Heavy Leg Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, At-Home Relief

In recent years, or ever since the pandemic hit, people have been more bound to their homes than ever. Many of us have adopted a sedentary lifestyle without ever meaning to. While this lifestyle is not generally harmful, it can negatively influence our health.

For example, not having enough movement or sitting around all the time can cause problems with excess weight, varicose veins, restless legs syndrome, or even heavy leg syndrome. Heavy leg syndrome is the most misunderstood of all these, so we decided to create a detailed guide on the condition!

In today’s guide, we will talk about heavy leg syndrome, the symptoms, home remedies to relieve the pain, and when it is the right time to visit a doctor. To learn more, stick around to the end of the guide!

What Is Heavy Leg Syndrome? 

Heavy leg syndrome is a condition that causes chronic venous insufficiency. Essentially, your heart is pumping out blood for your entire body, and the veins distribute it throughout, but when the blood reaches the legs, the veins cannot get it back to the heart. That often happens because the veins are not elastic enough and cannot win the battle against gravity.

So, all that blood accumulates in the legs and clogs the veins, causing problems not only with the veins but the legs as a whole. As a result, you get an unpleasant sensation throughout your legs, accompanied by itchiness, numbness, muscle cramps, etc.

This syndrome is considered a serious health condition – while it is common, you should not allow it to worsen – don’t just think that everyone has it and lives with it. Instead, you should recognize the symptoms and start working to eliminate the issue immediately. 

To learn how to do that, keep reading!

What Are The Symptoms of Heavy Leg Syndrome?

While we mentioned some of the symptoms in the section above, we want to expand on the list. Here are some of the essential heavy leg symptoms you need to remember:

• Swelling of one or both legs
• A feeling of heaviness in the lower part of the body
• Tingling, itching, prickling sensation
• Muscle cramps

While other health issues can cause these symptoms, you should inspect and see if they are paired with some of the tell-tale signs of heavy leg syndrome. If you have any of the symptoms above while suffering from varicose veins, extra weight, hormonal events, or smoking, chances are you have developed this syndrome.

How to Improve Blood Flow to Legs? 

If you suspect you have heavy leg syndrome, try to improve it as soon as possible. Here are the best ways to improve blood flow to the legs and eliminate the syndrome of heavy or restless legs:

• Lose a bit of Weight: This syndrome often appears in people who are overweight or obese. Since excess weight could be causing poor circulation, you should lose some weight to improve your overall health.
• Adopt a Healthy Diet: Instead of eating sugary, fatty foods all the time, you should adopt a healthy diet that is not based on too much sugar, salt, fat, etc. That will help your overall weight, not only poor blood circulation.
• Compression Stockings: You should also wear compression socks or stockings as they are known to eliminate blood circulation issues thanks to the snuggly fit. They are not that expensive, so everyone should be able to afford them.
• Physical Activity: You should not be sitting or standing all day long. When sitting, you should not cross your legs. All these things can cause poor blood circulation in your legs, so you must be mindful of them.
• Elevate Legs: At home, try elevating your legs for certain periods to promote blood flow. You can use a recliner chair or just put them up on your coffee table while relaxing. Also, massage your legs gently while they are elevated.

When To Visit a Doctor About Heavy Leg Syndrom?

To be safe, you should visit a doctor when you suspect you have heavy leg syndrome. Here is when we advise seeing your doctor instead of trying to improve your situation at home:

• If you have a family history of heavy leg syndrome
• If you have been pregnant multiple times in the past few years
• If you are going through a hormonal event such as menopause
• If you are an avid smoker
• If you have gained a significant amount of weight in a short time
• If you suffer from obesity

Conclusion

Heavy leg syndrome is not something to fear but something you should try to eliminate as soon as possible. We hope that the home remedies listed above will help you do that, but if they do not, then it would be best to consult a doctor about the next steps in your recovery.