The Causes of Diabetic Leg Swelling
Diabetic leg swelling is one of the diabetic symptoms. Generally, it occurs when
the condition of Diabetes is serious. As time goes by, it can deprive your ability
of walking. So, it is very necessary to find out what are the causes and prevent
it early. There are many causes of swelling.
1. Diabetic Neuropathy
The nerves are bundled throughout the body and run alongside a maze of veins
and arteries. When the nerves in legs are damaged, your vessels in leg will
expand automatically, and then the blood flow increases leading to swelling.
Diabetic Neuropathy is causative of a burning numbness or painful tingling of
low limbs. Consequently, the increased numbness of the diabetic's foot can lead
to the inability to recognize sores and ulcers that can lead to a serious infection
and swelling.
2. Diabetic heart disease
Heart is the home of blood. If there is some problem in blood, heart will be the
first victim. High blood sugar can harden the vessels and make heart failed.
Then, the output of blood decrease and reflex of blood is obstructed leading to
the fluid retention. That is why heart disease can cause a leg swelling.
3. Diabetic kidney disease
Leg swelling in diabetics can signal an early kidney complication. When kidney
is damaged, a large amount of protein will leak out through your urine. As a
result, the protein in your blood certainly becomes less, and the concentration
of your blood is lower than that of extravascular tissues. So, the water in your
blood seeps into tissues leading to the swelling of your legs.
4. Sugar-lowering drugs
Sugar-lowering drugs can stimulate the secretion of antidiuretic hormone, and
then your urine volume reduces leading to the retention of sodium (Na) and
water. Serious edema can stretch on the face or whole body in some patients.
Since there are many different causes of leg swelling, the treatment should
very accordingly. As we can see above, the main reason for swelling is Diabetes,
so you need to strengthen the control of your blood sugar. Only if you can
control your blood sugar at a normal level, the harm of Diabetes can be
avoided.