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    Edema - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic

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    Rafan Addis
    This document provides an overview of edema, including its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues. It can affect any part of the body but is more common in the legs and feet. Edema can be caused by medications, pregnancy, or underlying diseases like heart or liver conditions.

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    Edema - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic

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    Rafan Addis
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    This document provides an overview of edema, including its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues. It can affect any part of the body but is more common in the legs and feet. Edema can be caused by medications, pregnancy, or underlying diseases like heart or liver conditions.

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    Edema - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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    This document provides an overview of edema, including its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues. It can affect any part of the body but is more common in the legs and feet. Edema can be caused by medications, pregnancy, or underlying diseases like heart or liver conditions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    8 views11 pages

    Edema - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic

    Uploaded by

    Rafan Addis
    This document provides an overview of edema, including its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues. It can affect any part of the body but is more common in the legs and feet. Edema can be caused by medications, pregnancy, or underlying diseases like heart or liver conditions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
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    Diseases & Conditions

    Edema
    Request an Appointment

    Symptoms & Diagnosis &


    causes treatment

    Overview
    Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues.
    Edema can affect any part of the body. But it's more likely to show up in the legs
    and feet.

    Medicines and pregnancy can cause edema. It also can be the result of a
    disease, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, venous insufficiency or
    cirrhosis of the liver.

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    Wearing compression garments and reducing salt in the diet often relieves
    edema. When a disease causes edema, the disease needs treatment, as well.

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    Symptoms
    Edema in foot and ankle
    Enlarge image

    Symptoms of edema include:

    Swelling or puffiness of the tissue right under the skin, especially in legs or
    arms.
    Stretched or shiny skin.
    Skin that holds a dimple, also known as pitting, after it's been pressed for a
    few seconds.
    Swelling of the belly, also called the abdomen, so that it's bigger than usual.
    Feeling of leg heaviness.

    When to see a doctor

    Make an appointment to see a health care provider for swelling, stretched or


    shiny skin, or skin that holds a dimple after being pressed. See a provider right
    away for:

    Shortness of breath.
    Irregular heartbeat.
    Chest pain.

    These can be signs of fluid buildup in the lungs, also known as pulmonary
    edema. It can be life-threatening and needs quick treatment.

    After sitting for a long time, such as on a long flight, call your care provider if you
    get leg pain and swelling that won't go away. Especially if the pain and swelling is
    on one side, these can be symptoms of a blood clot deep in the vein, also known
    as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.

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    Causes
    Edema occurs when tiny blood vessels in the body, also known as capillaries,
    leak fluid. The fluid builds up in nearby tissues. The leak leads to swelling.

    Causes of mild cases of edema include:

    Sitting or staying in one position for too long.


    Eating too much salty food.
    Being premenstrual.
    Being pregnant.

    Edema also can be a side effect of some medicines. These include:

    High blood pressure medicines.


    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.
    Steroid medicines.
    Estrogens.
    Certain diabetes medicines called thiazolidinediones.
    Medicines use to treat nerve pain.
    Sometimes edema can be a sign of a more serious condition. Illnesses that can
    cause edema include:

    Congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure causes one or both of the
    heart's lower chambers stop pumping blood well. As a result, blood can
    back up in the legs, ankles and feet, causing edema.
    Congestive heart failure can also cause swelling in the stomach area. This
    condition also can cause fluid to build up in the lungs. Known as pulmonary
    edema, this can lead to shortness of breath.
    Liver damage. This liver damage from cirrhosis can cause fluid to build up in
    the stomach area. and in the legs. This fluid buildup in the stomach area is
    known as ascites.
    Kidney disease. Kidney disease can cause fluid and salts in the blood to
    build up. Edema linked to kidney disease usually occurs in the legs and
    around the eyes.
    Kidney damage. Damage to the tiny, filtering blood vessels in the kidneys
    can result in nephrotic syndrome. In nephrotic syndrome, decreased levels
    of protein in the blood can lead to edema.
    Weakness or damage to veins in your legs. This condition, known as chronic
    venous insufficiency, harms the one-way valves in the leg. One-way valves
    keep blood flowing in one direction. Damage to the valves allows blood to
    pool in the leg veins and causes swelling.
    Deep vein thrombosis, also called DVT. Sudden swelling in one leg with pain
    in the calf muscle can be due to a blood clot in one of the leg veins. DVT
    requires medical help right away.
    Problems with the system in the body that clears extra fluid from tissues. If
    the body's lymphatic system is damaged, such as by cancer surgery, the
    lymphatic system might not drain well.
    Severe, long-term lack of protein. An extreme lack of protein in the diet over
    time can lead to edema.
    More Information

    Hand swelling during exercise: A concern?

    Risk factors
    The following increases the risk of edema:

    Being pregnant.
    Taking certain medicines.
    Having a long-lasting illness, such as congestive heart failure or liver or
    kidney disease.
    Having surgery that involves a lymph node.

    Complications
    If left untreated, edema can cause:

    Swelling that gets more and more painful.


    Problems walking.
    Stiffness.
    Stretched skin, which can itch.
    Increased risk of infection in the swollen area.
    Scarring between layers of tissue.
    Less blood flow.
    Less ability of the of arteries, veins, joints and muscles to stretch.
    Increased risk of skin ulcers.

    By Mayo Clinic Staff

    Request an appointment

    Diagnosis & treatment

    July 28, 2023

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