High blood pressure makes your heart worker tougher than it required to before. Over the gap of several years, this additional force can lead to the heart muscle changing into thicker and less valuable at pushing the blood round. This allows fluid to build up in your lower ankles and legs, which causes them to swell up. This is particularly seen in left ventricular failure, LVF.

Swollen ankles can also be a side effect of some blood pressure medication, particularly calcium channel blockers, eg amlodipine (Adalet Retard), nifedipine (Norvasc) etc These medicines make your small blood arteries open wider and, in some people, this could cause more fluid to leak out of the blood arteries into the tissues. This fluid will collect round your ankles.

Are swollen ankles critical

In its initial phases, ankle swelling is not comfortable but does not trigger any main problems. However, if it is left untreated over a long period of time, it'll start to put unwanted pressure on the blood vessels and tissues of the ankle.

This may lead to problems such as cellulitis where the skin gets infected and might result in abscesses if not handled, varicose veins and venous ulcers (ulcers on the outer layers of the dermis).

Diuretic medicines amplify the amount of fluid removed by your kidneys and this may help to do away with any excess fluid from the body. This removes the build up of water from the tissues in your ankles.

If your ankle swelling is due to taking calcium channel blockers, reducing the dose of your medicine will usually help. Or, if your blood pressure is not totally managed, your doctor could prescribe you a diuretic like spiromide, lesoride etc to help decrease your blood pressure further and take away the excess fluid.

You can assist to reduce the swelling by sitting with your legs lifted up. This lets your blood stream more freely and will help reduce the swelling. You may also raise foot end of your bed when you sleep at night to reduce ankle swelling.

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