What are the types of edema? How do they differ and what are their reasons for development? You will find answers to all these questions in this article. We will also tell you about how you can get rid of such unpleasant phenomena.
Basic information about swelling
Types of edema depend on their location and causes of development. This condition is characterized by excessive accumulation of fluid in tissue extracellular spaces and human organs. Most often, swelling is observed after waking up, as well as at the end of the working day.
Description of edema
Types of edema are determined depending on the causes of their occurrence. However, they are all similar. Edematous tissue is a strong or moderate swelling. Very often, after contact with it (for example, when pressed with a finger), marks are left on the skin that may disappear after a few seconds or after several hours.
Causes of edema
Puffiness can develop for various reasons. Most often, the lower limbs are affected by this pathological condition. Types of swelling of the legs depend on the causes of their occurrence. These include the following:
- heavy load on the lower limbs;
- excessivefluid intake, including before bedtime;
- flat feet;
- disturbed metabolism;
- frequently crossing legs while sitting;
- sitting too long on too soft or low seats;
- overweight;
- poorly fitting shoes (e.g. high heels or flats, tight toe, etc.);
- varicose veins (especially often such edema is noted in the evening, and after sleep they disappear).
It should also be noted that swelling in the legs can develop as a result of impaired blood flow and hydrostatic pressure in the veins.
Other reasons
In addition to the listed reasons for the development of edema, their occurrence may be associated with:
- impaired cardiovascular activity;
- kidney disease;
- intestinal diseases;
- acute respiratory infection;
- impaired lymph flow in the subcutaneous tissue and skin;
- thyroid disease;
- acute thrombophlebitis and others.
Types of edema
The main types of edema include the following:
- Generalized (congestive or cardiac, as well as renal, endocrine and cachectic).
- Localized (inflammatory, toxic and allergic).
Let's consider all the listed types of tissue edema in more detail.
Cardiac edema and its treatment
They result from the development of heart failure. With such a pathology, the minute volume of the heart decreases, and also increasesarterial hypotension.
Venous hypertension and venous congestion play an essential role in the pathogenesis of cardiac edema. The latter disrupts the normal metabolism in tissues, in which underoxidized metabolic products accumulate, and acidosis develops. As a result, the structure of the cementing intercellular substance of the vessels is disturbed and their permeability increases. This phenomenon, combined with high pressure, provokes the movement of sodium, proteins and water from the capillary cavity into the interstitium. After that, edema develops.
How to treat such a pathology? Treatment of cardiac edema should be aimed at increasing the contractile work of the myocardium by taking cardiac glycosides, as well as increasing the excretion of water and Na from the body by prescribing diuretics.
Renal edema and how to eliminate them
The reason for the development of this condition is a decrease in oncotic pressure in the blood plasma. This process is due to proteinuria, which is observed when the glomerular apparatus of the kidneys is damaged. After a significant increase in water filtration from arteries and capillaries to the interstitium, its resorption in the veins drops sharply. Thus, fluid accumulates in the tissues, and edema develops. How can it be fixed?
Renal edema goes away only when taking diuretics. However, it should be remembered that the fight against such puffiness is not able to lead to the normal functioning of the affected organs. Therefore, it is better to direct all the main efforts of drug exposure to the direct treatment of pathology.kidney.
Marantic or cachectic edema and their therapy
Such a pathological condition develops in severe and debilitating diseases of the body, as well as extreme conditions, including malignant tumors, severe diarrhea, protein starvation, beriberi, and so on.
The main cause of maranthic or cachectic edema is a significant decrease in the synthesis of soluble plasma proteins and the development of hypoproteinemia, as well as a decrease in protein synthesis in the connective tissue. Also, this pathological condition is characterized by a significant increase in capillary permeability for electrolytes and water, which subsequently accumulate in the interstitium.
How to treat these types of edema? Treatment of marantic or cachectic pathologies is reduced to the treatment of the main diseases that were listed above.
Endocrine edema and methods of their therapy
The reason for the development of this condition is an increase in the hydrophilicity of the protein structures of muscles and skin. Very often, this pathology occurs with myxedema (that is, hypothyroidism). Such a disease is characterized by protein catabolism, as well as a perversion of their synthesis. As a result of this process, a huge amount of mucin is formed, that is, a hydrophilic colloid, which, accumulating in the muscles and skin, causes water retention in them, and, accordingly, the development of swelling.
How is this type of swelling removed? To eliminate them, doctors recommend using thyroxine, that is, a thyroid hormone.
Now you know the main types of edema. They may not touch the face, as these are generalized edema that occur due to internal failures in the body. If the swelling is visible to the naked eye, then we are talking about localized swelling. Consider its types, features and methods of treatment right now.
Inflammatory edema
Can an allergy precede this condition? Edema due to such a reaction is quite real. According to experts, inflammatory and allergic swelling occurs due to local disorders of capillary permeability. Also, the cause of this phenomenon may be hypertension in the lesion.
To eliminate such conditions, you should eliminate any contact with the allergen, as well as take anti-inflammatory and antihistamines.
Toxic Edema
The main types of pulmonary edema are very often caused by the inhalation of vapors of poisonous chemicals. Also, this pathological condition can be associated with insect bites and bacterial toxins. Under the influence of such agents, vascular permeability suddenly increases and tissue metabolism is disrupted. As a result, components that increase the osmotic pressure and contribute to the swelling of colloids accumulate in the affected tissues. In combination with increased capillary permeability, this leads to the development of swelling.
Therapeutic measures to eliminate toxic edema should be aimed at normalizing all metabolic processes in tissues andstabilization of capillary membranes.
Summarize
As you can see, there are many types of edema that can have completely different causes and require different methods of treatment. But, no matter what swelling on the body bothers the patient, you should first of all contact a therapist. After examining the patient, the doctor must refer him to a narrower specialist who will confirm the diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.
It is impossible not to say that delaying the treatment of edema can aggravate an already difficult condition of a person. After all, generalized and localized edema can even lead to death.
