The classic cause of swelling of the lower extremities in women is wearing high-heeled shoes. It is quite easy to deal with it: it is enough to give up an uncomfortable household item. But puffiness is not always explained so simply, but is eliminated by such a problem-free method. In some cases, the syndrome indicates serious pathologies, including heart and kidney diseases.
Causes and consequences: relevance of the issue
Without knowing the causes of swelling of the lower extremities, there is no cure for this condition. However, this is also true with a tendency to swelling of the hands. In most cases, the phenomenon indicates a violation of the functionality of the heart, vascular system or kidneys. There are cases when edema was the first symptom of a malignant neoplasm that attracted the attention of the patient. Do not neglect the opportunity to consult a doctor: puffiness is a significant reason for a full examination. Sometimes an allergic reaction manifests itself as edema, which means that it is necessary to start identifying the allergen in a timely manner. Having determined exactly what became the provocateur of the phenomenon, you can choose a successful therapeuticcourse.
Types and forms: unhe althy heart
It is quite often revealed that heart disease is the cause of swelling of the extremities. Treatment in this case should begin immediately. There is a high probability of insufficiency in the functioning of the main muscle of our body. At the same time, the load on the cardiac system as a whole increases, blood flow slows down, fluids accumulate in various tissues and organs of the body. This manifests as swollen arms and legs.
Edema due to heart disease is first noticed in the legs. Gradually they spread to the abdomen in the lower half. If the cause of swelling of the legs (of the limbs as a whole) is heart disease, while the phenomenon is observed in a bedridden patient, the symptoms are gradually complicated by pain in the lumbar region, sacrum. The legs and arms swell, the skin turns pale, breathing is disturbed, shortness of breath is disturbing. Gradually, a typical clinical picture of heart failure is formed.
Kidneys and blood vessels
Requiring urgent treatment, the cause of swelling of the lower extremities (legs), upper (arms) is a violation of the functioning of the kidneys. In this case, the primary area of edema is the face, eyes, gradually the symptoms spread further through the body. Puffiness builds up quite quickly, for some it takes several days, for others the whole body swells in just one night. Manifestations characteristic of insufficiency of the heart are not observed, but the head hurts, the patient feels weak. May whine or shoot through the lumbar region.
Another possiblethe cause of swelling of the lower extremities (legs) is varicose veins. In this case, lymphatic edema is formed. At first, it is not easy to notice them, the legs swell and hurt only slightly and only in the evening. The syndrome is more pronounced if you spend a long time standing. In addition to the legs, the hands may swell, swell and hurt. If you have a good rest, the swelling subsides, returning after another load. Manifestations of varicose veins become more noticeable as the pathological condition progresses. Additionally, this cause of edema is indicated by skin pigmentation, soreness of the joints and the appearance of ulcerated areas that are difficult to heal.
Varicose disease as a cause of swelling of the lower extremities (legs) attracts special attention of doctors due to its prevalence. It has been established that swelling of the hands and feet is provoked by a slowdown in the speed of blood flow in the vessels. This leads to an increase in pressure on the venous walls, an increase in capillary load and the penetration of blood into the intercellular space.
Drivers and consequences: what else is possible?
A possible cause of swelling of the upper extremities, and even the lower ones, is an allergic reaction. Most often, there is swelling of the articular region, the hands and lower leg suffer. Often this accompanies the recovery period after an insect bite. There are many such cases of an allergic reaction, when swelling first appeared on the face, then moved to the limbs. Additional symptoms point to allergies: sore throat, dry mouth.
Possible cause of swelling of the lower extremities inmen and women - improper, unbalanced nutrition. The accumulation of fluid in organic tissues is observed against the background of excessive drinking. If it is not possible to identify heart, kidney and vascular diseases, you should try to revise the diet. If such a measure did not cause an improvement in the condition, a detailed study is necessary to determine the prerequisites for the phenomenon.
And there is no disease
A common cause of swelling of the lower extremities (legs) in men and women is the body's reaction to very hot weather. The phenomenon is explained by the peculiarities of the functioning of the human body: to prevent general overheating, vascular pressure decreases. This leads to a side effect - excess fluid is not removed from the body on time, but accumulates in the tissues.
A well-known cause of swelling of the limbs (arms, legs) that does not require treatment is pregnancy. During the period of bearing a child, the hormonal background changes, which leads to a disruption in the work of the respiratory system, difficulty breathing. In a woman expecting a child, the vessels dilate, the joints hurt, urination becomes more frequent. Among other phenomena characteristic of the baby's waiting period are swelling of the arms, legs, face.
Terms and manifestations
Doctors know a huge number of causes of swelling of the lower extremities. When contacting a doctor, the patient will most likely be referred for a series of tests and studies designed to confirm or rule out glomerulonephritis, kidney stones, pyelonephritis, cardiomyopathy, heart disease, ischemia,hypothyroidism, elephantiasis, varicose veins, hepatitis, cirrhosis. It is impossible to exclude the possibility of a mixed influence of several causes at once. In this case, you will have to select a combined therapeutic course, which, quite possibly, will drag on for a long time.
Any person, even without a medical education, should understand that there are many causes of swelling of the lower extremities, and the swelling itself is only a symptom indicating the need for treatment. Taking an anamnesis and examining the patient often allows the doctor to correctly make a preliminary diagnosis from the first appointment, which is further confirmed by additional studies. Consider that with problems with the heart and urinary system, symmetrical edema is observed. With heart disease, they often increase in the evening, and with violations of the urinary system, they are most pronounced in the morning.
When the hormonal levels fail, symmetrical swelling of the extremities appears. The cause in the predominant percentage of cases is hypothyroidism. It is indicated by dense skin and constancy of puffiness. But with vascular pathologies, the phenomenon is asymmetrical. A bluish tint to the skin indicates problems with blood vessels. The swollen area is cold to the touch. With the symmetry of edema and the systemic nature of the phenomenon, one can speak of ascites. This cause of swelling of the extremities provokes a permanent syndrome. The phenomenon is characterized by the leaching of protein structures from the body.
Is there swelling?
You can guess the cause of limb edema even at home. It has to do with the nuancesdifferent types and forms of puffiness. Of course, cardiac edema deserves special attention - they are common, and they can indicate both a serious condition and a danger to life. Suspecting cardiac edema, it is necessary to examine the lower leg, press your finger on it in front under the bone, linger in this position for a few seconds. Removing the finger, you can see the hole, rather slowly restoring its former shape. With this phenomenon, we can safely talk about the presence of puffiness, which means you should consult a doctor. Another phenomenon that makes it possible to suspect a tendency to edema is weight gain. It is due to the accumulation of fluid in the tissues.
If the cause of swelling of the extremities is heart disease, this condition develops slowly. The disease progresses for weeks and months. In bedridden patients, the sacrum and lower back swell first; in others, the legs are the first to suffer. When pressing on the edema, a hole remains, slowly restoring its previous shape when the load is removed. Cardiac edema is quite dense. An additional symptom is an enlarged liver. In a severe form of the disease, ascites is diagnosed. The patient is characterized by poor exercise tolerance, even the smallest. If you manage to compensate for the condition, the swelling will soon disappear on its own.
Shapes and nuances
Sometimes one can suspect, having studied the nature of the phenomenon, that it is necessary to eliminate kidney diseases as the causes of edema of the lower extremities. Elderly patients need treatment more often, but recently there has been an increase in cases of kidney disease in middle-aged people, as well as in young people and children. It can be assumed that the cause is in the kidneys if the swollen area is loose, the skin is paler than normal, and the swelling itself is soft. At the same time, the size of the liver remains stable. The patient changes the shade of urine and decreases the amount of discharge. In laboratory studies, protein fractions and blood are detected in urine. Often, kidney edema begins to bother some time after an infectious disease.
Swelling associated with an allergic reaction is observed if a person has been in contact with an allergen. The formation of edema takes seconds, minutes, sometimes a little more time. The phenomenon is pronounced. As a rule, at first swelling is noticeable on the eyelids, gradually spreading to the mucous membranes, then to the arms, bends of the elbows and knees. Urticaria is often formed, some areas of the skin itch or become covered with rashes. In a severe form of an allergic response, swelling extends to the larynx and can provoke suffocation. In some cases, the condition is combined with bronchospasm. You can notice it by the heaviness of the exhalation. With an allergic nature of edema, the victim needs emergency qualified assistance. Especially dangerous are cases when the edema progresses rapidly and disrupts the functioning of the respiratory system.
Nuances of help
Treatment of edema of the extremities involves the elimination of the cause that provoked the phenomenon. In addition, you will have to take a number of measures to improve your overall he alth. It is important to eat right, consuming no more than 1.5 g of s alt per day. In some cases, the doctormay recommend switching to a diet with a complete rejection of s alt. With a tendency to edema, you should consume up to a liter of liquid per day, taking into account liquid soups, and also control how much urine is excreted in 24 hours. Normally, the volume of fluid in and out of the body should be approximately the same.
With a tendency to edema, diuretics are especially carefully used. Such drugs can only be used as directed by a doctor. Some diuretics stimulate the leaching of potassium, and this negatively affects the functioning of the heart, leading to malfunctions of contractility and convulsions. If the patient is indicated for a s alt-free diet and diuretics, the doctor will regularly refer the patient to blood tests to assess electrolyte balance.
You can prevent electrolyte imbalance by enriching your diet with foods that contain a lot of potassium - rice, oatmeal, dried grapes and apricots, baked potatoes. Patients will benefit from decoctions and infusions of wild rose.
You should not count on a quick cure for edema, especially if they are associated with the work of the heart. You will probably have to undergo treatment for life.
It's time to fight
In a small percentage of cases, swelling indicates cancer. Although the frequency of occurrence of such an initial factor among others that cause edema is relatively small, it cannot be discounted - it is the timely diagnosis of the disease that gives the patient the best chances for a successful recovery. In oncological diseases, swelling is due to a violationlymphatic drainage, due to which the legs become larger, swell, fluid accumulates in the space between the cells. If you turn to a doctor in time, you will be able to get rid of an unpleasant phenomenon - effective methods have been developed to eliminate edema that do not interfere with the main course of cancer treatment.
Localization of edema depends on the characteristics of the neoplasm, the level of spread of the malignant process and the specifics of its progress. In oncological diseases, swelling is usually accompanied by tissue hypertrophy, a burning sensation, and a change in the color of the skin to a paler one. The skin is cool to the touch, and the swollen area loses some or all of its sensation.
Nuances of formation
Possible swelling of the extremities with a malignant neoplasm in the lungs. At the same time, a noticeable general swelling, as a rule, of the legs. It is explained by dysfunctions of the lymph nodes and the inability to remove excess fluid from diseased areas and tissues nearby. The skin is dry, the skin is flaky, the swollen area turns red.
With cancer localized in the prostate or cervix, swelling also covers the legs first. If the patient underwent surgery to remove a malignant site, while the event was accompanied by the removal of lymph nodes, postoperative edema is diagnosed. If a patient is undergoing treatment with the use of hormonal, non-steroidal and steroid drugs to suppress inflammatory processes, most often it is the medications that causepuffiness.
With atypical cells in the pancreas, tissues swell due to fluid retention and an imbalance in the exchange of water and electrolytes. Similar causes explain swelling in malignant diseases of the liver and other organs.
Risks are higher: why?
The likelihood of accompanying cancer with swelling is greater if a person has a sedentary lifestyle, sedentary or recumbent. At the same time, congestion in the circulatory system is observed, the outflow of blood is disturbed. In addition, edema can be provoked by a deterioration in the condition if a patient with oncology has varicose veins. In some cases, provocateurs are disorders of the heart, blood vessels, liver, kidneys.
Higher likelihood of edema with the wrong choice and incorrect use of medications. In some cases, swelling is due to malabsorption against the background of general exhaustion due to a malignant tumor.
Protein edema of the lower extremities can be observed if the patient does not receive the required amount of protein with food. To alleviate the condition, it is reasonable to review the diet or use alternative ways of supplying protein to the body.
We'll check everything
To get rid of edema that appeared on the background of cancer, you should undergo a series of studies. Based on their results, the doctor will choose the appropriate course of correction of the condition. They prescribe MRI, CT to clarify the structure of the tumor, analyze blood for electrolytes and oncological markers, take tissue samples for biopsy, and take x-raysdisturbing areas. Women are shown mammography. The results of such a study are especially important for elderly patients, since the risk of latent malignant processes is high.
Therapeutic course is chosen by the doctor based on the nuances of the condition. Self-medication is strictly prohibited, especially if a person is undergoing an anti-cancer course. All medicines must be chosen in such a way as to avoid mutual influence on each other - and only an experienced specialist can do this.
