slight lift, you can also help reduce daily leg swelling. Every time you sit, use a stool or a footrest to raise your feet off the ground. This will help increase blood circulation.
   • You can buy a footrest and put it under the table if you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk.

6. 

   Apply ice if it feels comfortable. Raise your legs, use an ice pack wrapped in a dishcloth, and apply it to your feet for up to 10 minutes at a time. Each ice pack is one hour apart. This can help reduce swelling better and ease discomfort. Always create a barrier between the ice cube and the bare skin.
   • If you feel the need to apply ice more often due to pain and swelling, you should see your doctor.
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Part 2 of 3: Reduce swelling of the feet

1. 

   Avoid sitting for too long. Get up once an hour and walk for 1-2 minutes to increase blood circulation. Long periods of sitting can cause blood to flow to the legs, causing further swelling. If you need to sit for a long time, use a footrest to help improve circulation.

2. 

   Wear medical socks. Wear long medical socks to increase blood circulation and reduce swelling in your feet. This will work best if you wear it all day, especially if you have to stand a lot. Avoid wearing pressure socks, as these can tighten on the upper ankle and make your feet swell.
   • You can buy medical socks at online health care stores like Lazada.

3. 

   Every day drink 6-8 glasses of water, each 240 ml cup. Drinking enough water can help flush excess salt out of your body and reduce swelling in your feet. Some adults need to drink more or less water, depending on whether you are pregnant or have other health problems. However, most people should drink at least 1.4 liters of water a day to limit swelling.
   • Although it is possible to drink soda or coffee from time to time, these drinks are not recommended daily. These drinks have a diuretic effect.
   • Don't force yourself to drink more if you can't.

4. 

   Exercise regularly. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week to increase blood circulation. Even walking normally can help increase the heart rate and prevent blood from accumulating in your feet. If you are living a passive lifestyle, slowly work out 4 days a week by starting 15 minutes a day.
   • If your movement has been limited due to pregnancy or injury, ask your doctor about exercises to help improve swelling.
   • Exercising with friends is a great way to maintain a new workout routine.
   • Certain yoga poses, such as lying on the floor with your feet on a wall, can also help reduce swelling.

5. 

   Avoid wearing shoes that are too tight. Wear shoes that fit comfortably and make sure the forefoot fits the widest part of the shoe easily. Wearing too tight shoes reduces circulation, causing pain or even injury. advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Maintain healthy feet

1. 

   Wear support shoes for exercise. Thick-sole sneakers can add extra cushioning to your feet when you're running and jumping during exercise. You can buy gel shoe insoles for extra cushioning. If you do a lot of activity, you should always wear well-structured shoes.
   • Buy shoes at the end of the day when your feet are the most swollen. Shoes should fit the feet even when the biggest swelling is.

2. 

   Weight loss. Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height through diet and exercise. Excess weight can put pressure on your feet and strain your blood vessels, especially if you are active a lot. Even the loss of 0.5-1 kg also helps reduce leg swelling every day.
   • Your doctor can advise you on the right weight.

3. 

   Avoid wearing high heels every day. Choose heels that are less than 5 cm high and try not to wear them often. High heels can squeeze the foot and put more pressure on the front of the foot. Putting too much weight on a small area can cause swelling, pain, and even dislocation.
   • If you want to wear high heels, you should choose square sole instead of pointed sole to make it easier to stand.

4. 

   No smoking. Smoking is bad for the heart and makes it harder for blood to circulate. Especially because it is too far from the heart, the leg may become swollen and shiny. Foot skin may even be thinner. Consider quitting to improve your overall health as well as your feet.

5. 

   Massage your feet to relieve pain and improve circulation as needed. Use a roller to roll under the soles of the feet to stimulate blood circulation. You can also have someone else rub the soles of the feet to help improve circulation and release accumulated blood. Use your fingers to massage any tension or discomfort.

6. 

   Take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine to manage mild pain. If your doctor has ruled out more serious problems, you can take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to safely control swollen feet. Take 200-400 mg of ibuprofen every 4-6 hours as needed to reduce swelling and discomfort.
   • Always consult your doctor before taking any medicine. Certain drugs and medical conditions may interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen.
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Warning

• If the swollen feet don't go away after having regularly raised them for a few days, see your doctor.
• Some serious problems like kidney disease and heart disease can cause swollen feet, so you should not be subjective when you see persistent swelling of the leg.
• See your doctor right away if you feel pain, redness or warmth, or an open wound in the swollen leg.
• See your doctor right away if you experience shortness of breath or swelling of just one leg.
• Protect swollen sites from pressure or trauma as they are also difficult to heal.