Why is only my left leg swelling and pain?

Swelling and pain are common signs, indicative of problems - ranging from minor wounds to serious ailments. Swelling is build-up of fluids in a tissue; this is also known as oedema. Pains occur due to release of inflammatory chemicals, as a response to discomforts your swollen-tissue encounters. But why is my left leg swelling and pain? It is worth your while to have more inputs. Left leg swelling can be due to lack of nutrients in your body – such as vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, and potassium. The latter can also cause fluids to accumulate in your lower leg resulting in leg swelling and pain.

Left leg swelling may also be due to a few conditions like difficulties faced while walking, tingling or numbing sensation, stiffening of muscles or muscular tightness, chills and / or fever. On the other hand, there is also bilateral swelling– it indicates swelling of both legs; this may be due to systemic conditions such as renal dysfunction, congestive heart diseases, liver problems like hepatitis or cirrhosis, etc.

Why is only my left leg swelling and pain?

If your left leg alone gets swollen / enlarged, it can due to various health conditions like deep vein thrombosis (in short, DVT); this condition shows up as a blood clot inside the veins of your leg, especially inside your thighs and / or calves.

Chronic venous insufficiency may occur as the veins in your leg are weakened due to lifestyle changes; it may also occur if you have undergone a surgical intervention. Vascular problems like peripheral artery disease can also be a reason for your left leg to start swelling. This mainly occurs when organs such as heart, liver and kidney fail to work properly, and also limit blood flow by causing severe pain or cramps.

Sciatic nerve compressions is an irritated or pinched nerve; this starts to radiate pains and causes swelling in your left leg. Lymphedema occurs when fluid accumulates in lymphatic system. It can also make one of your limbs to swell all of a sudden. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection; this spreads over the deeper layer of your skin, which may make it warmer and turn it into red.

Left leg swelling can be either permanent or temporary. A few some triggers such as standing for a very long time, minor spells of trauma, consuming excessive amount of salt – as part of your daily food intake, fluid retention owing to very hot climatic conditions are also the typical causes leading to temporary swelling of left leg.

Beware of pursuing excessive physical activities like walking for long, jogging, cycling, playing high-impact sports like basketball or football which may stress your muscles and joints. These can also fluctuate your bodily fluids and salts. These may make your left leg to swell.

Permanent swelling of left leg is a sign of a more serious condition; it is unsafe to leave it unattended. If you ignore such swelling and pain, it may turn worse with passage of time.

What medications to use for left leg swelling and pain?

There is no known vaccination available to cure left leg swelling. But a few medications can help overcome pain and subside swelling. Medicines belonging to genres like pain killers, antibiotics, diuretics, blood thinners, and anti-inflammatory drugs are known to heal left leg swelling and associated pains. In rare cases, shots of tetanus toxoid vaccines are administered to control minor bacterial infections which may cause swelling of a leg.

If you have serious medical issues causing your left leg to turn swollen, you are advised to follow up on specialised treatment. Your caregiver may advise compression therapy to ensure proper circulation of blood. Left leg swelling can also be managed through a few lifestyle-based changes. In order to prevent further swelling, it may also be necessary to consult a physical therapist who can correct your stature and bodily movements.

Can drugs lead to swelling of left leg and pain?

There are medications which trigger swelling as a side effect. Such meds include antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensives, antidepressants, medications administered for hormonal changes, and anti-inflammatory drugs. For instance, if you have past medical history of hypertension, and are prescribed to take one of the calcium channel blockers (CCBs), this may cause peripheral-oedema. This condition can disturb the walls of your blood vessels. This can in turn lead to swelling. In such cases, you need to consult with your treating doctor without much delay.

It is a wise thing to restrict the quantum of salt you take every day. You can consider placing a pillow underneath your swollen leg while you are in a sleeping posture. This lessens oedema, caused by build-up of fluids. You can also wear stretchable compression ankle-length stockings to your feet. However, avoid wearing tight-fitting garments.

Better still, make it a point to sit down and avoid standing for extended periods. If your job entails standing for long, take frequent breaks to site; consider moving around for some time.

Every day, you can spend at least 10 to 15 minutes raising your leg above heart-level. This allows gravity to draw extra fluids away from legs and thus improve circulation of blood. This also eases inflammation and pains.

If swelling persists, your caregiver may order a few diagnostic tests to identify root-cause(s) of left leg swelling. Tests like Color Doppler / ultrasound scans are regularly ordered. Such tests detect pattern of blood flow, and help identify formation of clots / thrombus-like structure inside your leg.