Hypertension makes your heart worker harder than it required to before. Over the space of several years, this additional force can result in the heart muscle changing into thicker and less effective at pushing the blood round. This permits fluid to build up in your lower ankles and legs, which causes them to swell up.
Swollen ankles will also be a side effect of some blood pressure drugs, in particular calcium channel blockers, eg amlodipine, nifedipine etc These drugs make your small blood arteries open wider and, in some folks, this may trigger extra fluid to leak out of the blood arteries into the tissues. This fluid will collect round your ankles.
Are swollen ankles critical
In its early stages, ankle swelling is an inconvenience but does not cause any major problems. But, if it is left untreated over a long time frame, it would begin to put undesirable pressure on the blood vessels and tissues of the ankle.
This can lead to problems such as cellulitis where the epidermis gets infected and can lead to abscesses if not handled, varicose veins and venous ulcers (ulcers on the outer layers of the dermis).
Can swollen ankles be treated
Diuretic drugs increase the amount of fluid eliminated by your kidneys and this may help to eliminate any excess fluid from the body. This removes the build up of fluid from the tissues in your ankles.
In case your ankle swelling is because of taking calcium channel blockers, reducing the dose of your drugs will normally help. Or, in case your blood pressure is not totally managed, your physician could prescribe you a diuretic to assist lower your blood pressure further and remove the excess fluid.
You may help to reduce the swelling by sitting with your legs lifted up. This lets your blood circulate more freely and may assist reduce the swelling.
Before you go anywhere, here is more detail on High Blood Pressure Management and Diabetes Signs