Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment for Edema
What Is Edema and How Does It Affect You?
Edema comes in a variety of forms, but they’re all defined by an accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissues, which causes swelling. It is usually referred to as “fluid retention” and is most commonly observed in the extremities, where it is referred to as “peripheral edema.” The face, lungs, and abdomen can all show signs of edema. Peripheral edema in the lower extremities, such as the lower legs, ankles, and feet, will be the focus of this blog.
Edema in the peripheral tissue is classified as pitting or non-pitting in most cases. Pitting edema is identified by pressing on the swollen area and looking for an indentation or pit in the tissue. It normally just lasts a few moments.
The tissue in non-pitting edema, which is more severe edema, is so hard that it does not indent when pressed. It’s like a fully inflated water balloon. Body water or natural/isotonic saline, not blood, is used.
Causes of Edema
The veins in the legs include valves that act as “check valves,” preventing blood from flowing down to the feet as a result of gravity. Blood is pushed down to the feet by the heart’s pumping motion. Blood must return to the heart to be recirculated through the veins. There is no genuine pump, however, propelling blood up the legs. The blood is pushed up the leg veins by the blood pressure in the system and the leg muscles contracting, while the valves prevent backflow down against gravity.
The valves’ failure causes blood to collect in the legs and feet, resulting in edema and swelling. Water leaches out of the blood into the surrounding tissue when blood stagnates or pools in a region.
Incompetence in valves can occur for a variety of reasons:
• As we grow older,
• from standing in one location for long periods of time
• from sitting for long periods of time with one’s feet on the floor
Suffering from varicose veins, which are caused by a genetic valve weakness in many situations.
Whatever the cause, when the valves in the legs become ineffective, blood pools and creates swelling, which puts pressure on the veins, causing them to dilate and further impairing the valves’ ability to function properly, resulting in even more swelling. It’s a never-ending circle.
Edema can be caused by a variety of different conditions that affect both legs, in addition to vein difficulties.
• Heart illness, notably congestive heart failure (CHF), is a prominent cause. Fluid will stagnate in regions like the legs and lungs as the heart fails as a pump, causing swelling and edema. Additionally, less blood is flowing to important organs such as the kidneys, resulting in fluid retention.
• Kidney disease produces edema and fluid retention because the kidneys are unable to excrete enough fluid.
• Liver disease causes edema in the legs and abdomen, particularly when cirrhosis is present.
• Certain medications: calcium channel blockers and beta blockers can cause peripheral edema, which is commonly seen in the ankles and lower legs as a side effect.
• Sodium: a high-sodium diet is another cause of edema. Edema is caused by fluid retention caused by salt.
• Alcohol induces vein dilatation, which results in edema. When drinking alcohol, persons who are susceptible will experience extensive vasodilation of the face, arms, and legs. The veins eventually stay dilated, resulting in persistent edema.
Lymphedema is another kind of edema. It’s usually extremely severe, with swollen legs and limbs. It is usually a single limb. Lymphedema can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, cancer therapy, and surgery. Swelling is caused by a malfunction of the lymph system, which is part of the immune system.
Edema Signs and Symptoms
The most common sign of edema is swelling. I’ll talk about leg swelling, ankle swelling, and foot swelling in this blog. Other symptoms, such as those listed below, may also appear.
• Skin discoloration: When edema is caused by inadequate veins, alterations to the skin occur in the lower legs and ankles. A brownish or reddish darkening of the skin on the front of the shins and down to the ankles is a common symptom of chronic edema. Hemosiderin deposits are the cause of this discolouration. Hemosiderin is a pigment made up of iron and hemoglobin in the blood that seeps into the tissue and skin. It leaves a lasting stain on the skin. It’s “rust deposits” from the iron in their blood, I tell my patients. Fluid pressure builds up in the tissue during edema, driving iron into the tissue and skin, especially when the blood stagnates or pools. Hemosiderin is a good indicator that edema is harming the skin and that if it is not treated, issues can arise, including stasis dermatitis.
• Inflammation of the skin: Stasis dermatitis is an inflammatory condition that causes a rash that itch, burns, and can be painful. In severe cases, stasis dermatitis can cause skin breakdown, resulting in painful open wounds or ulcers that can become infected and lead to cellulitis.
• Skin thickening: The inflammation caused by chronic edema can induce skin thickening in the lower legs. This is a long-term solution. The skin thickens, becomes uneven, rough, and has an elephant-like texture. It frequently drains fluid or weeps on a regular basis, and it can blister.
• Neurological disorders: Edema can also cause neurological problems. Edema creates pressure in the enclosed region where the nerves from the legs travel down to the feet. The nerves in the feet become crushed, producing pain and numbness. It’s a lot like diabetic neuropathy.
• Swelling: Edema causes the feet to swell, making it difficult to wear shoes since the feet are simply too big. Many of my edema patients arrive in my office wearing worn, stretched-out slippers or shoes that are far too big and stretched out.
Edema: How To Treat And Prevent It
Edema treatment will be determined by the cause. Some treatments are easy and may be completed at home, while others will necessitate medical assistance.
• Elevation of the feet and legs: Because gravity is a major cause of edema, elevating the legs and feet is an important part of treatment. Edema can be caused or exacerbated by sitting for lengthy periods of time with your feet on the floor. Many elderly people spend much of their time at home sitting with their feet on the floor. I suggest they get a recliner. In general, elevating the legs higher than the waist, like in a chair, is effective. Gravity pulls the fluid back toward the heart when the feet are higher than the waist. Elevating even higher, to the point where the feet are higher than the heart, is preferable, although it is often inconvenient and impractical.
• Compression Stockings: This is the real deal when it comes to edema treatment. The fluid is forced back from the lower parts to the upper legs and stomach, where it is pumped back to the heart, by applying pressure up the legs. Pressure should be regulated such that it is maximum near the ankles and progressively decreases as it travels up the legs. Support hose, at least up to the knee, are the basis of treatment. Hose come in a variety of strengths, ranging from light compression over-the-counter stockings to prescription high-pressure stockings. Prescription stockings must be meticulously tailored by a qualified practitioner. These should be put on as soon as you wake up in the morning before getting out of bed and kept on till bedtime. People who spend a lot of time standing in one place at work and are prone to edema or varicose veins should consider wearing support hose to lower the risk of severe edema and its long-term consequences.
• Compression Wraps: In severe forms of edema, such as stasis dermatitis, ulcers, or lymphedema, strong compressive dressings are frequently required to wrap the legs. This is done by a medical expert first, and then a nurse or the patient can follow up at home. Several layers of wrap are frequently utilized, which is inconvenient. In many circumstances, however, this is the only method to keep the fluid and the damage under control. Because edema often becomes a persistent issue of wrapping the legs once it reaches this degree, prevention is still the best treatment.
• Limiting Salt: Limiting salt in one’s diet can help with fluid retention and edema. I’ve had leg edema patients who ate pizza every day and swelled up. In those circumstances, cutting out pizza from the diet helped to minimize swelling. /li>
• Reducing Alcohol: Reducing alcohol use has a significant impact. Patients who followed my guidance in this area saw significant improvements in their edema.
Patients should cooperate with their medical provider to best address the various conditions that cause edema. When the medical problem is resolved, the edema usually improves. If you’re experiencing edema as a result of a drug side effect, talk to your doctor about it and how to control it.
Edema Footwear
As previously mentioned, edema can make shoes a problem, resulting in swollen feet and ankles. Shoes for swollen feet and ankles can help people function normally while preventing further swelling and discomfort.
The following characteristics should be present in edema shoes:
• Stretchable to meet the growing size as well as the day-to-day and throughout-the-day changes in size. The best fabric uppers for this are usually those with stretch. This style of shoe molds to the shape and size of your feet, providing a pressure-free environment for your feet. IDEASTEP makes stretchable shoes that are ideal for this purpose. I’ve suggested these shoes to many diabetics and others with edema.
• Having many adjustment elements is vital because it allows you to tailor the fit to your specific foot shape. To accommodate a swelling foot, remove straps, laces, and bungee cords in various spots, such as the heel, instep, and forefoot. The shoe’s adjustability determines how well it fits your foot and accommodates swelling.
• The use of wide widths is encouraged.
