Swelling in the legs and ankles can be normal in some cases, but if it is sudden, unexplained, or accompanied by additional symptoms, contact a healthcare professional. Some health issues that result in this swelling can be life-threatening without treatment.
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How do you know when edema is serious?
Seek medical care immediately if your edema is suddenly worse, painful, new, or if it’s associated with chest pain or trouble breathing. The latter may be a sign of pulmonary edema, a serious medical condition in which the lung cavities fill with fluid.
What happens if you don’t treat leg edema?
What Happens If You Don’t Treat Prolonged Leg Discoloration or Swelling? If you have clots, they can break apart and travel to your lungs, heart, or brain, causing pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, and strokes. Once any of these happen, your ability to mitigate your condition decreases dramatically.
Which edema is fatal?
Pulmonary edema that comes on suddenly (acute pulmonary edema) is life-threatening. Call 911 or emergency medical help if you have any of the following acute symptoms: Shortness of breath, especially if it comes on suddenly. Trouble breathing or a feeling of suffocating (dyspnea)
Is edema a cause of death?
It is a serious condition, it can be a medical emergency, and it can lead to respiratory failure and death. Cerebral edema: This occurs in the brain. It can happen for a range of reasons, many of which are potentially life threatening.
What is the most common cause of leg edema?
This swelling (edema) is the result of excess fluid in your tissues — often caused by congestive heart failure or blockage in a leg vein. Signs of edema include: Swelling or puffiness of the tissue directly under your skin, especially in your legs or arms. Stretched or shiny skin.
What are the three main causes of edema?
Some of the most common causes of edema are:
- Long periods of standing or sitting. Sitting or standing for too long can cause extra fluid to build up in your feet, ankles, and lower legs.
- Venous insufficiency.
- Chronic (long-term) lung diseases.
- Congestive heart failure.
- Pregnancy.
- Low levels of protein.
How do I get rid of edema in my legs?
Support stockings
- Movement. Moving and using the muscles in the part of your body affected by edema, especially your legs, may help pump the excess fluid back toward your heart.
- Elevation.
- Massage.
- Compression.
- Protection.
- Reduce salt intake.
What cancers cause edema?
Some types of cancer, like kidney, liver, and ovarian cancers, are more likely to cause edema. Chemotherapy. Some types of chemotherapy, including cisplatin and docetaxel (Taxotere), can cause edema.
What kind of doctor treats leg edema?
If you experience swelling that does not go away on its own, make an appointment to see your primary doctor. If the issue doesn’t improve, ask your doctor for a referral to a vascular specialist.
What stage of heart failure is edema?
The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea, chronic cough or wheezing, edema, nausea or lack of appetite, a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking.
How long does it take for edema to go away?
Swelling normally lasts for a few days. In the first two days, you will experience the most swelling, and it should start to reduce by the third day. Following treatment from your healthcare provider reduces the amount of swelling you might experience.
When should I worry about leg swelling?
Seek medical care right away if your legs swell for no apparent reason, especially if you have unexplained leg pain, difficulty breathing, chest pain or other warning signs of a blood clot in your lungs or a heart condition. Many factors — varying greatly in severity — can cause leg swelling.
Can edema affect the brain?
Untreated, severe cerebral edema is fatal due to brain and brainstem compression and herniation. The presence of significant cerebral edema can cause diffuse brain injury, precipitate seizures in some cases, or create large areas of ischemic brain tissue.
How do you know when death is hours away?
Skin of the knees, feet, and hands may become purplish, pale, grey, and blotchy or mottled. These changes usually signal that death will occur within days to hours.
What causes swollen legs from the knee down?
Common causes of sudden leg swelling
A blood clot blocking blood flow in a large leg vein — also called a DVT, or deep vein thrombosis. An injury such as a broken leg or a pulled leg muscle. An infection in the skin, joint, or other tissue of the leg. Joint inflammation in a joint of the leg, like the knee.
What is the best medication for edema?
Medications.
- NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen and naproxen)
- Calcium channel blockers.
- Corticosteroids (like prednisone and methylprednisolone)
- Pioglitazone and rosiglitazone.
- Pramipexole.
What does edema in the legs mean?
Fluid buildup (edema): It happens when the tissues or blood vessels in your legs hold more fluid than they should. This can happen if you simply spend a long day on your feet or sit for too long. But it may also be a sign that you’re overweight or don’t get enough exercise, or of more serious medical conditions.
Why am I retaining fluid in my legs?
Leg swelling caused by the retention of fluid in leg tissues is known as peripheral edema. It can be caused by a problem with the venous circulation system, the lymphatic system or the kidneys.
What’s the difference between edema and edema?
There is no difference, they’re exactly the same! Edema is the American spelling, whereas oedema is usually used in the UK.
Can edema be cured?
The only way to treat edema is to treat the condition that is causing it. Your doctor might want you to take a medicine called a diuretic. This is also called a water pill. These pills help flush salt and extra fluid out of your body through your urine.