Ankle Swelling: Causes

What causes ankle swelling?

Ankle swelling can be caused by relatively minor conditions, but can also be caused by a wide variety of diseases, disorders and conditions that include infections, inflammation, trauma, heart disease, and other abnormal processes.

In some cases, ankle swelling is a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting.

Injury-related causes of ankle swelling

Ankle swelling can occur from the following conditions:

• Broken bone or other trauma

• Muscle, ligament, or cartilage injury, such as a torn ligament or pulled muscle

• Repetitive stress injury

Degenerative, infectious, inflammatory and autoimmune causes of ankle swelling

Swollen ankles can accompany inflammatory, infectious and autoimmune conditions including:

• Amyloidosis (rare immune-related disorder)

• Bursitis

• Gout

• Infection

• Osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Septic arthritis

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

Cardiovascular causes of ankle swelling

Ankle swelling can also be caused by disorders related to the circulatory system, such as:

• Cardiomyopathy (weakened or abnormal heart muscle and function)

• Cardiovascular disease (due to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries)

• Chronic venous insufficiency (poor blood flow through the veins)

• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the leg that can break loose from the leg, causing a pulmonary embolism in the lung, a heart attack, or stroke)

• Endocarditis (infection of the lining inside the heart)

• Heart failure

• Heart valve disease

• Kawasaki disease (rare disease that involves blood vessel inflammation)

• Pericarditis (infection of the lining that surrounds the heart)

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD, also called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, which is a narrowing or blockage of arteries due to a buildup of fat and cholesterol on the artery walls, which limits blood flow to the extremities)

• Varicose veins

Other causes of ankle swelling

Other conditions or disorders that can lead to swollen ankles include:

• Being overweight

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• Fluid retention, such as during pregnancy or premenstrual syndrome

• Hyponatremia (very low sodium, which is a life-threatening condition)

• Hypothyroidism

• Kidney or liver failure

• Lymphatic obstruction

• Nephrotic syndrome (kidney disorder)

• Pre-eclampsia (a serious condition that can develop during pregnancy)

• Pulmonary hypertension

Medications that can cause ankle swelling

Always tell your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal or alternative treatments. The following medications may be a possible cause of ankle swelling:

• Antidepressants, such as tricyclics and MAO inhibitors

• Diabetes medications

• High blood pressure medications

• Hormone therapy

• Steroids

Questions for diagnosing the cause of ankle swelling

To diagnose the underlying cause of ankle swelling, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions about your symptoms. You can best help your health care practitioner in diagnosing the underlying cause of ankle swelling by providing complete answers to these questions:

• What is the exact location of the swelling?

• Describe the swelling. When did the swelling start? Does it come and go or is it constant?

• Are any other body areas swelling?

• Are you are experiencing any pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms?

• Provide your full medical history, including all medical conditions, surgeries and treatments, family history, and a complete list of the medications and dietary supplements that you take.

What are the potential complications of ankle swelling?

Because swollen ankles can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in complications depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Even a minor sprain should be examined by a doctor to rule out any unidentified trauma and to prevent further injury during the healing process. Once the underlying condition is diagnosed, following the treatment plan outlined by your doctor can lower your risk of potential complications related to the underlying cause, such as:

• Chronic disability

• Heart, kidney or liver failure

• Pulmonary embolism, heart attack, or stroke associated with deep vein thrombosis

• Spread of infection