Have you noticed lately that your socks are tight and your pants feel snug? Your legs swell for two main reasons:

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• Fluid buildup (edema): It happens when the tissues or blood vessels in your legs hold more fluid than they should. This can happen if you simply spend a long day on your feet or sit for too long. But it may also be a sign that you’re overweight or don’t get enough exercise, or of more serious medical conditions.

• Inflammation: It happens when the tissues in your legs get irritated and swollen. It’s a natural response if you break a bone or tear a tendon or ligament, but it also may be a sign of a more serious inflammatory illness, like arthritis.
   

Vein Issues
 

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and thrombophlebitis: If you have DVT, it means there's a blood clot in a vein in your leg. It could break off and travel to your lung. When that happens, it's called a pulmonary embolism, and it can be life-threatening.

In thrombophlebitis, also called superficial thrombophlebitis, clots form closer to the surface of the skin and aren't likely to break off.

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One of the first symptoms of DVT or thrombophlebitis is one swollen leg (especially the calf), as blood pools in the area. 
Symptoms:

• Leg pain, tenderness, or cramping

• Skin that's tinged red or blue

• Skin that feels warm