We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. Show Pain in the foot Our feet are made up of not only bones and muscles, but ligaments and tendons, too. These parts carry our entire body weight all day long, so it’s not much of a surprise that foot pain is relatively common. Sometimes, we’ll feel pain at the top of our foot that can be uncomfortable when walking and even standing still. This pain can be mild or severe, depending on the cause and the extent of any possible injury. Pain on the top of the foot can be caused by different conditions, the most common of which are due to overuse in activities like running, jumping, or kicking. Conditions caused by overuse include:
Other causes of pain on the top of the foot can include:
If you have persistent foot pain that lasts longer than a week despite home treatment, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. You should also call your doctor if your pain is severe enough to keep you from walking, or if you have burning pain, numbness, or tingling on the affected foot. You can call your general practitioner, who may refer you to a podiatrist. When you make an appointment with your doctor, they’ll ask you about any other symptoms and potential ways your foot could have been injured. They may ask about your physical activity and any past injuries to your feet or ankle. Your doctor will then examine your foot. They may press on different areas on the foot to see where you feel pain. They may also ask you to walk and perform exercises like rolling your foot to evaluate your range of motion. To test for extensor tendonitis, your doctor will ask you to flex your foot downwards, and then try to pull your toes up while you resist. If you feel pain, extensor tendonitis is likely the cause. If your doctor suspects a broken bone, fracture, or bone spurs, they’ll order an X-ray of the foot. Other tests your doctor may run include:
Because our feet support our entire body weight, a mild injury could become a more extensive one if it goes untreated. Seeking prompt treatment if you suspect an injury is important. Treatment depends on the underlying cause of the condition and may include:
Home treatment can help with foot pain in many cases. You should rest and stay off the affected foot as much as possible. You can apply ice to the affected area for twenty minutes at a time, but no more. When you do have to walk, wear supportive, well-fitting shoes that aren’t too tight. Most causes of pain on the top of the foot are highly treatable, but they need to be treated before the pain and injury get worse. If you have pain in the top of the foot, try to stay off your feet as much as possible for at least five days and apply ice to the affected area for no more than 20 minutes at a time. If home treatments don’t seem to help after five days, make an appointment with your doctor. Read this article in Spanish. You've got to hand it to your feet—they might just be the hardest-working part of your body. They take a beating every day by supporting your body weight and letting you walk, run, jump, and stand. The 26 bones and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments in each foot and ankle work as a team to carry you wherever you go each day, according to the Arthritis Foundation. So what exactly happens when feet swell? Whether due to standing, inactivity, injury, or some other cause—fluid builds up in your feet, ankles, and legs, according to the National Library of Medicine. Gravity helps this along, too, said Dyane Tower, DPM, director of clinical affairs at the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). All of that foot action adds to a lot of wear and tear, so it isn't surprising that one of the biggest complaints people have is swollen feet. Feet often puff up because you're not treating them with the care they deserve—say by standing or walking all day, according to Harvard Health. But swollen feet also have other serious causes, some of which may be red flags for a larger health issue. Tired of coming home with feet that feel like balloons? Here's what you need to know about 13 causes of swollen feet and what to do about it. Anyone who works on their feet may feel like their shoes are too tight at the end of the day. Here's why: Blood gathers in the veins of your legs because of gravity, and water from the blood begins to pool into the tissues in your legs, feet, and ankles, according to Harvard Health. That causes swelling, which can make your shoes feel tighter. While annoying, this kind of end-of-the-day swelling is usually not indicative of a larger problem. It should go away once you've rested your feet. "There are no hard and fast guidelines, but if you're on your feet all day long, it's reasonable to sit five minutes every hour or put your legs up," explained Jason Johanning, MD, professor of vascular surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. If the swelling persists, or you can't take breaks from standing or walking, give compression stockings a try. "Compression stockings work the same way as walking and add a bit of pumping action to keep the blood flowing a little faster,"
said Roy Silverstein, MD, professor and chair of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The sodium in salt (also known as sodium chloride) is the biggest dietary culprit when retaining water. The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily or about a teaspoon of salt daily. Sodium can be hidden among a list of ingredients in processed and take-out foods. So, it only makes sense that it can lead to swollen feet, said Dr. Johanning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prime sources of sodium include:
Try to swap out more sodium-free or low-sodium items into your diet. You can monitor the sodium content in a food by looking at the nutrition facts label, according to the CDC. For many people, swollen feet are an inevitable part of pregnancy. "As the [fetus] grows, it presses on the pelvic veins, and you get a little bit of compromised circulation," said Jill Rabin, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Uniondale, N.Y. Foot swelling tends to get worse as pregnancy progresses, especially toward the end of the day and when the temperature outside is high, according to the Nemours Foundation. Usually, the swelling is nothing to worry about. But if it comes on rapidly, especially in your hands and face, call your healthcare provider. That could be a sign of preeclampsia, which leads to rapid-onset high blood pressure and can be dangerous, according to the National Library of Medicine. According to the Nemours Foundation, here are some ways to ease swollen feet due to pregnancy:
"If you have a big belly from pregnancy, lying on your back causes the blood vessels to compress," explained Dr. Rabin. "That makes it more difficult for the circulation to get back to the heart and will sometimes cause some of the fluid in the veins to seep out." Obesity, defined by the World Health Organization, is an excess accumulation of fat that can cause health problems. Obesity is determined by a person's body mass index (BMI). If a person has a BMI over 30, they are considered obese. A person with a BMI exceeding 50 may develop lower extremity swelling, according to an article from 2015 in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. It is possible that if obesity-related swelling occurs, it may be permanent. The study stated that once your BMI reaches 50, weight loss may not reverse the swelling. It is important to discuss treatment for foot swelling with your healthcare provider before reaching a BMI of 50. Maybe you sprained your ankle during a gym workout, ended up with a stress fracture of the leg or toe, or had surgery on your leg, ankle, or foot. Injuries like these will cause swelling in and around your feet, according to the National Library of Medicine. "The body's response [to an acute injury] is inflammation," explained Dr. Tower. "The blood goes down to that area of the heel and brings cells and fluid." Ultimately, the cells and fluid can make your foot seem extra large. According to an article from 2021 in Harvard Health Publishing, to control the swelling, you should try:
Do you know how you can feel bloated the week before your period? That waterlogged feeling is the normal result of sodium and water retention after ovulation, according to a study from 2015 in the International Journal of Women's Health. That's when symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) set in. PMS can also be to blame for swollen feet. The study found that 65% of people in the trial experienced swelling, also known as edema, during the premenstrual stage of their menstrual cycle. That edema can be caused by the same sodium and water retention that causes bloating. "You can feel a little puffier or swollen for sure," said Britt Marcussen, MD, clinical associate professor at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. "It's noticeable in the legs and feet, where it tends to pool because of gravity." Certain medications have side effects of lower extremity swelling. Heart medications, known as vasodilators, help open up the blood vessels to make blood flow more freely. That increases the risk of leakage from the blood vessels to the surrounding tissue, which can cause swelling, according to a review from 2021 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Calcium channel blockers, another medication, can also cause leakage from the blood vessels into the tissue, according to an article from 2022 in StatPearls. That leakage can cause foot swelling. Other drugs that can cause swollen feet may include anti-seizure drugs like Horizant (gabapentin) and chemotherapy drugs like Taxotere (docetaxel), according to a review from 2021 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. If your foot swelling is painful, it could be caused by a skin infection. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that causes pain, swelling, and redness wherever the area is infected, according to the CDC. "The swelling is usually associated with red, hot, sore skin," explained Dr. Marcussen. People with diabetes are more prone to infections. That's because there is reduced blood flow to the lower extremities, and they may not feel pain if there is an open cut or sore on their feet, according to the National Library of Medicine. If the wound isn't treated, that can lead to an infection which can cause the feet to swell up. People with diabetes should have a yearly foot exam to prevent infections from developing. To prevent infection, ensure all open sores and cuts are clean and covered with a bandage, according to the CDC. Antibiotics usually clear up bacterial infections, and you can treat fungal infections with antifungal medications. Lymphedema is a kind of swelling. According to the National Library of Medicine, lymph is a fluid that carries infection-fighting white blood cells to different body parts. Clusters of lymph nodes throughout your body control the travel of this fluid. But if your lymph nodes have been damaged or removed, say during surgery for cancer, the fluid won't drain properly—and that causes swelling called lymphedema. Generally, swelling in the feet happens when the pelvic lymph nodes, which control lymph movement in your legs and feet, are injured or removed, according to the American Cancer Society. "The lymphatic vessels are very thin and pliable, so when you operate in the groin area, even with meticulous surgical care, they can be injured and can create an obstruction blocking the return of the lymphatic fluid," explained Dr. Johanning. Occasionally lymphedema is an inherited condition. Often, it's brought on by cancer or an infection, according to the National Library of Medicine. If you suspect any of these conditions cause your swollen feet, check in with your healthcare provider. In the meantime, try compression stockings and moving around as much as possible. "The muscles pump fluid out of the lymph channels," said Dr. Marcussen. "If you're up and around and moving a lot more, that can help alleviate [the problem]." Swollen feet are a common sign of congestive heart failure, according to the National Library of Medicine. Heart failure is when your heart isn't pumping enough blood. That means blood will back up in the veins, leading to fluid buildup. Usually, swelling in the feet points to right-sided heart failure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. You may also experience other symptoms, such as:
If it lasts long enough, you may also get pitting, which is when the skin stays indented after you put pressure on it, according to an article from 2022 in StatPearls. "If this and
shortness of breath dramatically worsen, and you gain more than five pounds in a day, this should be concerning," explained Dr. Marcussen. After sitting for a long time without moving, your legs can develop swelling and pain in your leg, which can mean you have a blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis, according to the National Library of Medicine. How does foot swelling play into this? "The swelling is caused by the presence of the clot," explained Dr. Silverstein. "The clot causes pressure to increase behind the area of obstruction, and that increased pressure pushes the fluids in the blood out of the veins into the tissues." While anyone who sits for long periods can develop a blood clot, if you have certain factors or conditions, it can boost your risk, according to an article from 2017 in News in Health, such as:
Though a clot that's caused foot swelling doesn't always have other symptoms, typically, you'll feel pain in your leg as well, according to the National Library of Medicine. "The most common presentation is significant pain and discomfort in the calf region with associated swelling of that limb," noted Dr. Johanning. If caught in time, it can be treated. But often, it isn't, and the clot can break off and travel to the lungs, where it cuts off the oxygen supply and can be lethal. If those symptoms strike without explanation, notify your healthcare provider as soon as possible, or head for the emergency room. You can prevent blood clots by staying active and taking breaks to move around if you're sitting for long periods, according to an article from 2017 in News in Health. Your kidneys are responsible for balancing fluids in your body and moving fluid you don't need out of your system, according to the National Kidney Foundation. When one or both aren't functioning properly, you might end up with swollen feet. That's because your body is retaining extra salt, producing more fluid, thus causing your feet to swell. "Normally, people [with foot swelling] go home and put their feet up, and the body reabsorbs that little bit of extra fluid, and the kidneys just get rid of it," explained Dr. Marcussen. "[With] kidney problems, your body has trouble getting rid of that fluid, then that swelling is more marked and more dramatic. A lot of people have swelling other places too, like their hands and face." That's when medications can help. "People who have heart failure or kidney problems are often put on diuretics," said Dr. Marcussen. "Basically, they help
the kidneys dump fluid." Cirrhosis of the liver means the liver has developed permanent scarring from liver disease or damage. The scarring interferes with blood flow through the liver, which causes high blood pressure in the veins that go into the liver (called portal hypertension). That can lead to swelling in the legs, feet, and abdomen, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). According to the NIDDK, other signs of cirrhosis include:
To treat, healthcare providers usually focus on treating the disease that causes cirrhosis, according to the NIDDK. Treatment varies, depending on the disease. It may include medications, weight loss, or recommendations to stop drinking alcohol. Drugs, namely diuretics, and lifestyle measures like limiting salt intake can help with foot swelling. If your feet are swollen, there are several different causes. You may just need to give them a break after a long day. Or it may be a sign of a serious condition. Discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment. The cause of your swollen feet may vary widely—from changes in your weight to infection or heart disease. Several factors may contribute to your feet feeling like you're walking with balloons around your ankles. If you believe your swollen feet are indicative of an infection or condition requiring treatment, consult your healthcare provider to determine the best course of action. How do you reduce swelling on the top of your foot?Treatment. Rest: Stay off the foot or ankle. ... . Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area, placing a thin towel between the ice and the skin. ... . Compression: An elastic wrap should be used to control swelling.. Elevation: The foot or ankle should be raised slightly above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.. Is one swollen foot serious?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.
Why would the top of my foot hurt and be swollen?Common causes of pain in the top of the foot
Pain in the top of your foot is often caused by exercising, especially if it involves running, kicking or jumping. It may also be caused by wearing shoes that are too tight and some conditions, like gout. Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing your pain.
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My right foot is swollen on top
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