{"id":6441,"date":"2019-02-12T23:23:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T23:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/?p=6441"},"modified":"2019-02-13T22:19:12","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T22:19:12","slug":"swollen-feet-after-hiking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/swollen-feet-after-hiking\/","title":{"rendered":"Swollen Feet After Hiking: Prevention,Treatment, Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In our day-to-day lives we all deal with a little bit of swelling and inflammation. Go on a long hike and what was moderate swelling can quickly turn into a problem. Do all hikers have to deal with a little bit of feet swelling? That’s a great question and one that’s easy to answer.
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As you peel off those sweaty socks and stare at those oversized sausages you call toes, you probably wonder why you put yourself through all this torture.  Swollen ankles might not be pretty, but every hiker will have to eventually deal with them. How you handle the situation will prevent more pain in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Common is Swelling?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

A little bit of swelling is actually extremely common when doing any physical activity. Your feet, hands, legs and<\/g> ankles could all swell after a long hike. It’s just your bodies way of moving extra blood and oxygen to your extremities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re on your feet most of the day you’ll likely feel a little bit sore and notice a little bit of swelling. A little swelling is normal, but extreme swelling is not normal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Feet Swelling Dangerous After a Hike?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Remember that I’m not a doctor and you shouldn’t take what I say as medical advice. I’m just a guy who spent way too much time on the trail and has dealt with swollen feet more times than I can count.
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A little bit of feet swelling is actually very common among hikers. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or have years of experience you’ll probably have a little bit of swelling. Spending so much time on your feet has to cause some damage over time.
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It’s important to understand the difference between slight swelling(which is very common) and severe swelling. If you experience a lot of swelling that doesn’t go away quickly you should be concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If swelling<\/g> doesn’t go away after a few hours you should definitely go talk to a doctor. There could be a problem that’s affecting your circulation that really needs to be addressed.
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Get Some Bigger Shoes and Insoles<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Hopefully you didn’t just go out and buy a brand new pair of hiking shoes only to find out that your feet swell up the second you head out on the trail. when buying hiking shoes should always buy half a size bigger than your normal tennis shoes.
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Going up a  half size will allow you to wear thicker hiking socks(these are what I wear<\/a>) and some thick insoles. Back when I spent all my time loading trucks I found Timberland’s Anti-Fatigue Insoles<\/a> which I absolutely love. Dr<\/g> Scholls wasn’t quite cutting it at the time, but after putting in the Timberland Insoles all my joint pain went away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Causes Foot Swelling
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There are a lot of  things that could cause feet swelling, but  most of the time it’s caused by tight boots, poor diet, medical conditions, enlarged blood vessels and carrying excess weight. Shouldn\u2019t take long for you to diagnose what\u2019s causing your trouble.
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  1. Tight Boots:<\/strong>  By far the most common cause of feet swelling is compression caused by tight boots or socks.  Make sure your boots and socks aren\u2019t too tight. Buy boots that are half a size larger than recommended to accomodate light swelling.  You should never see sock impressions on your skin at the end of the day. This either means your socks are too tight or you\u2019re dehydrated both problems should be quickly addressed.<\/li>
  2. Poor Diet:<\/strong>  Excess salt in your diet is one of the main causes of feet swelling.  To battle all that extra salt, your body starts storing more water. Obviously this causes swelling, but don\u2019t worry drinking more water and less salt will quickly bring your fluid levels back to normal.<\/li>
  3. Medical Conditions:<\/strong>  Remember that I\u2019m not a doctor, but there are a few medical conditions that are known to cause swelling.  Abnormal swelling could be a sign of injury, heart\/liver\/kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and deep vein thrombosis.  You\u2019ll want to see your doctor if you notice abnormal swelling especially when it\u2019s only seen in one foot.<\/li>
  4. Enlarged Blood Vessels:<\/strong>  When you hike or workout your body breaks down muscle and repairs it by bringing in extra blood.  All this extra blood flow is going to make your blood vessels and muscles swell slightly. A few hours after you take your socks\/shoes off to relax this swelling should start to go down and return to normal.<\/li>
  5. Excess Weight:<\/strong>  Gravity is a cruel mistress and it punishes those of us that carry around a little extra weight. Bearing a heavy load will always cause fluid to pool up around your feet and ankles.  Reducing your weight through fat loss or shedding gear should help reduce the stress caused on your feet.<\/li>
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    What if One Foot is Swollen?
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    Swelling is relatively common, but it should look consistent throughout your body. If one of your feet looks way worse than the other it\u2019s time to call the doctor. Most of the time this indicates that you have some type of underlying medical condition.
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    Swelling should look uniform from one foot to the other.  Most of the time this means that you have a slight injury. Sprained\/strained ankles and broken bones are probably the most common injury. Not all injuries are accompanied by a sharp pain.  Some develop slowly over time.
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    Just remember to have some common sense and don\u2019t ignore what could be a serious circulation problem.  Go talk to a doctor so he can run a few tests. You\u2019ll probably be back out on the trail in no time.
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    Prevent Swollen Feet  During Your Hike<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    After we buy our first pair of hiking boots most of us completely forget about our feet. We treat them like an afterthought and rarely do anything to make them feel better.
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    Just think about the last time you thought about the well-being of your feet? It was probably after a long trip at an amusement park when you could barely walk back to your car.
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    Your feet are trapped inside a tight boot all day gasping for fresh air. by the end of the day it’s no surprise that they’ll be a little bit swollen.  Here are a few ways to prevent swollen feet on your next hike.
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    Tips to Prevent Swollen Feet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n