Why Do My Feet Swell In The Heat?

Love the idea of a vacation somewhere warm and beautiful, but hate the reality of your feet swelling after walking, standing or sitting? Swollen feet and ankles can quickly dampen any holiday, leave you struggling to find shoes that fit, and diminish your comfort and experience when traveling.

What causes foot swelling in hot weather? Is it your blood vessels?

It’s the heat from your environment that leads to a fluid buildup. Heat can cause blood vessels to expand (dilate), which is actually your body’s natural cooling device, helping you regulate your temperature so you don’t overheat. When blood vessels expand, they allow more blood flow close to the skin, helping heat escape from the body. Unfortunately, this expansion can also leak fluid into the surrounding tissues, causing your feet, ankles, and sometimes even your legs (usually the lower legs) to swell.

Long periods of sitting or standing, like catching flights or after a day of sightseeing or hot baths, can worsen the swelling. Gravity pulls fluid downwards, and in hot weather, your body’s usual mechanisms for moving fluid back up to the heart can slow down. And just like that? Your swelling starts or worsens.

Is there anything you can do to prevent swelling during your trip?

Yes! Even if you’re going to be surrounded by non-stop hot weather and humidity, there are several things you can do to help prevent foot and leg swelling or reduce its severity. Here are our simplest favorites:

• Drink more water: oh, we know, doesn’t drinking more water mean more water intake and swelling? Actually, it’s the opposite. Drinking water helps your body balance fluids and avoid retaining excess fluids, reducing the likelihood of swelling.
• Move your body often: where possible, when you’re on long flights or car rides, take short breaks to walk around and stretch. It seems almost too simple, but it really does make a big difference (trust us, many of our podiatrists are prone to swelling). Try on-the-spot calf raises if you can only stand in one spot, or rolling your ankles in a circular pattern if you’re confined to being seated - they’ll both still help to boost circulation and keep blood moving, and hence swelling minimized.
• Compression socks (stockings) - get them, wear them, love them. Seriously - compression socks are excellent for helping prevent fluid from pooling in your lower legs, supporting blood vessels and reducing swelling. Get the medical grade compression socks and have them fitted so you know you’ve got the right compression level (we can help). These are also amazing for pregnancy, after surgery, and everything in between.
• Try your best to stay in shaded or air-conditioned areas when possible, or use cooling pads or a fan to reduce heat around your feet and ankles. This isn’t always possible, but if you’re struggling with leg swelling and you have the choice of sitting outside in the heat for a meal or inside with the air on, sacrifice the view and choose the air conditioning.
• Limit eating too much salt and chips: salty foods encourage your body to retain water. More water means more swelling. So try to avoid excessive salt, especially before and during flights.

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