Managing Leg Swelling During Holiday Travels

During the holidays, millions of Americans take to the highways, byways, rails, and air to gather with friends and family. For those who have circulatory issues, these travel hours can lead to leg swelling (edema), which is a condition to avoid if you can.

And Dr. Thomas Rambacher and the team here at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County do feel that you can if you follow a few of these great strategies for keeping leg swelling at bay.

Why some people are more prone to leg swelling during travel

Before we get into best practices surrounding travel-related leg swelling, let’s quickly review why this condition develops in the first place.

Edema stems from fluid buildup in your tissues and, when it occurs in your lower legs, ankles, and feet, it’s usually due to poor circulation.

Some common drivers of lower limb edema are:

• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which affects 25 million Americans
• Diabetes, which affects more than 38 million Americans
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which affects between 8 and 12 million Americans

From our standpoint, the reason why we’re so concerned with edema is because the leg swelling can lead to, or exacerbate, existing lower leg, ankle, or foot wounds.

Best practices for minimizing leg swelling when you travel

If you have circulation issues in your lower limbs and you’re traveling this holiday season, or any time of the year, you’re very much at risk for developing edema.  To combat this leg swelling, we suggest:

Wear compression socks or stockings

To help blood flow back up to your heart, we suggest you wear compression socks or stocking while you travel.

Avoid tight clothing around your waist and upper thighs

While tight compression in your lower legs can help push blood and fluids back up, the opposite is true as you get higher up. Pants with tight waistbands or clothing that binds your thighs can cut off circulation. So, loose clothing is best, and more comfortable!

Move as much as possible

When you’re seated for long periods, the muscles that help push fluids out of your legs are inactive, which can be a quick road to edema. We know it’s tough to move around on planes or in the car, but do what you can to keep your legs active, which can help with circulation. So, at every layover or rest stop, make sure to move as much as you can.

Don’t cross your legs

Another great preventive step for leg swelling is to keep your legs uncrossed. When you cross your legs, you can cut off circulation.

Drink plenty of water

Lastly, drink as much water as you can when you travel to keep your blood flowing more smoothly.

In following these tips, you can go a long way toward preventing or reducing travel-related leg swelling.

If you have more questions about how to manage leg swelling when you travel, please don’t hesitate to contact our office in Mission Viejo, California, at 949-832-6018 or by requesting an appointment online today.