I have swollen legs.
GON-fye — two syllables, stress on first. 'Gambe' — GAM-be. Two common short words.
Report leg swelling to a doctor. Can indicate heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, lymphoedema, or chronic venous insufficiency.
'Gambe gonfie' = swollen legs. Medical term: 'edema degli arti inferiori'. 'Gonfiore' = swelling. Important to describe: unilateral (one leg) vs bilateral (both), timing (worse in evening), whether pitting (leaves indentation), and associated symptoms like pain or redness.
Mi si gonfiano le gambe la sera.
My legs swell in the evenings.
Evening swelling — typical of chronic venous insufficiency or prolonged sitting
Ho il piede sinistro gonfio e dolente.
I have a swollen and painful left foot.
Unilateral swelling with pain — could be DVT — urgent assessment
Le caviglie si gonfiano quando faccio lunghi viaggi.
My ankles swell on long journeys.
Travel-related swelling — compression stockings and movement are recommended
Chronic venous insufficiency ('insufficienza venosa cronica') is very common in Italy — affecting up to 40% of women and 20% of men over 40. Italian pharmacies stock compression stockings ('calze a compressione graduale') — classified by compression level and requiring medical measurement for correct fitting. Italian vascular surgeons and phlebologists ('flebologi') treat this condition, often with 'scleroterapia' (sclerotherapy) or surgery for varicose veins.