4 Ways To Treat Swollen Feet
When summer comes around, those temperatures just keep on rising. This is bad news if the heat leads to you suffering from swollen feet. As your feet begin to swell up, they feel increasingly constrained in sandals and any other footwear — it's certainly not a good look. Fortunately, we have some natural remedies you can try if soaring temperatures bring out the worst in your feet.
Why Do Our Feet Swell?
Swollen feet are usually caused by tissue retaining fluid. Sometimes, this can have serious medical implications such as foot edema or an increase in inflammatory cells that cause swollen feet.
Heat is not the only reason why your feet are swelling: air travel, sitting down for long periods of time, being pregnant, venous insufficiency, or injury could be causing your swollen feet. Thankfully, help is at hand — the four home remedies below may be the answer to your problems. Be good to yourself and treat your feet to some DIY foot care.
Switching Between Hot and Cold Water
A very effective way to ease swelling in your feet is to put them in cold water for three minutes before switching to hot water for another minute. You can do this in a foot bath or while taking a shower. If you use this method frequently, you'll soon notice the benefits.
Magnesium Sulfate Foot Bath
By increasing the blood flow to your feet, magnesium sulfate eases pain and discomfort while helping to reduce swelling in the affected areas. Fill a foot bath basin with lukewarm water and add half a cup of magnesium sulfate. Soak your feet for 15 minutes.
Apple Cider Vinegar
High in potassium, cider vinegar is a useful resource for combating swelling in your legs and feet. Indeed, it's a lack of potassium that leads to your feet retaining water. For the best results follow this process to soak swollen feet in vinegar, soak a towel in a mixture comprising one part cider vinegar to one part water. Wrap the towel around your feet and leave it for 30 minutes. You'll be amazed by the results!
Chamomile Oil Massage
Relieve swelling while enjoying a nice massage at the same time! Massages help to increase blood flow and prevent water retention. Chamomile oil has anti-inflammatory properties and can be applied directly on your skin. Simply massage the oil onto your feet — or ask your partner to do it for you!
We hope that these natural remedies are able to take a load off your feet this summer. If swelling persists though, we recommend consulting your doctor.