swollen feet and ankles

[navybankerteacher]

Drink more water.....

 

...and select foods from the low sodium menu, if your ship has one.

[klauer]

It's a little unsettling to me that doctors have so many completely different explanations for the swelling. Just for the record, "soda" doesn't actually have much sodium -- a 16.9 oz. bottle of Diet Coke has 60 mg. versus 600-700 mg. in a typical Lean Cuisine meal.

[panoramaofthepast]

every time we cruise my wife's ankles and feet swell up,

were wondering if any one else has experienced this?

 

I cannot help with the cause. If you figure it out, let me know!

However, once way to control it, especially after a long day, is the old "ice and elevate" routine. Either put an ice bag on the ankle for 15 minutes or so or fill the tub [if you have a tub, of course] with cold water and soak your feet for 15 minutes in cold water. Then get them up over your heart. I lay on the bed with them up on the wall as high over my head as possible. Usually you will see the swelling go down within 30 minutes or so.

 

Hope this helps.

SueB

[STARFISH*4]

had less swelling on my cruise a few weeks ago...usually mine starts right away after the flight--this time barely and my swelling didnt start til a few days into my 2 week cruise and mostly one ankle--havent figured out why really but GLAD i didnt experience what i usually do.

[rvsullivan]

If there were large amounts of sodium in the water, they would be killing some people that are on sodium restricted/prohibited diets. There is no more salt in the water on board than at home. Diet, drinking and extra walking make a big negative difference. If it were the water, everyone, including the crew would be having a big issue.

[flamomo]

If you like to spend time in the pools and spas onboard, that can help get rid of excess fluid. According to my husband's nephrologist (kidney specialist), spending 20-30 minutes a day submerged up to one's chest level in a body of water will cause the excess fluid in one's tissues to be forced into one's circulation through hydrostatic pressure, and the fluid will be expelled from the body as part of the urine.

I can vouch for it working. When I notice my ankles starting to look a little "puffy" while on a cruise, I spend some time in the pool, and the swelling goes away.

[Hlitner]

Found the last post (staying in water) very interesting and will tell DW to give that a try. She has had the same sweilling issue on cruises for too many years. It has nothing to do with flying to the cruise since we drive to many cruises and also are on some cruises for well over forty days. The problem is apparently caused by the fact that cruise ship chefs, just like chefs in many restaurants, overuse salt in just about everything. Professional chefs just love to add salt since it does enhance the flavor of most foods. DW has had a lot of success by simply increasing her daily intake of water (or ice tea) which helps to flush the excess sodium out of her system. Of course one could change their diet and just eat fresh fruit and cold salads. Cooked veggies do not solve the problem since the cooks add salt to most veggies.

 

Hank

[kijjy]

I have this issue too. I live at the beach and I cruise. The salt air alone is enough to make a person who is prone to it, swell. Just like it makes hair go frizzy. As stated, get in water....pool hot tub or something, submerged to neck, for about 20 minutes. It does help.

[kijjy]

I have this issue too. I live at the beach and I cruise. The salt air alone is enough to make a person who is prone to it, swell. Just like it makes hair go frizzy. As stated, get in water....pool hot tub or something, submerged to neck, for about 20 minutes. It does help.

[preschool teacher]

we just had this conversation on our last cruise...it is true....try the water it helps.....

[05mak05]

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/how-to-prevent-swollen-legs-from-water-retention.cfm

This article has some good information. I avoid high sodium foods - soups, Coke, processed foods, lunch meats, etc. Hope this helps.

[jamscckmc]

I swell on every cruise,flying or not. It stinks because my calves and ankles are my nicest part these days and then on vacation when I want to wear dresses and capris, I have cankels! I drink lots of water, no soda and only one glass of wine a day. Usualy they start getting swollen the 2nd day and get better around the5th. Sometimes are worse than others and they can really hurt! I did try and drink mostly bottled water last cruise and it was better but it was a NE Canada cruise so it wasn't hot and humid.

[Treven]

Finally someone else whom has the swelling not related to food water this or that.. it is MEDICAL.. (VV and DVT)

 

I have posted before about having DVT in the lower calf.. again it has since gotten more light on the news as famous people have died from it..:( but I have had it since 1987-88.. I only have swelling in one leg and that is the whole leg from upper to toes.. I will say humidity kills that leg for some reason and it will swell to unbelieable sizes.. but on my last cruise in March.. I had very little swelling .. and I say that is because the humidity was lower than the 2 previous!! I eat drink everything and I love salt.. no other part of my body swells but my left leg!!

In my case, it's my right leg; thanks to flying coach. I've been wearing compression stockings, from toe to knee, for some time now and they seem to do a pretty good job keeping the swelling down. Mine were made specifically to fit me, through my HMO, rather than buying some at a local drug store.

[MrsNancyG]

I saw my doctor before travelling and he prescribed super strength diu..deiu...diaret...the freaking pill that makes you pee. I still swell, but its much better and far less painful.

[emmtee]

I'm so glad I came across this thread. I had all but forgotten about my feet/ankle/calf swelling last year, but now I'll add "compression stockings" and "diuretics" to my packing list - and I'll ask my doctor about it next time I see her because I am on BP meds. My ankles were terrible last year. I couldn't wear my new sandals (which fit just fine back at home.) I asked my cabin steward for extra pillows and slept with my legs elevated. I had heard about eating parsley, so my tablemates (all family members) generously gave me the parsley off all their plates at dinner. Nothing really helped very much. I noticed that I didn't really have a problem during the day when I was running around. The swelling always hit after I sat down and relaxed. The only other time I've had a problem with my feet swelling was one time in my 30's when I flew to San Francisco and back home 2 times in one week.

 

So many people swear that it's one thing or another... There must be lots of things that can cause it, because for me, I know it's not:

 

Soda - There was a time many, many years ago (in my 20's) when I drank an obscene amount of Diet Coke every day and I never had a problem with leg swelling. Sure it has a tiny bit of sodium, but it also contains caffeine, which is a diuretic. On last year's cruise I had about one can a day.

Alcohol - I had no alcohol on my cruise last year or on my San Francisco trips.

Heat - I live in the desert and never have a problem at home. Also, the cruise when I had the swelling was in Alaska.

Salty food - There have been times in my life when I ate fast food twice a day, and I can't imagine that cruise food is any worse than that. Again, I've never had a problem before.

Salty cruise water - For last year's Alaskan cruise, we arrived in Seattle a few days in advance, and the swelling started before we even left. I remember already having blisters on my feet when we boarded.

Not enough water - I drank tons of water on the cruise. Not only did I keep my waiter busy refilling my glass at dinner time, I always carried a bottle (refilled on the ship) on shore excursions. Like I said, I live in the desert and it's my habit to take a water bottle everywhere.

Gaining weight - I had actually lost a lot of weight before the cruise, so I was probably about 75 lbs. less than I had been on previous cruises when I didn't have a problem with swelling. I gained plenty of water weight on this cruise, though. All that weight loss had left my calves a little flaccid, but the fluid filled up all the spaces previously occupied by fat and muscle, and my skin felt tight and sore. One day on the cruise I actually weighed myself at the gym and I was up about 15 lbs over my pre-cruise weight. Of course, some of it was clothing and some of it was breakfast/lunch (at home I weigh myself 1st thing in the am.) But most of it was water. Four days after I got home, I was back to my pre-cruise weight.

 

So those are all the things that aren't the cause of my swelling. That leaves a few things that I believe combined to cause my ankle swelling last year:

Flying/Cabin Pressure - I flew to Seattle from Phoenix, and had only had the problem in the past after 2 flights in a short period.

Increased Activity - We did a lot of walking (including pushing a wheelchair up hilly Seattle streets) before the cruise and then did a lot of running around on excursions. On those San Francisco trips, I was setting up and tearing down a trade show booth - very physically demanding work.

Salty/Humid air - My system isn't used to it.

Medical issues - I hadn't been diagnosed at the time of the cruise, but it turns out that the reason I had the weight loss (and the high blood pressure, tremors, and the reason my eye looks a little odd in some of my cruise pictures) is that I have an autoimmune disease that caused my thyroid to become overactive.

 

I like the idea of submerging yourself to ease the swelling. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option last year. I had an open abdominal wound so I wasn't able to go swimming or take a bath. It finally healed a few weeks ago, so I'll be able to swim on my next cruise. :)

[Zubsin]

Marci....I like the way you think. I too tried the process of elimination but got impatient so a couple cruises ago I started to stay away from food that might be salted before I get it so I tried to stay as fresh as possible. I also drank more water on vacation (I drink water all day at work but not so much away from my desk). I also decided to sleep with my feet elevated so I asked for an extra pillow.

 

I am super active so (for me) it could not be activity level. For me the swelling starts about Day 3 so I tried to do all these things before day 3 to get ahead of the swelling.

 

BEST CRUISE EVER ... no swelling. Now unfortunately, I don't know which of those things made the difference but none of them hurt me so it's my pattern now.

 

Cruise on... Donna

[mary_228]

It's now five days post cruise and my left foot is still swollen. Beginning to think I should see a doctor! I do think age has something to do with it as I did not have this problem until the past 5 years or so, when I hit my 50's.

 

So frustrating to have to buy shoes and sandals with "room to grow" at this time in my life. :eek:

[Blondilu]

Yes, my feet and ankles swell sometimes. I agree about too much salt and too little water have a lot to do with it. I just happened to have read the following online:

 

"During long journeys, or long periods of immobility when the muscles of the legs are not active, blood tends to pool in the veins of the legs, and some fluid passes into the subcutaneous tissue of the lower legs (under the skin)."

 

The article went on to state that you should move around as much as possible when flying, take frequent breaks to walk around when driving for long distances or wear compression socks.

[Hlitner]

Since this thread has been resurrected we want to share a recent solution we learned about from another thread. Apparently another CC member's physician (a vascular specialist) suggested that if you simply stand in a swimming pool in chest deep water (the longer you do this the better) your swelling will dimishish. This is because the increased pressure from the pool water will help force the fluid out of your soft tissue and back into the circulatory system.. We have never tried this but others swear it's effective.

 

Hank

[kitty9]

Since this thread has been resurrected we want to share a recent solution we learned about from another thread. Apparently another CC member's physician (a vascular specialist) suggested that if you simply stand in a swimming pool in chest deep water (the longer you do this the better) your swelling will dimishish. This is because the increased pressure from the pool water will help force the fluid out of your soft tissue and back into the circulatory system.. We have never tried this but others swear it's effective.

 

Hank

 

I have one of those deep, walk in tubs. Because of my post polio, I tend to get swelling in my deformed foot. Every night I sit in my deep tub and soak for about 20 minutes, doing leg lifts and just a bit of exercise. This not only makes the swelling go down, but it helps my restless leg problems.