It's not the ships water. That's not the cause.
There are many potential causes of foot, leg, and ankle swelling. They include certain lifestyle conditions or medications, such as:
- being overweight
- standing for prolonged periods of time
- being confined for long periods of time (especially during car rides or flights)
- taking estrogen or testosterone
- taking certain antidepressants, such as tricyclics or MAO inhibitors
- taking certain blood pressure medications
- taking steroids
- taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Other medical conditions or changes in your body can also cause your legs, feet, and ankles to swell. These include:
- natural changes during a woman’s menstrual cycle
- pregnancy
- preeclampsia (a condition during pregnancy that causes high blood pressure)
- a blood clot of the leg
- an infection in the leg area
- venous insufficiency (when the veins are not adequately pumping blood)
- injury
- recent pelvic surgery
- organ failure (particularly in the heart, liver, or kidney)
- pericarditis (a swelling of the membrane around the heart)
- lymphedema (a condition that causes blockages in the lymph system)
- cirrhosis (scarring on the liver)
Why on a cruise?.
Ehst us the cause if you only suffer from oedema on board cruise ships, The common denominator is that chefs on board the cruise ships are using large amounts of salt in their cooking, together with the fact that travellers tend to eat more on a cruise. Sea air contains much higher levels of salt, which adds to the problem.
Too much salt in one's diet causes fluid retention, and this could be why your feet and ankles return to normal when you return home.