take care of those swollen legs

if you have chf, you have extra water in your body

some of that water is probably in your belly (if you're kinda round, that may be one reason why)

water in the legs

gravity pulls water down

out of a pitcher

out of your belly

into your legs,
making them swell up

on top of that, chf water has chemicals in it that are bad for skin

those water meanies eat away at your leg skin

they make the skin dark,
usually brown or purple

then hard, crusty
patches can form

finally, you can get venous stasis ulcers, or "swelling sores"

if you see any of this happening, tell the doctor right away!
stop the problem
in its tracks!

because once swelling problems start -
they can last for years

leg swelling stretches
the skin

making skin thin and weak

swelling is bad for the skin on your lower legs

cellulitis

another problem that can happen with
swollen legs is a cellulitis infection

the skin on your legs turns red

the skin gets warm or hot.

when someone touches it, it hurts!

if one of your legs are red,
painful when touched,
or warm

call the doctor right away!

because cellulitis infections can
get worse fast -> spread to your blood
-> and put you in the hospital