What to Do When Alcohol Causes Swollen Feet? (2023)

FAQs

Why do my feet swell only when I drink alcohol? ›

One of the often overlooked causes of swollen feet is related to the consumption of alcohol. When an individual drinks alcohol, especially in excessive quantities, this can cause them to retain water inside their bodies. This extra water retention can lead people to experience swelling in their feet.

It can take anywhere from a few days to a few months for the appearance of bloating to reduce, depending on the cause and severity. In this article, we describe how alcohol can cause a bloated appearance in the stomach. We also look into how long alcohol-related bloating lasts and how to get rid of it.

Acute Inflammation

This often results in hangover symptoms like headaches and nausea. Some other acute inflammation side effects include dehydration, face puffiness, inflamed stomach lining, and swollen feet. Typically these symptoms can resolve themselves within a few days after drinking.

Drinking alcohol can lead to swollen feet and ankles since your body retains more water after drinking. Usually, it'll go away within a few days. If the swelling doesn't subside during this time, it could be cause for concern.

Depending on the cause of your diagnosis, edema could be temporary or permanent. Swelling normally lasts for a few days. In the first two days, you will experience the most swelling, and it should start to reduce by the third day.

Drinking alcohol can cause swelling in the feet and ankles that generally goes away as your body processes the alcohol and removes it from your system. Swelling in the feet based on alcohol consumption generally isn't serious if it's infrequent.

What alcohol is the least inflammatory? ›

Red wine has greater anti-inflammatory action than other alcohols. indeed have heart health benefits over other alcoholic drinks.

Red wine has a compound in it called resveratrol, which has well-established anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies show wine consumption is associated with a reduced risk of knee OA, and moderate drinking is also associated with a reduced risk of RA.

Get medical care as soon as possible if: You have unexplained, painful swelling of your feet or legs, particularly if it's only in one leg. The swollen area becomes warm, red or inflamed. The swelling is accompanied by a fever.

Seek medical care right away if your legs swell for no apparent reason, especially if you have unexplained leg pain, difficulty breathing, chest pain or other warning signs of a blood clot in your lungs or a heart condition. Many factors — varying greatly in severity — can cause leg swelling.

Alcohol can be toxic to nerve tissue. People who drink too much may start to feel pain and tingling in their limbs. This is known as alcoholic neuropathy. In people with alcoholic neuropathy, the peripheral nerves have been damaged by too much alcohol use.

Edema cannot be “cured.” The only way to treat edema is to treat the condition that is causing it. But there are some things you can do to keep the swelling down. Put a pillow under your legs when you are lying down. Wear support stockings, which you can buy at most drugstores.

The abnormal buildup of fluid in the body is called edema. Edema is commonly seen in the feet and ankles, because of the effect of gravity, swelling is particularly noticeable in these locations. Common causes of edema are prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, pregnancy, being overweight, and increase in age.

Elevate Your Feet

One of the best home remedies to treat edema in the legs and feet is to elevate these areas to encourage fluid drainage. To do this, prop up your feet with a pillow or footrest. Try to keep your feet elevated for 30 minutes to an hour when possible.

How do I reduce swelling in 5 minutes? ›

Although prescription medications and creams can treat edema, it is essential to drink enough water. When your body is not hydrated enough, it holds onto the fluid it already has to make up for the lack of incoming water, thus contributing to swelling.

Loop diuretics

They get rid of the most fluid of all the available water pills. They're a preferred option for relieving edema, especially for people with heart failure.

Alcoholism is also a danger to your feet. Men and women who drink heavily are at risk of alcoholic neuropathy, nerve damage caused by chronic alcohol abuse. Signs of this condition are numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the feet. Alcoholic neuropathy can also affect the hands.

However, some people with alcohol-related neuropathy can improve through abstinence and alcohol abuse treatment. In other cases, though, the neurological deficits associated with alcoholic neuropathy can be permanent, and it can worsen if a person keeps drinking.

Generally, symptoms of alcoholic liver disease include abdominal pain and tenderness, dry mouth and increased thirst, fatigue, jaundice (which is yellowing of the skin), loss of appetite, and nausea. Your skin may look abnormally dark or light.

However, by day 4 without alcohol, most people will have got beyond any initial withdrawal symptoms. All the alcohol will have left your system by now, and your body will begin to bounce back. If you're not as focused on alcohol, you may be eating better, drinking water, moving more, and perhaps sleeping more deeply.

When you drink, the dehydrating (or 'diuretic') effect of alcohol means your skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for healthy-looking skin. This can make your skin look wrinkled, dull and grey, or bloated and puffy. Dehydrated skin may also be more prone to some types of eczema.

Which alcohol is easy on liver? ›

Many drinks such as coffee, fruit and vegetable juices, green tea, hydrogen water, chlorella water, and milk have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Golden Milk (Turmeric Milk)

The classic anti-inflammatory drink, golden milk is a superstar for a reason. It's a mix of turmeric and dairy-free milk along with a pinch of pepper, cinnamon and maple syrup. It has a wide variety of health benefits all in one cozy cup.

Pineapple juice contains an enzyme called bromelain, which triggers your body's ability to fight pain and reduce swelling. It's used as a treatment for inflammation and sports injuries and may be effective in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Bananas are versatile fruits with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties that can help counteract inflammation and support the body's immune system. People may benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet and avoiding pro-inflammatory foods.

In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.

Report your symptoms to your doctor if there's so much swelling that it leaves an indentation if you press your finger into it, or if it has developed suddenly, lasts for more than a few days, affects just one foot, or is accompanied by pain or discoloration of the skin.

Try to keep the swollen area higher than the level of your heart. Take breaks from standing or sitting in one position. Walk around to increase the blood flow in your lower legs. Move your feet and ankles often while you stand, or tighten and relax your leg muscles.

Sometimes swelling can indicate a problem such as heart, liver, or kidney disease. Ankles that swell in the evening could be a sign of retaining salt and water because of right-sided heart failure. Kidney disease can also cause foot and ankle swelling.

Fluid buildup (edema): It happens when the tissues or blood vessels in your legs hold more fluid than they should. This can happen if you simply spend a long day on your feet or sit for too long. But it may also be a sign that you're overweight or don't get enough exercise, or of more serious medical conditions.

What happens if you don't treat swollen feet? ›

Scarring: In some cases, edema may lead to scarring that results from the damage it can cause to your skin. A lack of blood flow or the constant pressure of built-up fluid can cause dermatitis and other skin conditions, which can lead to scarring if left untreated.

If you have a fever, if the swelling is red and warm to the touch, or if the swelling is on just one side, call your doctor. When swelling lasts for more than a few days and home remedies aren't working, seek your doctor's advice.

If you've been drinking alcohol, you should drink water to quickly get rid of bloating in your face and stomach. In fact, drinking water before, during, and after drinking alcohol can help prevent its inflammatory effects on the body. If you're feeling bloated while drinking alcohol, switch over to drinking water.

One of the often overlooked causes of swollen feet is related to the consumption of alcohol. When an individual drinks alcohol, especially in excessive quantities, this can cause them to retain water inside their bodies. This extra water retention can lead people to experience swelling in their feet.

If patients can stop drinking, their liver function will improve and their ascites may resolve; they will also have a better prognosis.

Edema can occur when one drinks too much water and plasma volume expands. The ankles, feet, face, and hands are typically the most noticeable areas to swell, but the entire body can experience swelling as well. A sensation of bloating in the stomach may also be common with edema.

Alcohol. Alcohol can cause the body to retain excess water, causing the feet to swell. If the swelling continues for more than 2 days, a person should make an appointment with their doctor. Recurrent swelling of the feet after drinking alcohol may be a sign of an underlying issue with the heart, liver, or kidneys.

Certain things that help prevent cirrhosis of the liver and cancer can also prevent ascites. This includes not drinking alcohol, staying at a healthy weight, exercising, not smoking, and limiting salt intake. Ascites can't be cured. But lifestyle changes and treatments may decrease complications.

Ascites is the main complication of cirrhosis. It is a landmark of the progression into the decompensated phase of cirrhosis and is associated with a poor prognosis and quality of life; mortality is estimated to be 50% in 2 years.

Should you drink lots of water if your feet are swollen? ›

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day

Though it might seem counterintuitive, getting enough fluids actually helps reduce swelling.

Drink plenty of water (1.5 to 2 liters a day). If you travel in a car, train, or flight for long durations, wear compression stockings to improve blood circulation and reduce swelling.

People who drink too much may start to feel pain and tingling in their limbs. This is known as alcoholic neuropathy. In people with alcoholic neuropathy, the peripheral nerves have been damaged by too much alcohol use. The peripheral nerves transmit signals between the body, the spinal cord, and the brain.

Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.

Excessive drinking could cause an individual to develop more of an "apple" body shape, where a higher level of body fat is distributed in the abdominal region.

Hydration is the number one way to reverse alcohol skin damage and keep your skin nice and glowy.