Edema: how they arise and what they testify to

Proven content

Some are completely harmless, others portend health problems. They may be related to a sedentary lifestyle, standing work, or an illness. Fortunately, the really serious ones are rare.

There is no single cause of edema. Although this is a medically complex problem, swelling occurs when there is an abnormal build-up of serum fluid in the tissues. Most often we suffer from swelling of the legs, which are the result of microcirculation disorders. If we’re healthy, there’s nothing to worry about. This is usually the price we pay for a long work at a desk, driving a car or flying by plane. The so-called generalized swelling in different parts of the body may be related to the normal functioning of the body. This is what happens in women in the premenstrual period.

Overloaded valves

The water balance in our body is controlled by the central nervous system, a specific dispatcher, from where information is sent to receiving stations, i.e. baroreceptors located e.g. in arteries, whether there is an adequate amount of fluid in the vessels. The main recipients of information from the central nervous system are three systems: vascular, endocrine and urinary.

Very complicated physiological and chemical processes are the basis of proper water management. Depending on how much water is in the body, the heart and venous valves have to pump more or less blood. If the body sends (for whatever reasons) false signals to the brain, heart, and kidneys, all the vessels feel undervalued (ischemic) and the central nervous system receives a message that they need more blood. But our body cannot make more blood. So he has to find another way to meet the needs of vital organs. So it increases the volume of blood circulating in the body by absorbing water (as if it were to thin the blood) from the intestines, chyme and stools. The urine is thickened and the stools are hard. But this action does not serve us. The diluted blood travels all over the body, and as it reaches the lower half of the body, it has trouble returning to the top. Venous valves, which are in the veins of the legs, cannot pump it because they are not adapted to such hard work. Blood is also influenced, regardless of our will, by the gravity of the earth. So there is blood in the legs. Since it can’t be pumped, it has to get out some other way. Overfilled vessels become less tight, as if leaky, excess fluid begins to leak through them into the surrounding tissues. This is how puffiness is formed.

To be afraid or not

If the edema is not accompanied by additional symptoms in the form of leg swelling in the morning, too frequent urination, difficulty breathing or fatigue quickly, it can be considered a manifestation of a physiological reaction of the body, e.g. after a long immobilization of the body while driving a car. When changes in urination are observed (too often or too rarely), e.g. pain or pressure, it should be assumed that the kidneys or liver are not working properly. If the right ventricle is ailing, swelling will appear around the ankles and will not go away after resting with your legs up. If the left ventricle is not working properly, we may feel short of breath because excess fluid will accumulate in the lungs. Another cause of dangerous swelling may be the change in oncotic pressure. It is the force with which the water is retained in the vessels by albumin, i.e. proteins. If there is not enough protein, body fluids leak freely through the vessels.

Generalized swellings, i.e. swellings that appear in different parts of the body, may be a sign of kidney failure. They will also bother us when we suffer from heart failure, malnutrition or thyroid diseases.

How to help yourself

If the swelling of the body is the result of fatigue or hard physical work, after returning home, start by soaking your feet in water with table salt or special salt for the legs. We do this to draw excess water out of the body. Then put your legs higher than the rest of your body. Evening after the so-called We should spend the day walking holding our feet up. This will facilitate the drainage of blood from the legs and after 1-2 hours we will go to the bathroom more often, but the swelling will go down and we will feel a lot of relief. You can also apply gels or ointments to swollen legs. Their main advantage is vasoconstriction. They become tighter, more flexible and let less water pass to the outside. Means containing large doses of routine are also helpful, because they seal the vessels, improve blood circulation and reduce blood clotting. People suffering from edema should wear special stockings or anti-varicose tights. The most modern form of such products are stockings or tights with variable pressure or with the so-called intermittent pneumatic compression. This type of alternating pressure on the calves and shins increases the speed of blood flow in the veins of the legs.

Prevention of swelling

The most important thing is to maintain the efficiency of the venous valves in the legs. People working while sitting down should constantly change the position of their legs, put them higher and lower, lift their feet and twist them. When we have a standing job – let’s walk in place, shift the weight of the body from one leg to the other, bend the knees, etc. We also avoid tight underwear, socks and shoes. Equally important in the prevention of edema is maintaining proper weight and exercise. Light walks, cycling and swimming are recommended. It is also important to prevent dehydration that thickens the blood. During hot weather or a long stay in dry and strongly heated rooms, you should drink a lot, preferably mineral water or unsweetened juices.

Avoid what is conducive to swelling

There are many reasons for water retention in the body. Some are beyond our control, such as hormonal changes related to a woman’s menstrual cycle. The increase in estrogen levels in relation to progesterone before menstruation promotes edema. The problem disappears when a woman starts using hormonal contraception. In many other cases, a slight change in our lifestyle is enough to prevent the swelling from returning. Let us remember that they are favored by, among others:

– drinking too little fluid, which causes the body to store it in the subcutaneous tissue to avoid dehydration,

– too strict and low in protein slimming diet. If there is not enough protein that binds water, body fluids seep through the walls of blood and lymph vessels,

– the excess of alcohol drunk in the evening will be visible in the morning as swelling on the face,

– lack of movement, during a long car drive or during a long flight, promotes slower blood and lymph circulation,

– high ambient temperature leads to swelling of the legs (even the healthy ones, without varicose veins) because then the veins dilate more, which means that blood stays in the blood vessels and fluids seep through the walls of the veins into the surrounding tissues,

– excess salt, hot spices, the so-called taste improvers in the diet also lead to edema, because these additives retain water in the body,

– potassium deficiency in the diet disturbs the electrolyte balance of the body, which is also manifested by the formation of edema.

Diseases accompanied by edema:

– kidney problems – swelling usually appears on the eyelids, face, hands, legs, but can affect the whole body. They are soft, pasty, and the skin is tight on them. They rarely disappear after a night

– thyroid diseases – edema occurs with both hypothyroidism and hyperfunction of the gland. In the first case, they concern the eyelids and face. The sick man looks as if he is sleepy. In hyperthyroidism, the swelling mainly affects the calves,

– chronic venous insufficiency – the disease is characterized by a condition commonly known as heaviness in the legs, and swelling, accompanied by dull leg pain, intensifies after long standing or sitting. Such ailments predict the development of varicose veins,

– venous thrombosis – severe pain and swelling usually affect one leg

– inflammation – inflammation in tissues can be caused by trauma, but also a rheumatic disease, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis. Such swellings usually affect the affected joint or just the site of the injury. They disappear when the inflammation is under control,

– heart failure – when the disease is advanced, the swelling occurs symmetrically. Initially only the ankles are affected, but over time it also affects the calves. During the day, and especially in the evening, it is much greater than in the morning after getting out of bed.

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