The sunshine has returned — but along with barbecues, beer gardens and packed parks comes one of the less glamorous side effects of a British heatwave: swollen feet, puffy ankles and fingers that suddenly make your rings feel two sizes too small.
London is bracing for what could become its second heatwave of May following a record-breaking week that saw temperatures climb to 35.1C, with a yellow heat-health alert remaining in place across London, the South East and eastern England until Saturday evening.
As the mercury rises, so do searches for relief.
Analysis from footwear retailer Wards Shoes found searches for “swollen feet in the heat” surge by 200 per cent during hot weather, while searches for remedies jump by 350 per cent.
The reason is straightforward. When temperatures rise, blood vessels expand to help the body cool itself down. In the process, fluid can leak into surrounding tissue and collect in the feet, ankles and hands, where gravity tends to do the rest.
The NHS notes that higher temperatures can trigger this type of fluid retention, known as oedema, in some people — leaving shoes tighter, ankles puffier and rings harder to remove.
The good news? There are ways to ease it. We asked four experts for their go-to solution for beating heatwave swelling.
Legs up, cool compress, repeat
Dr Mayoni Gooneratne, functional medicine director at PHC Clinics, keeps her fix simple. “My go-to at-home fix for puffiness and swollen ankles is a 'legs-up and cool-compress' ritual,” she explains to The Standard.
Lie on your back with legs up the wall or propped over cushions — feet slightly above heart level — for fifteen to twenty minutes, with a cool (not ice-cold) damp cloth over the swollen area.
“This simple combination uses gravity to move trapped fluid back towards the heart and the cool temperature to gently constrict blood vessels, so you get faster relief with no medications,” she explains. Repeat a couple of times a day and stay well hydrated for best results.
Keep moving — even gently
Flavia Morellato, lymphatic drainage expert, points to one overlooked culprit: stillness. “In the heat, the lymphatic system naturally slows down and fluid retention becomes more common," she tells us.
Her advice is to keep the body moving gently throughout the day, “walking, calf raises, leg elevation and deep diaphragmatic breathing can make a huge difference for circulation and swelling.”
Anything cooler on the body can also help support lymphatic flow, she adds: “Try to avoid excessive sweating and overheating, as this can increase inflammation and swelling further.”
Reach for the gua sha
Ada Ooi, integrative Chinese medicine clinician, goes straight for the tools.
“As fluids tend to sink in the heat, oedema often accumulates around the ankles,” she explains.
In Chinese medicine, this is linked to “damp” and fluid stagnation in the lower body — and her go-to fix is a gua sha applied with medium pressure, massaging in circular motions around the inner ankle bone for five to ten minutes on each side, “to help move excess moisture, stimulate circulation, and activate key spleen and kidney points.”
Beyond the gua sha, Ooi recommends elevating the legs and doing gentle ankle pumps, simply pointing and flexing the feet. On the dietary side, she suggests leaning into cooling TCM foods “such as cucumber and lettuce, and avoiding fatty or salty meals on hotter days.”
Hydrate smarter, supplement wisely
Kevin Leivers, pharmacist and founder of The Naked Pharmacy, is clear on the priority order.
“Regular hydration with electrolytes must always come first,” he says, plain water alone won't cut it when you're sweating.
For supplements, he flags two worth considering. First, magnesium: “a great multi-tasker,” he says, that “helps regulate fluid balance and blood flow in the extremities.”
Second, a turmeric and black pepper combination, “naturally anti-inflammatory and great for reducing swelling in the heat.”
If swelling is sudden, painful, only on one side, or accompanied by breathlessness, contact your GP
