Edema: What Is This Term? Reasons, And Symptoms

What is Edema?

Edema is a swelling that occurs when too much fluid is trapped in the tissues of the body or an organ.

It, also known as, oedema, fluid retention, peripheral, dropsy, hydrops, and swelling, that build-up up fluid in the body’s tissue.

Most commonly occur in the legs and arms, however, it also can affect other body parts like muscle, bowel, lungs, eyes, and brain.

The onset may be sudden but usually starts slowly, but it can also become a sign of a serious condition.

Edema most commonly occurs in pregnant and adults who are 65 years or older.

This condition becomes more concerning if it starts suddenly, or if pain or shortness of breath is present.

However, daily tasks and some lifestyle changes can reduce the chance of swelling, even small exercises like wiggling toes.

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Reasons of edema

It happens when your small blood vessels leak fluid into nearby tissues, where extra fluid builds up, which makes the tissue swell.

However, there are other possible reasons for edema including:

Heart failure

The heart is a very essential part of our body to maintain the normal blood pressure in the blood vessels (2).

If the heart begins to fail, the pressure changes can cause very severe water retention (1).

In this condition water is mostly visible in the legs, feet, and ankles, and also collects in the lungs, leading to chronic cough.

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Diabetes

Yes, this condition can affect your blood circulation and cause fluid swelling in the lower part of the body.

In diabetes, the body’s ability to produce insulin is completely stopped, which leads to high sugar levels building up in the blood.

This high glucose level can damage the lining of small blood vessels, resulting in poor blood circulation.

And as we know, Poor circulation can build up fluid in the feet and ankles, resulting in swelling.

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Kidney damage

Kidney disease could cause edema, but how? – when the kidney is not able to filter enough sodium and water from the body.

This can leads to inflammation, inflammation such as nephrotic syndrome, or lupus, which results in edema (3).

However, a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome can cause severe leg edema and even leads to entire-body edema.

A low level of the protein albumin in the blood can lead to edema (6).

Protein deficiency

The low protein level in the blood attracts water from the tissue spaces back into the capillaries.

Protein act like a magnet for water, which plays a vital role in water balance (5)

When the capillary walls are too permeable, protein can leak out of the blood and settle in the tissue spaces.

Protein deficiency in the blood caused by malnutrition, kidney, and liver disease can cause edema.

The proteins help to hold salt and water inside the blood vessels so fluid does not leak out into the tissues (4)

Certain medication

There are certain medications that can cause edema, even prescribed medication include:

• Estrogen
• beta-blockers
• calcium channel blockers
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• hormone replacement therapy

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Infection and illness

Any tissue that is infected is more prone to become swollen, which is usually most noticeable in the skin.

In some cases, the infection can be helpful – more fluid from your blood vessels puts more infection-fighting WBC in the swollen area.

Critical illnesses, like burns where fluid leaks into tissues and makes the area swollen, and painful, even can edema all over the body (5).

Allergy reaction

Allergic diseases have become a major health concern worldwide, with India being no exception.

There are many foods and bites on the face and skin that may cause edema, for people who have allergies to them.

And in response to an allergen, their nearby blood vessels leak fluid into the affected area.

Severe swelling can be a symptom of anaphylaxis

Head trauma

Edema during pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the life stages which brings lots of hormonal, physical, and physiological changes to your body.

Edema, especially mid-leg edema is often common during the late stages of pregnancy in some women.

During pregnancy, edema on the legs occurs, when the uterus puts pressure on your blood vessels in the lower trunk of your body.

It usually resolves after delivery, in most cases, it is not a concern, although it should always be reported to a doctor.

However, severe cases of pregnancy like deep vein thrombosis, and preeclampsia can also cause edema.

Volume expansion therapy in pregnancy runs the risk of pulmonary or cerebral edema (5).

When a pregnant woman is in reclined or resting position, the enlarged uterus can put the press on IVC (inferior vena cave).

This prevents the femoral vein (large blood vessel of the thigh) and leads to edema.

The IVC (a large blood vessel that transports deoxygenated blood back to the right atrium of the heart from the abdominal and lower extremities)

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Water retention

Premenstrual water retention (every month before their period) also causes bloating, and breast tenderness (8).

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Lack of exercise

Exercise helps the blood work against gravity to return to the heart through veins.

If blood travels too slowly and begins to deposit in the leg veins, the pressure can carry too much fluid out of the lung capillaries into the tissue spaces.

Daily exercise during pregnancy can promote your body posture, and decrease normal discomforts like back pain, and fatigue.

The muscle not only needs to keep blood flowing, through the veins but also to stimulate the lymphatic system to fulfill its overflow” function.

The lymphatic system (a web of tissues, vessels, and organs that work together to move lymph into your circulatory system).

NOTE: Even small exercises such as rotating ankles, and wiggling toes can reduce swelling.

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Other factors that contribute to edema

There are certain factors that may also contribute to edema which include:

• Lipoma (a fatty lump just below the skin) can also be a reason for swelling
• Inflammation
• the obstacle of fluid clearance in the lymphatic system
• reduced or increased colloidal or oncotic pressure within blood vessels
• changes in the water-retaining properties of the tissues themselves
• the hydrostatic pressure within blood vessels leads to cause water to filter out into the tissue

Sign and Symptoms of Edema

Edema can be seen, even in your eyes, and fingers, in these symptoms tightness, swelling and pain are commonly seen.

A person with oedema may also be seen these signs include:

• Swollen, and shiny skin
• look like a dimple or puffiness
• pain and stiff joints
• weight gain or loss

Swelling and puffiness also depend, on which area of the body part it is affected.

BOTTOM LINE

Edema is a swelling that is common in the legs and arms when too much fluid is trapped in the tissues of the body or an organ.

It commonly occurs in pregnant women and older people above 65 years old.

Avoid sitting and standing for a long period of time, which can reduce swelling and help you feel better.