What does severe swelling mean. Causes of body edema in women

When we first encounter edema, our condition is close to panic. Of course, the sight of your own face, which has not changed for the better, or legs that have become elephantine, can inspire horror and a desire to get rid of such a scourge once and for all! What to do with edema?

The unclear contour of the cheekbones, the bags under the eyes, the rings do not fit on the fingers, and the legs do not fit in your favorite shoes - these are dangerous and unpleasant manifestations of swelling of the body. In the evening, going to bed, you looked like a king, but then morning came and a puffy face with bags under the eyes and a swollen nose looked out of the mirror.

Everyone at least once had to deal with this most unpleasant phenomenon - puffiness. Yes, you can perceive this simply as an unfortunate misunderstanding, but doctors do not recommend recklessly treating them. With the help of edema, the body signals internal malfunctions in its work and asks for help. Like any disease (yes, this is exactly a disease!), Edema has causes, manifestations - symptoms and, of course, methods of treatment.

What is edema?

It’s worth starting with the definition of the concept of “edema”. Edema is an excess accumulation of fluid in the space under the skin. When the fluid is concentrated in various areas under the thin and fragile epidermis, it swells, which gives it an unhealthy appearance and causes it to stretch.

The causes of edema are many and varied. The face can swell both from lack of sleep and from serious health problems. There is no cause for concern if it happened only once. This means that the reason for this is fatigue, lack of sleep, or an extra glass of water drunk before bedtime. But if edema is your constant companion, you should not think that the problem will go away by itself, “dissolve”, you need to urgently take measures to eliminate it.

Where do morning swelling come from? Common misconceptions

• 1. Tea and dinner before bed.

Most people, without thinking at all about the consequences, make the same big mistake every day - they eat their fill before going to bed. You returned home after work late in the evening, changed clothes, proceeded to the kitchen and? Well, of course! Herring, pickle, cup of tea and so on. Guaranteed, the next morning you will increase in volume, and your eyes even more so.

Or maybe you have already scored in a search engine today: the causes of swelling in the morning, then the answer to your question lies on the surface. That delicious dinner last night just before bed is the cause of your swollen eyes in the morning.

Short-term morning swelling around the eyes can have different causes, but all of them are somehow related to a violation of a normal lifestyle.

Swelling of the whole face more extensive than just swollen eyes. Although they have the same etiology, it is much more difficult to overcome it. For example, bags under the eyes will be removed by a cold lotion, fresh cucumber rings. In order to eliminate swelling of the entire face, you will have to make a mask, refresh your face with tonic and do a special massage, which will take much more time.

• 2. Drinking alcohol

Almost the same result as a rich, hearty dinner will have for your face drinking alcohol. Swollen eyelids indicate that alcohol has not completely left the body and some of it has lingered in it.

The best solution to the problem is an absolute refusal to drink alcohol. If sometimes you still want to relax, then you should adjust the amount of alcohol and not allow yourself to drink it until late in the evening.

• 3. Night without sleep

Are you ready to sacrifice your beauty and health in exchange for nightly preparation for tomorrow's exam, dancing until morning in a nightclub, watching an exciting thriller? Only thanks to a good sleep, you can get rid of stress and anxiety, gain strength and, finally, prevent the formation of ill-fated morning edema. Bags under the eyes are not washed off with expensive “washers” and are not hidden by branded foundation creams.

Edema is not always a manifestation of any pathologies. Often, edema occurs as a reaction of the body to an excess of fluid, salt and alcohol (which is considered by the body as poisoning), women who abuse walking in high heels often experience evening swelling of the legs due to circulatory disorders. Such phenomena are not a pathology, but can lead to it if the condition is aggravated and no measures are taken to prevent the occurrence of edema.

Pregnancy and swelling

Separately, it must be said about edema that occurs during pregnancy: minor and infrequent edema in the last months of bearing a child can be considered as the norm, they occur due to squeezing of the vessels by the growing uterus, due to which the outflow of lymph worsens. But if the edema is strong and persistent, then constant medical supervision is required, as this may be the result of a malfunction of the kidneys, which during pregnancy bear a very heavy load.

Pregnant women may suffer from four different forms of edema:

• swelling in the area of ​​the foot and lower leg;
• swelling of the lower extremities, lower back, sacral region;
• swelling of the hands in the wrist area;
• bags under the eyes, general puffiness of the face;
• general swelling of the body.

How to prevent swelling during pregnancy

There are a number of recommendations, following which, a pregnant woman can easily reduce swelling, and sometimes even get rid of the excess concentration of fluid under the skin. If the edema does not appear too sharply, all these manipulations can be easily carried out at home, without hospitalization, but it is necessary to periodically see the doctor.

The first step is to exclude all meat products from the diet and switch to a dairy-vegetarian diet for a while. Depending on the severity of swelling, you must either completely abandon salt, or leave it in the daily diet of no more than one and a half grams. Fight sweets and soda! These are not only the main enemies of a good figure, but also the first allies of the liquid that collects under the skin.

Many people think that if you reduce your fluid intake, swelling will go away. This is not true. The body experiences a kind of stress, not getting the usual daily volume of fluid, it begins to "accumulate" it. The volume of fluid that the body receives daily should not be less than two liters. However, it is worth noting that this amount does not include drinks, cereals, compotes, or other liquids consumed daily by a pregnant woman.

Watch the amount of urine. If it is 50% -75% of the volume drunk - metabolic processes are normal. Otherwise, only the doctor will determine why the fluid is retained and prescribe a method for treating edema.

Children's edema

When edema is observed in children, medicine considers this to be such an alarming symptom when urgent specialist intervention is simply necessary. First of all, you should pay attention to the work of the kidneys. The condition of the kidneys is diagnosed by determining the ratio of fluid that the child consumes and then excretes.

If urine is delayed, either heart failure, or a malfunction in the hormonal system, or kidney or liver disorders are suspected.

But children's edema has a number of other reasons:

1. Non-compliance with the daily routine.
2. Lack of outdoor activities.
3. Prolonged stay in one position.
4. Wrong nutrition. So, if there is no animal protein in the child’s diet, general edema immediately develops in the body, growth slows down, and weight gain stops. As a result, such children are diagnosed with muscle dystrophy.
5. Excessive consumption of sweet and salty foods.
6. Diabetes mellitus at an early stage.
7. Allergy of various origins.

Especially often in children, local edema develops in the eye area. The reason for this may be strong crying, allergies, conjunctivitis.

In order to avoid the formation of edema, parents must observe the child's day regimen (sleep for at least 10 hours, long walks in the fresh air), set the right diet for their baby so that the food is varied and contains many vitamins. Following these recommendations, parents notice that the circles under the eyes of children disappear and they look happy and healthy again.

Diet for edema

If the disease is established and its treatment is carried out, then puffiness can be removed subject to the rules of nutrition and drinking regimen. Swelling of the face, legs, hands is well removed when a large amount of fruits, berries, greens, especially celery, asparagus, onions, parsley, watermelons, melons, pumpkins, grapes and black currants are included in the diet (if there is no allergy). Dairy products, especially yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese are also able to reduce the manifestations of edema.

Alternative methods of treating edema

Infusions of medicinal herbs have always been used as a potent remedy for edema. Decoctions of dill seed or dill herb, which have a pronounced diuretic effect, are wonderfully helpful. Cucumber water or eating cucumbers will definitely help to quickly remove excess fluid from the body.

Cucumber brine also helps, traditional healers advise drinking it up to two glasses a day, cranberry and pumpkin juice, onion juice obtained by infusing chopped onions with sugar (for two onions a tablespoon of sugar, onions cut into rings and leave for about 10 hours). Just 2 tablespoons of onion juice per day is enough for swelling to go away.

• Potato compresses

With swelling of the face, potato compresses are excellent: peel a large fresh potato, grate it into gruel and apply to the entire face, including closed eyes for half an hour. The swelling will go away right away. Best for morning or tear swelling.

• Parsley - a fighter against edema

In the same way, a parsley herb mask helps, parsley can also be used as a decongestant drink: for 800 g of fresh chopped parsley, you need to take a liter of fresh milk and simmer in the oven to half the volume, drink 2 tablespoons every hour and drink the entire volume for day.

• Herbal decoction-mix

A trouble-free remedy for edema is a herbal collection. By brewing it and taking it according to a certain scheme, you can get rid of excess fluid.

To do this, you need to take bearberry leaves, birch buds, lingonberry leaves and crushed juniper fruits in equal proportions. Then one tablespoon of the collection is poured with 150 ml of boiling water and simmered for 10-15 minutes over low heat so that the liquid does not boil away. After that, the resulting broth should be cooled, drained and taken 3 tablespoons 4 times a day.

Eating fresh parsley in food improves kidney function and promotes the outflow of fluid from tissues.

• Dandelion Leaves - Double Strike

Few people know that you can fight swelling with ordinary dandelion leaves. This is not just an excellent diuretic, they contain a significant amount of potassium, which is washed out when a person takes diuretics, even if they are natural. So, taking a glass three times a day of tea from fresh or dried dandelion leaves, you can simultaneously reduce the level of puffiness and replenish the potassium content.

How to prevent swelling

Swelling of the face, legs, hands often occurs in the heat, when the natural outflow of fluid slows down. What should be done in this case?

1. First, avoid spicy and salty foods, drink enough fluids and, if possible, cool off in the shower or water. Drinking hot or cold green tea can help eliminate thirst and restore fluid balance in the body.
2. It can be advised to eat watermelons and melons - they perfectly help to endure the heat and are a natural diuretic.

Remember that edema is an unfavorable symptom that always needs to be identified.

Edema of the legs is a symptom that is manifested by visible swelling of the lower extremities, an increase in their circumference, and, as a rule, other symptoms and discomfort.

There are many causes of leg swelling. These can be general diseases (for example, cardiac edema of the legs), as well as directly pathologies of the lower extremities.

Swelling of the legs can be unilateral and bilateral, have varying degrees of severity (swelling of the fingers and feet, or up to the thigh). Based on these signs, as well as additional symptoms, the doctor can make a definite diagnosis for the patient. Below we will consider why the legs swell, and what to do in this case.

What are swelling?

The causes of swelling of the legs can be of a completely different nature. So, according to the nature of the occurrence, the following types of edema are distinguished:

• neuropathic- they accompany diabetes and alcoholism;
• cachectic - associated with exhaustion of the body or with cardiovascular diseases;
• mechanical - the result of injuries, tumors or pregnancy;
• hydremic - provoked by kidney disease and caused by the accumulation of excess fluid;
• congestive - provoked by an increase in vascular permeability and capillary pressure;
• allergic (Quincke's edema) - the body's reaction to an allergen.

Any of the above reasons can provoke both swelling of the foot of the right leg and swelling in other parts of the body. In general, edema most often occurs in the extremities, pleural and abdominal cavities.

Causes of swelling in the legs

To choose a method for treating edema on the right or left leg, you need to know the cause of their appearance. In men and women, this phenomenon is observed when:

• diseases of the kidneys, thyroid gland and heart, accompanied by acute heart failure;
• inflammation or thrombosis of the veins;
• stagnation of lymph in the limbs;
• diabetes mellitus;
• gestose;
• varicose veins;
• cirrhosis of the liver.

Also, swelling of the legs can be caused by fairly harmless reasons:

• excessive salt intake leading to fluid accumulation in the body
• prolonged standing;
• drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, especially before bed;
• long stay on low upholstered furniture;
• tight, uncomfortable shoes with too high or too low heels.

The causes of swelling of the legs can be various factors that prevent the removal of fluid from the body. In most cases, it is immediately difficult to determine why the fluid lingers and stagnates in the lower extremities.

Usually, for this purpose, you have to take tests, go for an ultrasound scan, or resort to other methods to find out the cause of this condition. However, it is obvious that the body responded in this way to some not very favorable effect.

Varicose disease

The most common cause of edema. Overstretching of the connective tissue of the veins and stagnation of blood in them turn the legs not only into an unattractive sight, but also cause a lot of trouble, fatigue and pain.

Along with the above risk factors for formation, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atherosclerosis can also be noted. Undoubtedly, without understanding the cause of varicose veins, it will be impossible to get rid of edema, and therapy and disease prevention should be carried out in combination.

Cold foot baths, wearing special stockings and regular use of ointments for swelling of the legs and varicose veins will be a good help to relieve symptoms.

Thrombophlebitis

During the procedure, severe swelling of the legs may appear, which are accompanied by pain, other unpleasant sensations (numbness, tingling, “crawling”). There is an increase in body temperature, general malaise. In the absence of adequate treatment, thrombophlebitis can manifest itself as more serious symptoms than swelling of the legs.

Kidney disorders

The cause of swelling of the legs may be kidney disease. Both limbs suffer, while the eyelids swell, circles under the eyes form. The color of urine changes, its excretion decreases. Edema may appear on the hands, abdomen. Sometimes renal failure is manifested as a complication after a respiratory illness.

If “cardiac” edema appears in the late afternoon, then “renal” edema, on the contrary, is more pronounced in the morning, by the evening they decrease.

Swelling of the legs due to heart failure

Swelling of the legs with is a very common phenomenon, since pathologies of the cardiovascular system are generally very widespread in modern society.

Heart failure is accompanied by the following characteristic symptoms:

1. Swelling of the legs in the evening. This sign of heart disease differs from kidney pathology, in which edema always occurs on the face, and in the morning.
2. Dyspnea. It is also related to the fact that the heart is not able to adequately drive blood through organs and tissues, so they constantly experience oxygen starvation.
3. High blood pressure is noted, less often - low.
4. Pain in the region of the heart: most often the patient is disturbed in the left half of the chest, as if squeezed.
5. People suffer from fatigue.

What to do if your legs are swollen and you are concerned about other causes of heart failure? It is worth coming to an appointment with a cardiologist or therapist. The doctor will examine you and prescribe additional studies: ECG, echocardiography, chest X-ray.

Thyroid disorders

The reason for the formation of edema of the legs is an insufficient activity of the thyroid gland. Pressure on the swollen place does not leave pits, the tissues retain elasticity.

This condition is characterized by drowsiness, chilliness, frequent constipation. Often the tongue swells in the shoulders.

Medical swelling of the legs

Moderately pronounced swelling of the legs can also appear with the use of certain medications. Medicines with a similar effect include estrogens, androgens, DOXA, preparations from licorice root, reserpine. After the abolition of the corresponding drugs, the edema disappears.

Orthostatic edema may occur in people whose work is associated with a long stay in a standing position (salespeople, lifters). There are such swelling on the feet and legs, mainly in the evening. They are expressed moderately and pass independently after rest.

severe fatigue

Healthy people experience swelling of the lower extremities after hard working days or stressful situations. Often, swelling appears due to wearing uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels.

Getting rid of such phenomena is quite simple: you need an hour of rest on the bed in a position with raised legs, as well as a relaxing foot bath and plant-based creams for tired legs.

Why do women's legs swell?

Medical practice shows that the question “legs swell strongly: what to do?” worries women more often. In addition to the above pathologies that cause swelling on the left or right leg, the causes in women are supplemented by premenstrual changes and pregnancy.

1. premenstrual edema. It starts a few days before the onset of menstruation. In addition to moderate swelling of the legs, face, women have some increase in body weight.
2. Pregnancy. Legs swell during pregnancy due to an increase in blood plasma volume; decrease in peripheral vascular resistance; growth of the uterus, accompanied by local hypertension in the veins of the lower extremities.

Causes of swelling of the legs in men

1. The main cause of leg edema in men is chronic venous insufficiency, which most often has a family character.
2. In addition, swelling of the legs can occur with prolonged static load or heavy physical work against the background of large fluid losses through sweat.
3. According to the same mechanism, the legs swell in the summer in the heat with insufficient drinking load, tight shoes or playing sports.

What to do when legs swell?

Careful diagnostics, consultation with a therapist and duplex scanning are necessary, which will show the state of your vessels - thrombosis, ischemia sites and cholesterol accumulation. The main question is what happens to the blood flow and lymph flow? After that, it will become clear whether additional research is needed, and in which direction to dig.

If both the cardiologist, the neuropathologist, and the therapist shrug their shoulders, and the edema continues, these are definitely renal moments, they are most difficult to localize and find an explanation. The general principle is that problems with the heart in the legs appear after heavy physical exertion, in the late afternoon, by morning, they subside, the kidneys are “visible” in the early morning, and varicose veins and blood flow problems appear during the day, in dynamics.

Treatment at home

• reduce salt intake (up to 1.5 mg per day);
• do not abuse products that cause thirst;
• try not to limit physical activity (it is better to choose exercises in the water, for example, water aerobics);
• if edema occurs, lie down for a quarter of an hour with raised legs, do a foot massage;
  use compression stockings (tights).

After consulting a doctor, it is possible to use folk diuretics for swelling of the legs:

• decoctions of birch buds;
• a decoction of a bear's ear (or bearberry leaves);
• horsetail zaparka;
• cranberry juice;
• decoction of parsley;
• cranberry juice.

It is better to refuse diuretics. But if treatment is not possible without them, then it is worth taking them with caution, especially if there are problems with the kidneys or heart. During pregnancy, diuretics are contraindicated. Even if they are of plant origin.

Diuretics

Various loop (, lasix, trifas), thiazide (, hypothiazide) and potassium-sparing (, spironolactone) diuretics are used. The frequency of administration, dosage form and duration of treatment depend on the degree of heart failure.

Severe edema is treated with injectable loop diuretics with a gradual transition to tablet intake of identical drugs or drugs from another group. For long-term decongestant therapy, thiazide diuretics in combination with veroshpiron are more suitable. Potassium preparations (,). Be sure to include in the treatment of loop diuretics.

Therapeutic exercises

To prevent swelling of the legs will help the regular implementation of a set of simple exercises:

• put the left foot on the right and raise the toe of the right foot as high as possible, then the left;
• stand on your toes for a few seconds;
• move the weight of the body from the inside of the feet to the outside and vice versa, from heels to toes;
• make a few light jumps on toes;
• in a sitting position on a chair, raise your legs and make circular movements with your feet;
• bend your toes and straighten sharply.

Food

If you are faced with the problem of edema, it means that your body is prone to fluid accumulation. Remember that in this case you should exclude from the diet:

• salty foods;
• fried and salted;
• mustard and vinegar;
• flour;
• foods high in sugar;
• red meat;
• milk and dairy products.

The surest way to cleanse the body of toxins is to switch to the so-called "unloading" diet. It will help you remove harmful substances that weigh down your organs and upset the balance of the body.

Many of us have faced the problem of the appearance of edema on the face and body. Some people regularly have swollen legs, while others have swelling, to a greater extent, concentrated in the face.

Most people who have swelling of certain parts of the body ask questions about the causes of edema and methods for eliminating them. But first you need to know what edema is.

As you know, the human body consists of 75 percent of water. This also includes intercellular and intracellular fluid. Edema is an increase in the volume of fluid in the intercellular space.

In medicine, there are two types of edema - general and local.

General edema appears, as a rule, in diseases of the kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract and is accompanied by swelling of tissues on the legs and arms and other parts of the body. Such swelling is not immediately noticeable. Fluid gradually accumulates in the body and as soon as its volume exceeds three liters, swelling becomes more noticeable.

Concerning local edema , then it appears, most often, with diseases of the veins of the lower extremities, allergic swelling of the face, or with inflammation of the lymph nodes. Such edema is tied to a specific area of ​​the vascular bed or a specific organ.

Whatever the type of edema, in any case, its presence indicates that there are some problems in the body.

The main causes of edema

Increased blood pressure.
The reason for the appearance of edema in this case is the increased permeability of damaged capillaries. Another reason is a decrease in the level of albumins (proteins) in the blood. A decrease in the amount of protein in the blood leads to a decrease in osmotic pressure and further release of fluid into the tissues from the bloodstream.

Kidney diseases.
For one reason or another, the kidneys, unable to cope with their work, also send fluid into the intercellular space. The skin with such edema becomes pale and dry. Such edemas are pasty and very soft to the touch and appear in the morning, as a rule, in the area of ​​the face and upper limbs. "Renal" edema is not fixed in one position and is able to move with changes in body position.

Allergy.
Such edema can appear in any part of the body. Allergic edema to the touch is quite dense and is accompanied by the appearance of a small punctate rash, redness and itching.

Cardiovascular diseases.
Edema, with such diseases, appears on the ankles. The lower extremities swell gradually as the disease progresses. First, the ankle increases in volume, then the edema moves up - to the thighs. In the area of ​​\u200b\u200b"cardiac" edema, the skin becomes bluish-pale, cold to the touch and stretched.

Edema treatment

If the swelling is the result of any serious disease, then you should not self-medicate, it is better to contact the appropriate specialist. So, for example, with "cardiac" edema, you should consult a cardiologist, with "renal" - a urologist, and with "venous" - a phlebologist. If the appearance of edema is not associated with the above diseases, you can cope with them on your own.

First of all, you need to limit fluid intake before bed. It is also necessary to revise your menu, you may have to give up fried, too salty and spicy foods. It is recommended to consume more fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.

One of the best preventive measures against edema is sports, such as swimming.

With swelling on the face, various massages help, which promote the outflow of lymphatic fluid and increase blood circulation.

Sometimes edema appears with insufficient water intake. If the body receives little fluid from the outside (pure water), it "panics" and begins to accumulate its own fluid.

May appear in the lower extremities in hot weather. Simple rules will help to avoid such edema:
- it is necessary to abandon high heels, as well as tight shoes that impair blood circulation in the legs;
- It is recommended to move more often and be in the fresh air.

A contrast shower will help eliminate swelling, which strengthens blood vessels and improves blood circulation.

With such an unpleasant phenomenon as swelling of the legs, many are familiar. Most often, the problem quickly disappears by itself, it is enough just to give the legs a rest for a few hours. It is much worse when edema occurs regularly, accompanied by pain, discoloration of the skin and other alarming symptoms. This may be a sign of one of the diseases that we will talk about.

Source: depositphotos.com

Heart failure

Edema caused by heart failure has the following features:

• edema is formed on the shins of both legs;
• they do not cause pain, but become painful when pressed;
• skin on swollen areas of a bluish hue, cold to the touch;
• swelling is immobile;
• fluid accumulates in the evening or in the morning (after sleep).

Patients with heart failure often complain that their legs are numb and cold. With prolonged lying, the face, arms and lower back may swell. In addition to edema, the pathology is manifested by arrhythmia, periodic chest pains and shortness of breath that occurs at the slightest exertion.

Heart failure is very dangerous. Ignoring its symptoms and refusing treatment can lead to the most unfortunate consequences. Having noticed swelling of the legs, accompanied by the listed signs, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.

Source: depositphotos.com

Rheumatism and rheumatic heart disease

Rheumatism is an ailment of a non-infectious nature, manifested by inflammation of the joints, as well as various parts of the heart (myocarditis, endocarditis and pericarditis). The disease is usually accompanied by symmetrical swelling of the legs, painless when pressed. The fluid accumulates gradually, swelling increases in the evening, and disappears completely or partially during the night.

With rheumatic heart disease, fever, shortness of breath (even at rest), discomfort in the region of the heart (appears when lying on the left side), and heart rhythm disturbances are also observed.

The development of rheumatism and rheumatic heart disease most often occurs against the background of streptococcal infection, which primarily affects the respiratory tract. Such diseases require serious treatment, so the patient should be under medical supervision. It is important to note that the first signs of these diseases are often blurred, they are easy to confuse with ordinary fatigue or the consequences of experienced stress. It is very dangerous to ignore these symptoms, because if left untreated, the disease can become chronic.

Source: depositphotos.com

Venous insufficiency

Pathologies associated with venous insufficiency are diverse. Thrombosis and thrombophlebitis of the vessels of the legs are manifested by constant swelling and pain. The skin over the edema becomes red and hot, the edema is dense to the touch, not slipping through the fingers. Patients notice heat in the lower extremities (feet "burn"). Diseases of this kind are very dangerous and require urgent treatment. Delay is fraught with very serious (and even fatal) complications.

Varicose veins are a very common problem that affects about a third of women over 30 and more than half of women of retirement age. The first signs are a feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs, as well as the gradual development of edema in the calves and ankles, which increases in the evening and disappears after a night's rest. If the disease is not treated, the veins in the legs become noticeable. They resemble twisted, clumsy cords with raised knots. In severe cases, the skin on the ankles becomes brown, hemorrhages and trophic ulcers appear.

Venous insufficiency of the lower extremities is a dangerous condition. It is treated for a long time by taking medications and wearing compression underwear, and in some cases by surgery.

Source: depositphotos.com

Kidney pathologies

Kidney failure leads to fluid retention in the body. Leg swelling associated with these disorders is usually located on the top of the feet. They are symmetrical, soft to the touch. Unlike edema caused by cardiovascular pathologies, renal edema often appears in the morning. In patients suffering from renal insufficiency, there is often a rapid swelling of the lower parts of the legs, provoked by excessive fluid intake.

Diagnostic signs indicating the presence of problems with the kidneys are also swelling under the eyes, changes in the daily amount, color and smell of urine, pulling pain in the lumbar region.

Source: depositphotos.com

Thyroid dysfunction

Swelling of both legs in the ankle area may indicate insufficient production of thyroid hormones. Edema looks like pads, when pressed with fingers, deep pits remain on them. If the pathology progresses, myxedema may develop - a condition manifested by the accumulation of fluid in all tissues of the body. The skin of such patients seems puffy and lifeless, its surface becomes rough, flaky, acquires a yellowish tint.

Source: depositphotos.com

Allergy

Allergic swelling of the legs can develop in response to taking certain medications, insect bites, or eating certain types of foods. The lesion looks like a dense, uniform swelling, which does not leave marks when pressed. The surface of the skin turns red, covered with a small reddish rash and severely itchy. The patient complains of pain in the affected limb, which occurs at the slightest strain or prolonged stay in one position.

To solve the problem, it is urgent to stop contact with the allergen and take an antihistamine.

Source: depositphotos.com

Injuries

When a leg is broken, swelling of the tissues located next to the damaged area of ​​​​the bone forms for a short time. The skin over the damaged area acquires a bluish tint, there is increasing pain. The limb can be fixed in an unnatural position.

With a bruise, swelling also develops, which makes it difficult to move the leg normally. A hematoma appears after a few days, and the pain, initially sharp, gradually subsides.

If there is a suspicion of a leg injury, you can not wait. In order to avoid serious problems, it is necessary to urgently go to the emergency room or hospital and undergo an x-ray to find out the nature of the damage.

Source: depositphotos.com

Liver disease

With severe liver damage (cirrhosis, malignant neoplasms), a condition called portal hypertension develops. It is associated with the cessation of albumin production, the deficiency of which leads to metabolic disorders and blood stagnation in the systemic circulation. As a result, dense swelling of the legs in the ankle area is formed. Other signs of portal hypertension are a change in skin tone (yellowing), reddening of the palms of the hands, accumulation of fluid in the anterior abdominal wall (ascites), and difficulty breathing. Men develop gynecomastia (breast enlargement).

When a person first sees swelling in his legs, the first thing he experiences is fear and a desire to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Of course, edema often indicates serious diseases of the heart or kidneys, but before grabbing medications or folk remedies for edema, you need to find out as accurately as possible why your legs swell, and for this it is reasonable to consult a doctor, and not rush to the Internet with a request “swelling of the legs, what to do”.

All edema is divided into several groups depending on the reasons that cause them (see details). This also influences the main approaches to treatment.

• Orthostatic edema due to forced positions.
• Edema in nephrotic syndrome against the background of renal pathologies (glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis) or systemic diseases (amyloidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, lymphogranulomatosis, diabetes), as well as nephropathy of pregnant women.
• Cardiac edema with circulatory failure (with heart defects, heart rhythm disturbances and coronary heart disease, cor pulmonale decompensations).
• Venous edema with thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities.
• Lymphedema.
• Idiopathic edema in women.

What to do with swollen feet before going to the doctor?

Until the moment when a person manages to get an appointment with a specialist, it is inappropriate to leave edema unattended. However, this does not mean that you should immediately start taking diuretics, since uncontrolled intake of these drugs is fraught with a number of side effects that are not inferior in severity to the edema itself.

But the simplest measures that help reduce or relieve swelling of the legs will not bring harm to health.

• First, leg swelling can be reduced by positional drainage.

In this way, edema is well eliminated as a result of venous stasis or edema of the position, when a person spends a long period of time in a forced position with his legs down or stands for a long time. To properly drain, you need to raise your leg from heel to hip above the level of the body at an angle of thirty to forty-five degrees. To do this, you can lie down with a rolled-up blanket under your feet (so, by the way, you can sleep through the night without any problems) or sit down with pillows under your feet. Any amount of time, from half an hour, spent in this position can reduce leg swelling.

• Limiting fluid and salt intake

Another factor that can help in the fight against swelling in the legs is the restriction of liquids drunk during the day (up to two and a half liters, including soup), refusal to drink at night and reducing salt intake. The fact is that table salt (sodium chloride) contains sodium, which, lingering in the body, pulls water into the tissues and provokes swelling. To begin with, it is enough to refuse to add salt to ready-made dishes, gradually reducing the addition of salt when cooking.

• Simple exercise and foot massage

Also, with swelling of the legs, simple physical exercises can help:

• tiptoe walking
• alternating toe and heel elevation while standing or sitting
• dorsiflexion of the foot
• spreading and clenching of the toes
• foot massage

Self-massage of the feet and legs can also be effective, which should be started from the fingertips, kneading the soles of the feet, and done for 2-5 minutes, alternating stroking, rubbing and kneading. Yoga classes are also very effective, as they help improve blood circulation, massage internal organs, which has a positive effect on metabolism and the general condition of the body.

• With a deficiency of magnesium in the body - taking dietary supplements and multivitamins

Swelling of the legs can be caused by a lack of magnesium, especially during pregnancy. Therefore, taking Magne B6, Magnelis B6, Magnerot, multivitamins can significantly reduce the swelling of the lower extremities. During pregnancy, you should not take magnesium preparations on your own, only a doctor prescribes the dosage and course of treatment.

• Taking aromatic baths or foot baths

As a solution for baths, you can use mineral water or tonic, which is diluted with alcoholic beverages, the components contained in soda and quinine reduce puffiness. Baths with drops of essential oils or Epsom salts or foot baths with sea salt also provide relief. Any water procedures, bathing, swimming give rest and relaxation to the legs, since water pressure prevents the expansion of blood vessels and helps to reduce swelling of the legs.

How to reduce leg swelling depending on the cause?

After a thorough diagnosis of edema has been carried out and their true cause has been identified, the doctor prescribes one or another treatment regimen. The duration of therapeutic measures directly depends on the origin of edema:

Orthostatic edema

Such edema is treated with postural drainage. Cold foot baths can also be effective with them. To do this, the legs to the knees are immersed in a container of cool water for fifteen to thirty minutes.

nephrotic edema

This is a more serious situation that requires a systematic approach. Since in this case, the cause of swelling of the legs becomes a violation of renal filtration, the first thing to do is to reduce the load on the kidneys. For this purpose, a diet is prescribed:

• restrictive fluid up to 2 liters per day
• salt up to 3 grams per day
• protein up to 90-60 grams

• So, with glomerulonephritis, glucocorticoids (prednisolone), cytostatics (cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, cyclosporine, azathioprine), penicillin antibiotics are prescribed.
• In the poststreptococcal process and ACE inhibitors in the variant with arterial hypertension (enalapril, ramipril).
• Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis are also treated with hormones and cytostatics.
• Nephropathy against the background of diabetes requires the appointment of insulin or hypoglycemic drugs such as sulfonylurea (glibenclamide, gliclazide, gliquidone, glimeprimidone), biguanides (metformin), thiazolidinediones (rosiglitazone), alpha-glycoidase blockers (acarbola).

Edema itself is resolved by prescribing diuretics (furosemide, indapamide). With the ineffectiveness of conservative measures, dialysis is prescribed, that is, a hardware purification of the blood, which replaces the natural function of the kidneys.

Cardiac edema

Cardiac pathologies leading to swelling of the legs also require complex treatment. Treatment begins with a diet (restriction of water-salt load). You also need to adjust the weight and reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis by balancing vegetable and animal fats in the diet and taking anti-atherosclerotic drugs (see - vasilip, simvastatin, astorvostatin, rosuvostatin). Smoking is contraindicated, which spasms blood vessels and alcohol, which has a direct toxic effect on the heart.

Chronic heart failure is treated using:

• agents that increase myocardial contractility - cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin, strophanthin
• drugs that reduce vascular tone:
  • ACE inhibitors - berlipril, enalapril, diroton, ramipril
  • angiotensin receptor blockers - losartan, valsartan
  • nitrates - nitrosorbide
• diuretics - hypothiazide, spironolactone, indapamide, furosemide
• drugs that reduce the load on the heart: beta-blockers - metoprolol, betaloc ZOK, bisoprolol, carvedilol, nebivalol

Heart defects are subject to surgical correction, if the sinus node is weak, artificial pacemakers are placed, and coronary artery bypass grafting is used in coronary disease and after heart attacks.

Venous edema

Venous edema is one of the most common types of leg edema. Their cause may be hiding in varicose veins or vein thrombosis (see).

With venous insufficiency, the first measures that help eliminate swelling are drainage by position and compression bandaging of the legs. Today, instead of bandages, specialized compression stockings are often used (see). Both bandaging and stockings should be applied in the morning, without getting out of bed in a prone position, while the blood has not yet stagnated in the veins against the background of a daily load.

Since the cause of venous stasis can be an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, it is worth avoiding heavy lifting and dealing with constipation. The diet for pathology of the veins should not contain spices, pepper, it is advisable to give up alcohol and smoking (see).

• Venotonics (venitan, antistax, troxevasin), rutosides (venolan, venoruton, ginkor forte), saponins (escusan), diosmin,.
• With complete failure of the veins, they are switched off from the bloodstream with the help of venosclerosing drugs (hepatrombin or ethoxysclerol), which are injected into the veins or removed promptly.
• Even with venous pathologies, it is recommended to improve capillary blood flow with pentoxifylline and low molecular weight dextrans.
• Thrombotic complications are treated with direct (heparin) or indirect (phenindione, coumarin derivatives) anticoagulants.
• In acute thrombosis in a surgical hospital, heparins are administered, followed by a switch to warfarin, or an operation is performed.

Lymphedema

Lymphatic edema (lymphedema) is the result of a violation of drainage through the lymphatic vessels. They accompany congenital anomalies or blockage of the lymphatic vessels, malignant tumors. In this case, as a rule, one leg swells.

• With this form of edema, the condition is somewhat facilitated with the help of:
  • positional drainage
  • compression bandages or underwear
  • foot massage

• Physiotherapy exercises and methods of physiotherapy are also prescribed:
  • Pneumatic massage It boils down to the fact that with the help of a special apparatus, a rising wave of increased pressure is formed over the area of ​​influence, which acts from 1 to 7 minutes and drives the lymph from the periphery of the limb to the central ducts.
  • With kinesiology taping in the projection of the lymphatic vessels, a network of adhesive tape is superimposed. Which lifts areas of soft tissues, stimulating the outflow of lymph.

Contraindications to physiotherapy are acute infectious and skin processes, tumors,. There are also surgical techniques for restoring the paths of the lymphatic outflow by creating fistulas between the lymphatic and venous systems.

Swelling of the legs in pregnant women

The legs of a pregnant woman carry a double load, so all conditions are created for venous stasis. The situation is aggravated by compression of the inferior vena cava by the pregnant uterus, as well as difficult ventilation of the lungs and increased demands on the work of the heart. Therefore, often in healthy pregnant women, after a whole day, especially if it is spent on their feet, shod in narrow shoes, the feet or ankles of the legs swell. Usually it is enough to lie down for a while, putting a blanket under your feet, so that the puffiness subsides.

The situation becomes more serious when edema in a pregnant woman is the result of preeclampsia or nephropathy (see). These situations require observation by a doctor and timely medical correction. Often such women are offered hospitalization in an obstetric hospital, which should not be neglected in order to maintain the pregnancy. After all, if the expectant mother's legs swell, what to do should be decided by a competent doctor, who will be responsible for the health of the baby.

How diuretics are selected

The basis of the kidney is the nephron, which includes a vascular glomerulus, its capsule and a system of afferent and efferent tubules connected by a loop. The efferent tubule passes into the collecting duct, which flows into the renal pelvis. The glomerulus filters blood plasma and turns it into primary urine. Throughout the tubules, part of the water, as well as sodium, potassium and chlorine ions, are partially absorbed back.

Different classes of diuretics are preferred for different causes of leg swelling.

• Saluretics are called diuretics, the effect of which is based on the excretion of potassium and magnesium ions. These include:
  • thiazide (hypothiazide, cyclomethiazide)
  • sulfonamides (indapamide, chlorthalidone, clopamide)
  • loop (furosemide, lasix, torasemide, ethacrynic acid, bumetanide)
  • carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (diacarb, acetazolamide).
• Osmotic diuretics (urea, beckons) work due to the difference in osmotic pressure in the tubules, which prevents the reabsorption of water.
• Potassium-sparing diuretics (amiloride, triamterene, spironolactone, veroshpiron, eplerenone) work in the efferent tubule, interfering with potassium losses.

Diuretics are selected as follows:

• In chronic heart failure and nephrotic syndrome, loop diuretics are preferred.
• Osteoporosis requires the appointment of thiazides.
• Indapamide is used for metabolic disorders and diabetes mellitus.
• Spironolactone is indicated for increased secretion of aldosterone by the adrenal glands.
• Arterial hypertension is treated with thiazides and indapamide.
• Severe swelling of the legs due to heart failure requires parenteral administration of lasix or furosemide.

It should be remembered that the treatment of edema should not be started with taking diuretics, but with a trip to the doctor in order to establish the true cause of edema as soon as possible and get an adequate recommendation on what to do when the legs swell.