Headlines like “When Your Legs Are Crying for Help: 5 Important Things to Watch For” often mix useful health information with dramatic wording. Some leg symptoms do deserve medical attention, while others are less urgent.
Five signs that can indicate a problem include:
- Swelling, especially if it affects one leg, comes on suddenly, or is accompanied by pain.
- Pain while walking that improves with rest, which can be a sign of reduced blood flow to the legs.
- Redness, warmth, and tenderness, which may indicate an infection or, in some cases, a blood clot.
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling, which can be related to nerve problems or poor circulation.
- Non-healing sores or skin color changes, particularly in people with diabetes or vascular disease.
Seek urgent medical care if you have:
- Sudden swelling in one leg with pain, redness, or warmth, especially if accompanied by chest pain or shortness of breath.
- A leg that becomes cold, pale, or suddenly weak.
- Severe pain after an injury or inability to bear weight.
