Scientists have discovered that an unusual warning sign of heart attacks is a sign of swollen feet.
Dr. Karl Orenger, associate professor of medicine and director of preventive cardiovascular medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine: “Signs like ankle swelling or weight gain do not necessarily mean that you have heart disease, but they are taken into consideration along with other symptoms and studies Laboratory and family history, it is an important part of diagnosing heart disease or heart failure. "
Fluid retention in the feet and legs is known as peripheral edema, which may appear as "sock marks" on the legs and ankles at the end of the day.
The general practitioner can check this sign, by pressing the ankle or leg bone, to see the effect.
This is known as "edema of edema", and can indicate congestive heart failure. Edema may be a sign of heart failure, because when the heart does not pump well, fluid from inside the blood vessels tends to leak into the surrounding tissues.
Dr. Orenger added: "Peripheral edema may occur due to a host of problems. The bottom line is that most people with peripheral edema do not have heart disease, but it can be an important sign if there are other signs and symptoms of heart failure."
Most of the time, peripheral edema is the result of fluid retention rather than an underlying condition.
The swelling of the feet and ankles is usually mild and temporary.
When a person stands or sits for long periods of the day, gravity pulls blood to the legs and this increased pressure pushes fluid from blood vessels into the soft tissues, causing slight swelling.
Gravity-associated swelling is called dependent edema, and it is more pronounced at the end of the day, which is why the signs of socks are usually worse in the evening.