Swollen ankles could indicate that you are either developing gout or that you have a problem of water retention caused by inactivity or weight gain. The treatment of the condition varies in both cases. In case you are suffering from a gout problem you would need to get a doctor to examine your ankles.
Gout is a condition that occurs due to excess uric acid in the blood that is not excreted in adequate quantities from the system. This leads to a situation where the acid crystallizes in your load bearing joints like the ankles and knees. This disease was also known as “the rich man’s disease” and probably for a good reason as well. Gout causes high uric acid in the blood because of a high intake of saturated fats. Saturated Fats that are present in red meat contain a high amount of a substance called purine. This is broken down to uric acid by way of the purine metabolism of the body. By itself, this is not the only causative factor. The body also creates uric acid as a process of cell death. This combined with the dietary resultant, high alcohol intake, and inactivity causes uric acid to accumulate in the tissues of the joints. Here uric acid forms crystals that damage tissue and cause inflammation. Water retention on the other hand is a very different problem that many people with a sedentary lifestyle face. When the blood is pumped through the blood vessels to the legs, it is helped down with gravity. When it has to be pumped back up, it has to fight the pull of gravity and this requires that the blood vessels of the legs and load-bearing joints are able to withstand that pressure. In a normally active human body, this is not a problem. But in people who are overweight or those who lead a life with little exercise, these vessels don’t hold up to the pressure and by fluid diffusion end up with more liquid in the legs.
There is one common treatment to be followed to reduce fluid retention in both these cases and that is, to increase the intake of coffee. Coffee is a natural diuretic and stimulates the kidney to expel more fluid. Combine this with some cardiovascular exercise, and the problem of water retention should be solved. For gout, one should move to a strictly vegetarian diet until the gout is completely cured.