Swollen ankles (Read 6176 times)

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?

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.

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! : ) )

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 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?