Question Swelling in feet and ankles what is it?
I have swelling in my feet and ankles. Sometimes it is worse then other times. When I push the skin on my foot it leaves a indentation. Does anyone else have this problem? What could it mean? I am diabetic but I don't think that is it. I am on sugar medication. I heard it could be the heart. I just want to know from someone else if they have the same thing And what it could be.

Best Answer i would put it down to poor circulation, i could be wrong but you havnt given much detail.. what is your age? are you overweight? do you exercise? see what happens is blood is pumped at high pressure out of you heart and around your body. When blood finally reaches your ankels and feet, blood is no longer being pumped around via your heart, but rather through muscular contractions. therefore movement of your legs and feet are what gradually causes blood to circulate from your feet back up to your heart. what that means is that your feet and ankles are prone to getting swollen and what is called 'kankles'. A lack of movement and being overweight increases your likelihood of this. how to overcome this is through leg, feet and ankle excersises or simply walking around for a few minutes every half hour or so. in fact this is precisely why you find people on airplanes moving their legs around, as well as why you see those military men randomly fainting (blood pools to their feet, they have little blood in their brain and they pass out) if its really bad there are things you can buy like specialised stockings which help blood flow

Question Is hypotension dangerous?
I was manning a station in single digit temperatures for about an hour before I began feeling light headed and nauseous. When I went to the TMC on post, they mentioned that my blood pressure was very low. As best I can recall it was around 80/63, though I think even that is slightly higher than what mine was. Even after warming up it was around 93/70. Being in the army, I do run, but I haven't run much in the last 8 months due to an injury (maybe a total of 20 miles if even). Could this be a sign something is wrong with me, or just a genetic quirk?

Best Answer Symptoms of low blood pressure - Symptoms of hypotension may include: Tiredness. General weakness Light-headedness and fainting Blurred vision Dizziness Palpitations Confusion Nausea Temporary loss of consciousness. Treatment Generally if you feel well then treatment is unnecessary. Checking whether you are drinking enough and are not dehydrated may be important. If an underlying disorder, such as a heart condition is suspected then you may be advised to go to hospital for tests and treatment. If your medication is suspected of causing hypotension the doctor will probably advise a change of drug or dosage. Causes of Low Blood Pressure Adverse effect of certain drugs, including diuretics, anesthetics, nitrates, calcium blockers, certain types of antidepressant drugs and drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure Dehydration (Heavy sweating, loss of blood, severe diarrhoea Vasovagal attack (Fainting) Suddenly standing from lying or sitting position (postural, also known as orthostatic hypotension) Shock due to internal bleeding, severe infection or heart failure, heart attack or an irregular heartbeat Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic response) Diabetic neuropathy or peripheral neuropathies It can also be related to pregnancy What should I do if I think I have got low blood pressure? The first thing to do is to have it measured either by your doctor or practice nurse, or get a machine to measure it yourself. It is important to measure your blood pressure not just when you are sitting, but also when you are lying down and standing up. If when you stand there is a large fall in blood pressure and you feel dizzy, you should then seek further advice. If your systolic pressure is above 80mmHg with no drop when you stand up, and you feel quite well, then you are one of the few lucky people who naturally have very low blood pressure. For reasons that are not fully understand you are protected from the effects of salt and other factors that can cause raised blood pressure levels. On average, you will live longer than people with higher blood pressures. Investigations Investigations are only conducted if you have symptoms that suggest a fall in blood pressure when you stand up, ie, dizziness or faintness. If you do have these symptoms or a fall in blood pressure when you stand then your doctor should conduct further tests or refer you to a specialist. This will mean having a tilt test where you will be strapped to a table and tilted, with careful measurements of heart rate and blood pressure taken. Hormone levels in your blood may also be measured to check that your adrenal glands and nerves are working normally. How is low blood pressure treated? This will very much depend on the cause. If you are well with no drop in blood pressure when standing then you should congratulate yourself – you do not need any treatment. However, if you do have symptoms then treatment will depend on the underlying cause. If you are taking blood pressure lowering drugs they may need to be changed, particularly if you are taking an alpha blocker such as doxazosin. You will need to discuss this with your doctor or practice nurse. Many people find that by getting up slowly their symptoms can be avoided.Failure of the adrenal glands can be treated by replacement of the missing hormones. If you have a disease of the nerves then this can be more difficult to treat, but you may respond to drugs that stimulate the nervous system. You may also find that wearing elastic stockings or an anti-gravity suit, or taking hormones that cause retention of salt and/or eating more salt can help. Talk to your doctor for more information.