Lack of proteins in the body steadily leads to tissue damage, dystrophy, organ depletion. The pathological phenomenon causes a violation of he althy blood circulation. Fluids begin to stagnate in the tissues. The result is the appearance of protein-free edema, when the limbs swell, causing the person to feel everyday discomfort. What is the nature of the violation? What are the symptoms of protein-free edema? What methods of treatment are used in order to eliminate the trouble? You can learn about all this from our publication.
About the reasons
What are the causes of protein-free edema? Deficiency of an essential trace element in the body can be observed according to a number of prerequisites:
- Following a rigid diet in order to lose weight as soon as possible.
- Violation of the patency of food through the esophagus in pathology that leads to narrowing of the walls of the organ.
- Delayed tissue absorption of nutrients in case of gastric ulcer, atrophy of the intestinal walls.
- Lossproteins due to the formation of malignant tumors, the presence of other diseases leading to cell damage.
- Development of liver cirrhosis.
- Faults in the functioning of the brain, endocrine system.
- Exhausting physical activity that causes the body to expend more energy than is required to maintain the stable functioning of organs and systems.
The above factors provoke protein-free edema, as they cause a slowdown in metabolic processes. Starvation of tissues with a lack of a microelement leads to the accumulation of fluid in the lower extremities.
Stages of the disease and characteristic symptoms
According to the observations of doctors, protein-free edema develops in several stages:
- In the beginning, there is a decrease in the concentration of nutrients in body tissues. Appetite increases markedly. The person begins to suffer from constant thirst. Regular urination only exacerbates the situation, forcing the kidneys to work in an increased rhythm. There is a decrease in body tone. The body loses mass.
- At the second stage, there is a weakening of the muscles. The lower limbs swell significantly, the temperature rises. The feeling of constant hunger and thirst does not disappear anywhere. Development of dystrophy of the extremities. The problem of protein starvation of tissues negatively affects the work of all organs and systems. Mental well-being worsens.
- The last stage in the development of pathology is characterized by the breakdown of subcutaneous fat reserves. Internal organs atrophy. Depletion of the bodyalong with puffiness affects the impossibility of movement.
Diagnostic measures
How is pathology diagnosed? To find out if there are puffiness of a protein-free nature, doctors resort to palpation of problem areas of tissues. The presence of trouble will be indicated by persistent dents after pressure on the limbs.
The progress of the disease can be determined by injecting a saline solution under the skin. If after half an hour the substance is completely absorbed in the tissues, then there is no reason for concern. If the edematous area persists, the doctor is obliged to record the patient for tests that are ways to confirm the protein starvation of the body.
Protein-free swelling of the legs with oncology
In the course of treatment aimed at eliminating oncological diseases, edema of the extremities is often formed. A prerequisite for the formation of trouble can be chemotherapy, the inability of damaged digestive organs to break down protein from food. Protein deficiency in the body in oncology often causes the use of hormonal drugs, all kinds of steroids.
In itself, a pathological phenomenon does not pose a critical threat to life. However, the process of cell renewal is significantly slowed down. The result may be the occurrence of infectious manifestations.
Failures in the body after caesarean section
Edema aftercaesarean section is a fairly common occurrence. Surgery becomes a serious stress for a woman's body. The blood becomes thicker. Possible endocrine disorders. To improve well-being, a woman can resort to taking warm foot baths with sea s alt, as well as rubbing the feet and self-massage.
Food
It is quite difficult to achieve weight gain and high-quality saturation of tissues with proteins in the development of pathology thanks to a balanced diet. Therefore, it is extremely important to consult a doctor to develop an individual diet. The focus should be on regular intake of protein foods in small portions with limited physical activity. If the disease is in an advanced stage, it is advisable to resort to intravenous administration of nutrients into the tissues. These activities have the potential to restore a he althy concentration of nutrients in the body.
Drug therapy
How to treat protein-free edema with drugs? There are several solutions to note here:
- Intravenous injections of glucose, albumin, vitamin complexes.
- The use of diuretic drugs by patients.
- Use of steroid hormones to increase degraded muscle mass.
- Calcium chloride injections to prevent seizures.
These activities should complement the main treatment. If at the rootpathology lies anorexia nervosa, the patient should be observed by a psychiatrist. In the presence of malignant tumors, drug treatment of protein deficiency should be performed in a hospital setting. In case of violations of the digestive system, drugs to eliminate puffiness should be used under the supervision of a gastroenterologist.
Treatment with diuretic products
Slight, slight swelling of the extremities, which arose as a result of protein starvation of the body, can be eliminated through a special diet. For these purposes, a number of fruits and vegetables can be used, one of the properties of which is the removal of fluid from the body. Such diuretic foods for edema relief are known:
- Watermelon - has long been used as a means that activates the kidneys. The use of the product makes it possible to significantly reduce the swelling of the extremities. To achieve the goal, it is enough to eat about 2 kilograms of fruit pulp during the day.
- Pumpkin is another useful product with a pronounced diuretic effect. It is recommended to consume about one and a half kilograms of pulp per day. In order to saturate the body with useful trace elements, it is worth adding dried fruits thermally processed in a steam bath to pumpkin puree.
- Grapes - the use of berries allows not only to remove the abundance of stagnant fluid from the tissues, but also to saturate the tissues with vitamins. With protein starvation, it is advisable to start by eating 0.5 kilograms of the product per day. If there is a negative reaction of the body,should give up grapes.
Folk treatments
With protein starvation of the body, which causes swelling of the limbs, it is useful to use flaxseeds. Based on the product, you can prepare a healing decoction. For these purposes, about four tablespoons of flaxseeds are poured with a liter of boiled water. The remedy is infused for several hours. The liquid is decanted and combined with lemon juice. The medicine is absorbed 5-6 times a day, 100 milliliters. The disappearance of puffiness is usually observed already after a week.
Excellent removes stagnant fluid from the body onions. The vegetable is cut into large rings and covered with a glass of sugar. The product is left in the container overnight. In the morning, the resulting juice is decanted and consumed in a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
Decoction of viburnum will help to remove puffiness. Several large spoons of berries are poured with a glass of boiling water. The composition is heated on minimum heat for half an hour. The drink is consumed on an empty stomach, before lunch and before bedtime, a third of a glass.
A decoction based on cherry stalks has healing properties. The ingredient in the amount of a tablespoon is brewed in a glass of boiled water. The agent is insisted until completely cooled. During the day, drink a third serving. In order to relieve swelling, the medicine is taken for a month.
Knapweed is a good natural diuretic. To prepare an infusion against protein-free puffiness, a tablespoon of dried grass flowers is poured with boiled water in an amount of 200 milliliters. The medicine is insisted onwithin an hour. Take the remedy three times a day. One-time rate is half a glass.
Remove puffiness will allow the use of parsley root infusion. The product is ground into a meat grinder. A few tablespoons of the ingredient are poured with boiling water. The container with the composition is covered with a lid, wrapped in a warm cloth and left in this state overnight. In the morning, the liquid is carefully filtered and combined with fruit juice in order to improve the taste. The drug is gradually drunk during the day. Then take a break for 2-3 days and repeat the treatment. Resorption of puffiness will be noticeable after the second course of taking the medicine.
Massage and gymnastics
One of the most important rehabilitation solutions for protein-free swelling of the extremities is massage. Due to the regular study of pathological tissues, the outflow of fluid is significantly accelerated. Lymph is constantly updated, congestion is reduced. However, such activities should be resorted to only after the approval of the attending physician.
As for the performance of gymnastics, much here depends on the degree of development of the pathology. If the progress of the disease has reached a critical point and caused dystrophy, it is worth resorting to minimal physical exertion. Activity should be increased gradually. Gymnastic procedures will speed up metabolism, which will positively affect the absorption of protein by tissues. As in the case of massage, only a specialist can form a suitable, safe training program for protein-free puffiness.
