Hello and thank you for sending your question.

This is a very good question. There are multiple possible causes of ankle swelling.

One possible cause would be that the veins of your legs are not returning blood back to your heart as efficiently as when you were younger. This can sometimes lead to swelling particularly late in the day.

Another possible cause would be increased in salt in your diet. This would lead to more fluid retention and can cause ankle swelling.

Also I see that you have a history of hypertension. In some cases long-standing hypertension can lead to a situation where the heart becomes congested. When this happens it can lead to a back up of blood flow and this can also cause swelling. In that case sometimes your doctor might consider changing her medication regimen.

I would suggest that if you notice the symptoms are persistent that you discussed this with your primary care physician to talk about possible causes and possible solutions.

Thanks again for sending your question. Please let me know if you have any additional concerns.

Dr. Galamaga

---