In the summer months, the rising temperatures can bring about some changes to the body. Sweating and feeling thirstier than usual are both side effects of exposure to hotter weather.
Some people might also notice their ankles become more swollen than usual.
This is known medically as oedema, and it can occur when the heat from your environment causes your blood vessels to naturally expand.
However, it can also be a warning sign of two deadly diseases.
According to health bodies, oedema might also be a symptom of fatty liver disease or heart failure.
Signs of oedema include:
- Swollen or puffy ankles, feet or legs
- Shiny or stretched skin
- Changes in skin colour, discomfort, stiffness and dents when you press on the skin.
Fatty liver disease
As the name suggests, fatty liver disease is caused by an excess of fat in the liver.
It is a separate condition to alcoholic liver disease – which is caused by years of binge drinking – although the symptoms can overlap.
In the early stages of fatty liver disease, it often does not display symptoms, meaning it can go by undetected for years.
This is dangerous as it can progress to cirrhosis, the final and most severe stage of the disease, which can result in liver failure and even death.
One symptom of cirrhosis is swelling in the legs and ankles, as well as the feet and abdomen.
The NHS says: “If cirrhosis (the most advanced stage) develops, you can get more severe symptoms, such as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), itchy skin, and swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or tummy (oedema).”
This is because damage to the liver can put pressure on the portal vein – which carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver – resulting in a build up of fluid in certain areas.
Other signs of fatty liver disease include:
- A dull or aching pain in the top right of the tummy (over the lower right side of the ribs)
- Extreme tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness.
Heart failure
Heart failure is a type of cardiovascular disease that occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body, usually because it has become too stiff or weak.
When we think of heart issues many of us would think of symptoms that affect the chest, such as chest pain and shortness of breath.
But, according to The Mayo Clinic, swollen legs, feet and ankles could indicate heart failure.
“Congestive heart failure causes one or both of the heart’s lower chambers to stop pumping blood well,” it says.
“As a result, blood can back up in the legs, ankles and feet, causing oedema.”
And the NHS lists oedema in the ankles and legs as one of the “most common” signs of heart failure.
“It may be better in the morning and get worse later in the day,” the health body says.
Other common signs of heart failure include:
- Breathlessness – this may occur after activity or at rest; it may be worse when you’re lying down, and you may wake up at night needing to catch your breath
- Fatigue – you may feel tired most of the time and find exercise exhausting
- Feeling lightheaded and fainting.
If you experience unexplained oedema you should speak to your GP.
