Edema: causes, symptoms and treatment

Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues. Although edema can affect any part of the body, it can most often be seen in the hands, arms, feet, ankles and legs.

Edema can occur as a result of medication use, due to pregnancy, or a pre-existing condition, often congestive heart failure, kidney disease, or cirrhosis of the liver.

Edema is often relieved by taking medicine to remove excess fluid and reducing the amount of salt in your food. When edema is a sign of an underlying disease, the disease itself requires different treatment.

Signs of edema include the following:

Swelling or inflammation of the tissues directly under the skin, especially on the legs or arms Stretched or shiny skin Skin that retains a dimple (pitting) after being pressed for several seconds Increase in size of the abdomen

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have swollen, stretched, or shiny skin, or skin that retains a dimple after being pressed (pitting). See your doctor immediately if you have:

Shortness of breath Difficulty breathing Chest pain

These can be signs of pulmonary edema, which requires immediate treatment.

If you’ve been sitting for a long time, such as on a long flight, and you have swelling and pain in one leg that doesn’t go away, call your doctor. Persistent pain and swelling in the leg may be a sign of a blood clot deep in the veins (deep vein thrombosis).

If you are pregnant, your body retains more sodium and water than usual due to the fluid the fetus and placenta need. This can increase the risk of edema.

The risk of edema may increase if you take certain medications, such as:

Medicines for high blood pressure Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Steroid medicines Estrogens Certain medicines for diabetes called “thiazolidinediones”

A chronic disease, such as congestive heart failure or liver or kidney disease, can also increase the risk of edema. Also, a lymph node can sometimes be blocked in surgery, causing swelling in an arm or leg, usually on one side only.

To understand the possible cause of the edema, your doctor will first perform a physical exam and ask you about your medical history. Often this information is sufficient to determine the underlying cause of the edema. In some cases, you may need to have X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, blood tests, or urine tests.

Mild edema usually goes away on its own, especially if you help by raising the affected limb above the level of your heart.

More severe edema can be treated with medicines that help the body expel excess fluid in the urine (diuretics). One of the most common diuretics is furosemide (Lasix). However, your doctor will determine if these types of medications are a good option for you based on your personal medical history.

Long-term management often focuses on treating the underlying cause of the inflammation. If edema occurs as a result of medication use, your doctor may adjust your prescription or find another medication that does not cause edema.