What Makes Your Feet Swell?

Swollen feet are common, especially among the elderly and those who work on their feet. Whether your feet do some moderate swelling during the day or you experience chronic swelling, swollen feet can be inconvenient, uncomfortable and even painful. There are any number of reasons why your feet may swell. Some of the more common ones are sodium intake, a diabetic condition or kidney damage.

Your Feet

• Your foot is a complicated piece of anatomy that works to bear your body's weight and aid in movement. It contains more than twenty-five bones, more than thirty joints and nearly a hundred muscles and tendons. It is made of three sections: the hindfoot, the midfoot and the forefoot. The hindfoot consists of the ankle and heel bone. The midfoot is made of several bones, including the arches, and the forefoot consists of the five toes and their corresponding bones.

Swollen Feet

• Because of its function and position, your foot can be exposed to numerous injuries and adverse conditions, including swollen feet. A swollen foot is characterized by the retention of fluid in the foot's tissue. If you pushed down on your swollen foot with your fingers, the fluid will be displaced for a moment, leaving an indent. Swollen feet are usually a symptom of a larger problem. The reasons your feet swell may be simple and harmless, or the swelling could be a sign of a serious condition. You should always discuss your swollen feet with your health care provider, who may want to test for underlying conditions.

Sodium Retention

• Too much sodium in your diet is probably the most common reason that your feet swell. Sodium is important to your bodily function because it and other electrolytes are used to transfer electrical impulses through the body. The balance of electrolytes must remain constant for this to work properly. When you consume too much sodium, this signals your body to consume more water. Once inside your body, the water uses the process of osmosis to move to the areas that have more sodium than other areas. The result is that fluid is retained in your body as opposed to being expressed out. The bottom line is that the more sodium you consume, the more likely you will experience swelling in your body, especially your extremities.

Diabetes

• Swollen feet can also be caused by a diabetic condition. Each of the cells in your body use insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, to absorb glucose for energy. Diabetes is a condition where your body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond properly to insulin. Diabetes causes many complications, including artery damage. Damaged arteries do not circulate blood as well as healthy ones. This poor circulation function can lead to swollen extremities, including feet. Swollen feet caused by diabetes complications can hinder your feet's ability to heal themselves, which can cause even more complications in turn.

Kidney Damage

• Kidney disease is another culprit of swollen feet. Your kidneys are responsible for keeping your water levels balanced by filtering the excess water out of your bloodstream. It mixes this water with other waste products and creates urine, which is then excreted from your body. When your kidneys are not working properly due to damage or disease, they do not do their job as efficiently. The excess water stays in your blood and travels to different parts of your body. The fluid often ends up in your feet due to gravity and other factors. The result is swollen feet.