Oedema of the leg
My husband has a swollen ankle and leg. The doctor did not want to prescribe water tablets and gave him an elasticated bandage to use but this squeezed the leg in the middle and cause even more swelling each side so we have stopped using it. Are there any alternatives?
With a problem like this, you should not be thinking about self-treating unless and until your doctor has ruled out any possible underlying cause. If that is the case, then there are several herbs and nutrients that can help treat the water retention or oedema itself.
One of the less obvious natural diuretics - or herbs which increase the flow of urine and so help prevent water retention - is Asparagus. This is not only a highly nutritious food but it has good anti-inflammatory properties too and so can also be useful in the treatment of urinary tract infections.
A substance called Aescin that is isolated from conkers (the seeds of the horse chestnut tree) has been shown in trials to help reduce oedema, which is also a common problem after surgery which damages lymphatic drainage. If you take this in supplement form, find a standardised extract which will provide the equivalent of 120mg of the active ingredient a day. There are also a number of good quality horse chestnut creams on sale in health stores that you can massage into the affected area.
Bioflavanoids are the substances that give fruits and vegetables their vivid colours. These have a good anti-inflammatory action in the body and are available in supplement form too. Take the equivalent of 1,000mg of mixed bioflavanoids daily.