What Is Edema?

What is edema? Edema is the term used to describe the condition in which body parts swell as a result of fluid accumulation. Many factors can cause edema such as medication side effects, pregnancy, infections, and a number of other medical conditions.

Most of the time, edema is not a serious illness, but it may be a sign of one.

What Is Edema?

Edema is an enlargement of a part of the body that is often caused by an excess fluid buildup. It results from the leakage of fluid from your small blood vessels into the tissues around them. It can affect a small area or the entire body, and it can be brought on by drugs, pregnancy, infections, and a number of other medical conditions. There are several types of edema that can influence how the body functions:

• Peripheral edema commonly affects the arms, legs, foot, and ankles. It may be a sign of problems with the kidneys, lymph nodes, or circulatory system.
• Pedal edema is a disorder that develops when fluid accumulates in your foot and lower legs. It is more common in older people or pregnant women and can make moving around difficult since you may not have as much feeling in your feet. 
• Pulmonary edema. This is the fluid build-up in your lungs’ air sacs. This makes breathing difficult, and is worse when you lie down.
• Macular edema. When damaged blood vessels in the retina (light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye) leak fluid into the area, it causes macular edema.
• Cerebral edema. Injury to the head, particularly that of the brain, may cause cerebral edema. This is a potentially dangerous condition in which fluid builds up in the brain.

Why Do You Get It?

There are numerous factors that can cause edema. For the most part, edema is not a serious illness, but it may be a sign of one. Here are some examples that may cause it:

• Venous insufficiency can result in edema in the feet and ankles because the veins are unable to efficiently transport blood back to the heart.
• Hypoalbuminemia, or having low albumin, may cause edema. Albumin and other blood proteins act as water attractants to maintain fluid in your blood vessels. Low albumin levels may be due by kidney disease, liver disease, inflammation, or infections.
• Allergy. The most common symptom of an allergic reaction is edema.
• Obstruction in the drainage of fluid or blood flow from a part of the body such as blood clot, tumor some types of parasite.
• Critical illness, burns, life-threatening infections, or other major illnesses can trigger a reaction that allows fluid to leak into tissues virtually everywhere.
• Congestive heart failure, also known as heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as efficiently, causing fluid to build up to the lungs and different parts of the body.
• Liver disease, especially severe liver disease like cirrhosis, which causes low levels of albumin and other blood proteins.
• Kidney diseases such as nephrotic syndrome
• Pregnancy. Aside from pregnancy per se, complications of pregnancy including deep vein thrombosis and preeclampsia can also cause edema.
• Brain tumors, head injuries, hyponatremia (low blood sodium), high altitudes, hydrocephalus (accumulation of fluid in the brain), headaches, confusion, and coma can all result in cerebral edema.
• Medications such as NSAIDs (like ibuprofen and naproxen), calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids (like prednisone and methylprednisolone), both rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, Pramipexole.

Is Edema Dangerous?

Treatment of edema includes several components: treating the underlying cause (if possible), reducing the amount of salt (sodium) in your diet, and in many cases, using a medication called a diuretic to reduce fluid build-up by inducing diuresis or urination.

Edema in a small area from an infection or inflammation (like a mosquito bite) should not cause any alarm. However, tongue or throat edema from allergies can be fatal. A leg edema can make the legs feel heavy and make it difficult to move around. In contrast, a severe allergic reaction (like from a bee sting) may cause edema across your entire arm, which can cause pain and restrict the movement of your arm.

Symptoms of pulmonary edema include shortness of breath, occasionally low blood oxygen levels, and coughing. Some types of edema may leave a “pit” or indent when you press on the skin; this condition is known as pitting edema. If the tissue returns to its original shape, it is considered as non-pitting edema. This symptom may help your doctor identify the underlying cause of your edema.

If your edema suddenly gets worse, hurts, or is accompanied by chest pain or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention right away. The latter could be a sign of pulmonary edema.

FAQs

Can massage reduce edema?

Massage therapy directs the fluid away from its gathering so that it resumes proper drainage through the lymphatic system, which helps to reduce swelling. Always consult your doctor. 

Does stretching help edema?

Stretching it out will also help reduce swelling. Sitting still for extended periods of time or standing all day on your feet can cause swelling in your feet. Yoga positions that place your legs up or placed against a wall can also assist.

How do you treat edema?

To treat edema, you frequently need to treat the underlying cause. For example, you might need to take allergy medications to treat swelling caused by allergies; blood thinners are used to treat a blood clot in the leg and restore drainage; a tumor that blocks blood flow is treated with surgery. Physical therapy may also significantly reduce swelling.

Can changing your diet help with edema?

Never change your diet without the proper consultation with your doctor. When you can urinate more, fluid from the legs can flow back into the blood. Remedies for water retention can include the following: eating a low-salt diet, consuming foods high in potassium and magnesium to help regulate your salt levels, adding vitamin B6 to your diet, and consuming appropriate amounts of protein.

If you experience swelling anywhere on your body, you should consult your primary care provider as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Learn more about General Health here.