Puffy Ankles

frannieshack
frannieshack Posts: 327 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I miss running. I had to quit running about 3 years ago when my ankles started getting swollen for no apparent reason. My coworkers even noticed that my ankles looked swollen, I went to urgent care, they gave me an EKG and it came back normal. 3 years later, they are still puffy, aching, and tight feeling. My doctor has dismissed me, saying they are not swollen, maybe just my age (53). The minimum lab blood tests she ran all come back normal.

Ideas? At 53 I am not ready to throw in the towel and say that I am too old to hike, run, and be active!!!

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Do you take any medications, or supplements?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    how are you on hydration and also sodium during the day? I find that if I have a particularly salty day and not enough water that I get ankles like an 8mth pregnant woman (joking)
  • lulu3561
    lulu3561 Posts: 85 Member
    have you tried compression socks? I'm not a runner but I know they help for my swollen ankles.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    Could you be allergic to a medication you're taking? I know Aleve makes my left foot swell up, so I can't take it anymore. Also, I wouldn't rule out seeing another doctor. Your doctor might not be taking you seriously. 3 years is a long time to deal with a symptom.
  • teicu1
    teicu1 Posts: 71 Member
    My doc told me that ankles tend to get swollen in cases where the person is >50 lbs overweight. On another note, my arthritis knocked me out of running many years ago. I’ve long since moved into cycling and I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I ever enjoyed running ever since.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    My SO has one swollen ankle do to a prior infection of a lymph node in his inner thigh. Perhaps you need to see a different type of doctor.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    When I started eating right swollen ankles went away. The sodium was the culprit.
  • frannieshack
    frannieshack Posts: 327 Member
    I am 5'7", and weigh under 145, so not too overweight. No medications, no supplements other an occasional good quality multivitamin. I do not add salt to anything, and I rarely eat fast foods. I do not eat a lot of processed foods, occasional can of tomatoes or beans. My diet is pretty tight. Both ankles have the same issue, not one is more or less puffy than the other. I drink 6-8 cups water average per day. I know about compression socks, and wear them on occasion, but will they actually correct the issue long term?
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    They are swelling for a reason, not for no reason. Again I suggest a different type of doctor. My SO also does not have heart problems, his swollen ankle is due to his lymph nodes in that leg not working properly. I don't know what kind of doc you'd see for that, though I think the answer was, there's nothing that can be done about it.

    I suggest googling "ankles swelling after exercise", my internet is not working great. There's any number of things it could be. One of which is nothing to worry about. The rest... may help you weed things out.
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