7. Pregnancy
During pregnancy, some women experience the swelling of lower limbs, which are legs, feet, and ankles. This is because, during this period, the body expands or grows bigger to allow the fetus to grow. During this time, ankles get to support all the weight gained hence they start swelling. If you are pregnant, swollen feet shouldn’t alarm you as it is a normal condition associated with pregnancy.
However, sudden and extreme ankle swelling may signal preeclampsia. This condition results from excessive protein in the bloodstream and usually happens around week 20 of pregnancy. Preeclampsia symptoms other than swollen ankles include nausea, high blood pressure, abdominal pain, protein in the urine, and severe headaches. This pregnancy complication can be life-threatening, with approximately 5% of women in the US experiencing it. Research shows that untreated preeclampsia can pose health issues such as HELLP syndrome and eclampsia for the mother and her baby.