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Suggest Treatment For Swelling In Ankle

Posted on Wed, 25 Nov 2015

Question: Hi, thanks for being there. I am 77 yrs old taking blood pressure medication. I have always had swelling in my right ankle--much more than my left. I had an operation to remove a large varicose vein 30 yeares ago. In the last two days, my left leg has swollen--by nightime as usual. But now a very marked red blotchy coloring has developed. There is no itching, no pain. My ankle functions fine--have no problem dancing and I exercise regularly. This is a new symptom.Correction: it is my right ankle that is the alarming ankle. The left does swell and also has the red blotching, but nowhere near as marked as the right.

Answered by Dr. Sassen S Kwasa (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
This looks like venous stasis dermatitis

Detailed Answer:
Welcome to HCM. I have read and looked at your pictures. Please note that the redness is a symptoms of venous stasis (venous engorgement and pooling) what normally happens is that you start to have red blood cells stain your surrounding skin, it like getting a tattoo so to speak but with hemoglobin or hemosederin. You need to have your edema looked into, at the very least you need graded compression stockings that will help deliver the blood/edema to your heart so that you can excrete it. I hope this helps and good luck.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Sassen S Kwasa (2 hours later)

Thanks. So it seems less than lethal. But wht did it just start now. I have not worn stockings all my life even though doctors told me I should because of the protruding varicose in thw calf. So I began wearing a stocking a it in the last week. It sounds like an aging process. But will my chances for a brain heart problem if I wear stockings on both legs?

Answered by Dr. Sassen S Kwasa (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No chances of brain or heart problems from wearing stockings..

Detailed Answer:
The edema some would say is due to a heart problem, but you have what we call venous insufficiency and thus cannot pump the blood back to your heart effectively. Remember that you are at a risk for blood clot due to the edema and pooling of blood, so the compression stockings are a good idea to have. Good luck..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Sonia Raina

Follow up: Dr. Sassen S Kwasa (24 minutes later)

I meant to ask if you could say why this just started in such a visible way two days ago. I didn't have any incident. Except I missed my losartan and amlidopine for one day, Blood pressure? Immediate danger even with stockings?

Answered by Dr. Sassen S Kwasa (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
This can start from the blue, but I suspect that it is because you have..

Detailed Answer:
more edema in your legs, that's why the pigmentation would start.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Sonia Raina