Your feet often reveal what the rest of your body is trying to hide. When fluid builds around your ankles, it can mean your heart is failing to pump efficiently, your kidneys are no longer clearing waste properly, or your veins are too weak to return blood to your core. The swelling might seem mild, even cosmetic, but the cause is often anything but simple or harmless.
Details matter. Swelling in only one leg, especially with redness, warmth, or pain, can point to a clot that may break free and reach your lungs. Puffiness paired with shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or sudden fatigue can be a sign of heart failure. Even medications, summer heat, tight socks, or sitting too long can strain your circulation. Swollen feet aren’t always an emergency, but they’re never meaningless. Notice the change, question it, and you might catch a serious problem while it’s still quiet enough to fix.
