BECAUSE we cover them with pants, skirts and tights for much of the year, it can be easy to not give our legs a second thought – unless they’re causing us pain.
But as we prepare for warmer weather, we may notice symptoms that we had previously ignored.
From swelling around our ankles to visible veins, cramps and patches of hair loss, our legs could be giving us vital clues about our health.
Here are six signs on your legs you should watch for—and when you should see a doctor about them.
1. Ankles
Now, some people are born with thicker ankles.
If your legs have always seemed to blend into your feet without dipping inward at the ankle, then you have nothing to worry about.
But if you develop swelling in your feet and legs – suddenly giving your ankles a thicker appearance – it could be caused by a build-up of fluid in these areas, called edema.
According to the NHS, you’re more likely to get edema if you spend a lot of time standing or sitting in the same position, or if you’ve eaten a lot of salty food.
But being overweight, pregnant, or taking blood pressure medication, birth control pills, hormone therapy, or antidepressants can also be the cause of night ankles—as can injuries, insect bites, and even warmer weather.
But it’s worth talking to a GP about leg swelling that doesn’t get better, as it could cause kidney, liver or heart problems or a blood clot.
As Dr. Howard LeWine, chief medical editor of Harvard Health Publishing, explained: “A person may retain fluids for a variety of reasons, including kidney or liver problems, heart problems, malnutrition, thyroid disorders, and anemia.
“A swollen ankle could be due to a blood clot or injury.
“But the most common reason for swelling in both ankles is incompetent valves in the leg veins.”
Dr LeWine added: “New ankle swelling should prompt a call to your doctor.”
Request an urgent appointment with your GP or call NHS 111 if:
- You have swelling in an ankle, foot, or leg and there is no obvious cause, such as an injury
- The swelling is severe, painful, or starts very suddenly
- The swollen area is red or warm to the touch
- Your temperature is too high or you feel hot and shaky
- You have diabetes and your feet, ankles or legs are swollen
2. Calf pain
We all get leg cramps.
But if you experience pain in your calves when walking or exercising—along with numbness or weakness in your legs, blue skin, and sores on your legs or feet that don’t heal well—it could be signs of peripheral artery disease (PAD). ).
This blockage in blood flow to the leg muscles caused a hardening and narrowing of the arteries as a result of sticky cholesterol and fatty deposits called plaques, Harvard Health it says.
The NHS recommends that you see a GP if you frequently experience leg pain during exercise.
“Many people mistakenly think this is just part of aging, but there is no reason for a healthy person to experience leg pain,” he said.
3. Pins and needles
It is extremely common to feel pins and needles in your legs after sitting in a cramped position.
But numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet and legs is something you should pay attention to if you have diabetes, as it could be a sign of diabetic neuropathy.
This is when diabetes – type 1 or 2 – causes nerve damage.
According to Diabetes in the UKHigh blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels that supply the body’s nerves over time, preventing essential nutrients from reaching the nerves.
You can help avoid diabetic neuropathy by keeping your blood sugar levels low.
If you often feel itchy, throbbing, and crawling at night, you may be suffering from restless leg syndrome.
Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, it is a condition that affects the nervous system and causes an irresistible urge to move your legs and can prevent many from sleeping.
The NHS describes the condition as “a feeling of carbonated water inside the blood vessels of the legs”.
4. Dimpled legs
Cellulite – when the skin on your thighs and butt looks like dimples or orange peel – is extremely common and not something to be worried about or ashamed of.
According to Cleveland ClinicCellulite describes collections of fat that press on the connective tissue beneath the skin.
Many people start to notice it during puberty, but aging or weight gain can make the appearance of cellulite more prominent.
In some cases, however, dimpled skin may be an indication of a condition called lipoedema, an abnormal accumulation of fat.
What other parts of the body can tell you about
FROM teeth to eyes, mouth and feet – different parts of your body can give you vital clues:
Lipoedema can make the buttocks, thighs, legs, and sometimes arms appear disproportionate to the rest of the body.
You may also feel pain, tenderness, or heaviness in the affected limbs and may bruise easily.
The condition tends to be more common in women.
You should see a GP if you have symptoms of lipoedema, says the NHS.
5. Visible veins
Do the veins in your legs feel swollen, twisted and bulging under the skin?
This could mean you have varicose veins.
They sometimes cause other leg symptoms, such as:
- Pain, pain or heaviness
- Skin changes, such as itching, color changes, or dry, flaky skin
- Swollen ankles or legs
Anyone can get varicose veins, but they can be more common in women and people who are older, overweight or pregnant.
Standing or sitting for a long time periods of time can also aggravate the condition.
Having varicose veins can make you more prone to sores and blood clots in your legs.
See a family doctor if you experience pain, itching or swelling in your legs, or if you have a leg wound that has not healed after two weeks.
6. Hair loss
If you notice any hair loss on your legs, this could be another sign of PAD.
Other symptoms to look out for include:
- Numbness or weakness in the legs
- Brittle, slow-growing toenails
- Open wounds on the feet and legs that do not heal
- Change in skin color on the legs, such as becoming paler than normal or bluish – this may be harder to see on dark and black skin
- Glowing skin
- In men, erectile dysfunction
- Leg muscles shrinking
PAD symptoms usually develop slowly over time.
But if your symptoms develop quickly or worsen suddenly, it could be a sign of a serious problem that requires immediate treatment, warns the NHS.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
