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| Swollen ankles (Read 555 times) |
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posted: 7/18/2008 at 10:43 PM |
I noticed yesterday in the shower that my ankles were abnormally swollen... They don't hurt or anything but they do look quite badly. I went to a running shop today and the (lovely) sales assistant was a bit surprised when she saw them and recommended me to see a podiatrist; however, five minutes afterwards the shop manager said it was not *that* bad, and that I didn't need to see a doctor if it didn't hurt (which it doesn't at all)
I'm relatively new to running, so I wonder if this is normal... Should I do anything? Will they be back to normal soon? Can I do anything about it (i.e. ibuprofen, ice, etc) or should I just forget about it and keep running? |
PRs
5K 21:44
10K 51:35 51:09 48:41 |
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posted: 7/18/2008 at 11:54 PM |
Roark,
Can you press on your ankles and the indent is slow to fill in? This would then be edema. Do a Google on it? Ibuprofen could add to this. If not, you have inflammation that needs to be addressed. Ibuprofen would help. |
| Those who try, fail! Those who do what it takes to succeed, succeed!! |
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 7/19/2008 at 1:24 AM
modified: 7/19/2008 at 1:25 AM |
Ahhh, but ibuprofen can also cause edema.
And small amounts of ankle edema are normal among runners. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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posted: 7/19/2008 at 10:00 AM |
Spot on, Tchuck! I've pressed it many times, and the indent takes a while to fill in indeed! I've never heard the term "edema" before, at least now I know where to start searching!
(Oh, and I hope you enjoy the air show this weekend, Jerry! : ) ) |
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5K 21:44
10K 51:35 51:09 48:41 |
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Just Be |
posted: 7/19/2008 at 11:05 AM |
| Quote from Trent on 7/19/2008 at 1:24 AM: And small amounts of ankle edema are normal among runners.
What's a small amount? Enough to cause 2mm of pitting after 10 seconds of moderate pressure from the pointer finger pad? I just noticed over the past few weeks that I have this issue, at first I figured it was because of the heat but the more I notice it, the more it worries me. My ankles aren't usually swollen at all in the AM hours indicating mild edema, but honestly I haven't tried yet to monitor it throughout the day - I should do that starting tomorrow. I've noticed that after long periods of sitting that they tend to swell up. My environments are all pretty much warm - 80 degrees or more during the day, so I'm not sure if my ankles woulnd't swell if I sat in 65 to 75 degrees for the same amount of time. As far as I know, my BP is normal and I'm not dehydrated or consuming too much sodium.
Since I'm kinda starting to worry about it I guess on Mon I'll go to my doc and ask for his opinion and a urinalysis / BUN / CMP to make myself feel better.  |
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 7/19/2008 at 12:28 PM |
2 mm can be normal. There are numerous factors that contribute:
1. the pounding on the road weakens the microvasculature and causes fluid to leak into the tissue.
2. The lymphatic valves that help carry fluid from your legs are weaker than the increased forces from the pounding.
3. The fluxes in fluid and electrolytes cause your body to shift water into the soft tissues to try and prevent dehydration.
It is always okay to have your electrolytes, heart and urine checked in this setting, but do understand that it is very very common, especially in the Summer. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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posted: 8/18/2008 at 12:57 PM |
It seems that the swelling was not just heat-induced... Two days after my last post, I couldn't even walk to work and had to see my GP. She asked me to make a couple of X-rays and blood and urine tests, and everything seemed to be alright (the radiologist said she thought it could be a stress fracture, but she couldn't see any, it was alright for her). One week after, the swelling was still impressive (trust me, at nights it's scary), so she referred me to a prestigious private consultant orthopedic surgeon. Too bad, he is on holidays until 2nd of September, and I am on holidays until the 9th of September, so no running for me during, at least, 2-3 months... SUCKS!!!
However, I think it may still be some kind of stress fracture: at the beginning, my two ankles were swollen, but only the left one hurted. Now, the right one is alright (no swelling), but the left is still TERRIBLY swollen, and it still hurts a bit... Can so much edema be due to a stress-fracture? |
PRs
5K 21:44
10K 51:35 51:09 48:41 |
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| view log rawr |
posted: 8/18/2008 at 1:58 PM |
| My brother and I just returned from a 70 mile 5 day hike, and dang, you should have seen his ankles at the end of it! They were so swollen, and he was having some issues the last couple days walking. But after we got home, he just kept off his feet for a few days and now is fine. Maybe you just need to take it easy for a bit till your ankles get acclimated to the mileage you're doing. |
Pittsburgh Marathon-May 3
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but in over 40's infammation of joints can be a problem.