This swelling can make it hard to wear shoes and delay the healing process, so many people often wonder how long this swelling will persist. There’s no standard answer, but in today’s blog, we take a closer look at how long swelling typically lasts depending on the significance of your sprained ankle.

Sprained Ankle Swelling Relief

As we alluded to above, everyone will experience different results in terms of swelling and how quickly it will dissipate. However, if you ended up on this page because you are dealing with some swelling after an ankle sprain and you’re wondering when your ankle may return to a normal size, we’ll try to provide some answers based on the type of sprain you suffered.

Grade I – A Grade I sprain is considered the most mild type of ankle sprain, involving some overstretching and minor tearing of the supportive ankle ligaments. In most instances, swelling is minor and may not be all that noticeable. Many individuals can get back to normal activities within 3-7 days, especially if they RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate), but full healing can take up to three weeks.

Grade II – A Grade II sprain is a little more severe. This type of sprain involves a partial tear of the supportive ankle ligaments, and this will lead to more significant symptoms. Pain, swelling and bruising may all be more noticeable, and you may have difficultly placing weight on the foot. It’s not uncommon for some swelling to persist for 2-3 weeks following a Grade II ankle sprain, and full healing usually takes between 3-6 weeks.

Grade III – A Grade III ankle sprain is the most severe type of sprain, categorized by a complete tear of the ligaments that stabilize and support your ankle joint. Pain and swelling will be significant. Swelling will be most noticeable in the first two weeks following a Grade III sprain, but it can persist for more than a month. A Grade III sprain can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks or longer to recover depending on the damage and whether or not surgery is needed to address the ligaments.

Regardless of the type of sprain you suffer, you can work to limit swelling and reduce its impact by resting your foot to protect it from additional trauma and elevating it above your heart, which will naturally help pull fluid away from the area. Icing your ankle can also constrict blood vessels and limit fluid accumulation in the ankle, but these techniques won’t be able to completely stop your swelling.

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Preventing Ankle and Foot Swelling

Here’s a look at five strategies for reducing and preventing swelling in your feet and ankles.

1. Compression socks – Compression socks are a great passive prevention technique. These tighter socks provide compression and in turn prevent fluid from pooling in your lower extremities. Find a pair of compression socks if you’re dealing with foot or ankle swelling, but make sure that’s not your only treatment option.

2. Exercise and Movement – Exercise and activities like walking can help to prevent ankle and foot swelling. When we sit or stand in one spot for too long, fluid can build up in our feet. By moving and exercising, we can naturally prevent this pooling from taking place while also strengthening crucial foot structures.

3. Elevation – No, you don’t need to move to Denver in order to reduce swelling in your feet. Simply elevate your legs by putting a pillow or towel underneath them when you’re in bed, or lean back in your recliner. This will help to prevent fluid buildup in your feet, which will in turn decrease swelling.

4. Weight Loss – An added benefit of exercise is that it can help you lose weight, which is another way to help prevent swelling in your ankles and feet. Weight loss has been shown to help limit swelling in your feet, so keep an eye on your diet as well as your activity levels.

5. Hydration – You’re actually more likely to have swollen ankles and feet if you’re under-hydrated, so really make sure that you are getting plenty of water on a daily basis. Drinking less water promotes swelling because fluids can’t easily leave the foot area, so drink an appropriate amount of water (8-10 glasses) a day.

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Why Are My Ankles Swollen?

Aside from acute trauma, here are a few reasons why senior citizens may be dealing with swollen ankles and feet:

Lymphedema – Lympathic vessels carry white blood cell filled-fluid to the heart and other areas of the body to help prevent against infection. If fluid flow is blocked or circulation is poor, it can lead to swelling in various body parts, including the ankles.

Gout – Gout is a problem that is characterized by uric acid accumulation in the joints of the foot, which causes inflammation, pain and swelling. Dietary choices and lack of exercise can lead to the onset of gout.

Arthritis – Your joints will slowly degenerate over the years, and after enough degeneration, this can lead to arthritis of the joint. Ankle or foot arthritis can cause symptoms of pain, swelling and joint stiffness.

Deep Vein Thrombosis – DVT is caused by a blood clot in your legs. They can cause your feet to swell, and they should be treated as soon as possible because the clot can move and lodge elsewhere, causing even more problems.

Trauma – As we touched upon in the intro, acute trauma to the foot or ankle will lead to blood pooling and a natural injury response, which includes localized swelling.

Treating Swollen Ankles In The Elderly

Here are some tips for treating your swollen ankles:

• Exercise – Exercise can help to improve circulation in your feet, which can help to alleviate swelling. It can also help if the swelling is being caused by gout, because it can work to remove the uric acid buildup from your joints.

• Movement – If exercise isn’t easy, simply moving a bit at regular intervals can help. Standing or sitting for long periods can contribute to swelling, so avoid staying in one position for long periods of time.

• Elevation – Elevating your feet can help the excess fluid move out of the ankle area.

• Ice – If acute injury is the cause of your swelling, ice and compression can help to limit the onset of swelling.

• Talk To A Doctor – If your foot swelling seems to come out of nowhere, or it isn’t resolving by the above treatments, set up a meeting with a foot and ankle specialist. We can determine what is causing the swelling and the best ways to treat it.

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Understanding Swollen Ankles

Some of the causes of ankle swelling are obvious, while others are not so apparent. Here’s a closer look at some of the more common causes.

Acute Trauma – This is one of the more obvious causes of swelling. If your ankle got stepped on during a soccer game or you rolled it while stepping on some uneven ground, odds are you’ll experience some localized swelling. If you ankle is swollen and you distinctly remember suffering an injury, treat it with rest, ice, compression and elevation to help the swelling subside. That being said, if pain doesn’t resolve or gets worse, visit a foot specialist as you may have a fracture.

Gout – We’ve talked about gout on the blog before, but it involves the accumulation of uric acid crystals in some joints in your feet. These crystals can cause regionalized inflammation and swelling. Gout attacks typically set in if you have a poor diet, excessive alcohol intake and limited exercise. By watching what you eat, cutting back on alcohol and getting regular exercise, you can greatly reduce gout-induced swelling.

Infection – Infections can cause swelling, but an infection of the ankle is very rare unless you have an open sore or recently underwent a surgery on the ankle or foot. Medications can usually help defeat an infection that is causing swelling, so if you think an infection is the problem, visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Arthritis – Arthritis can lead to degenerative changes in the joints, and as surfaces begin to move less freely in the area, they can create friction-induced inflammation and swelling in the area. Compression wraps, elevation and an exercise program from your foot specialist can help combat arthritis-induced swelling.

Bone Spurs – Bones spurs can develop on their own or in conjunction with arthritis. These bone calcification segments can – you guessed it – cause inflammation that leads to swelling. Some may resolve on their own with activity and exercise, but others are best treated with surgery to remove the spur.

Circulation Issues – Conditions like vascular obstruction or peripheral edema both lead to reduced circulation in our ankles and feet. Obstructions and edemas can lead to swelling in the ankle, and circulation issues should always be examined by a doctor.

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