If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

OVERVIEW

What is edema?

Edema is swelling or puffiness of parts of the body. Edema usually happens in the feet, ankles and legs. It can also affect the face and hands. Pregnant women and older adults often get edema, but it can happen to anyone.

SYMPTOMS

Edema symptoms

If you have swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet not related to an injury, it could be edema. It can cause puffiness of your face and hands, too. You can have swelling in all of these areas at once or in only one area. It can cause you to feel uncomfortable. It can even restrict the range of motion in your ankles and wrists.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

What causes edema?

Edema is caused by extra fluid that builds up in the tissues of your body. Many things can cause fluid to build up including:

• Gravity pulling fluid down into your legs and feet.
• Sitting or standing still for too long especially in hot weather.
• Eating food with too much salt.
• Taking certain medicines, such as ibuprofen and naproxen.
• Some health problems, such as congestive heart failure, liver disease and kidney disease..

You cannot catch edema from other people. It does not run in families. However, as you age, the veins in your legs often don’t work as well against gravity and to push the fluid back up. That is why edema is more common as you get older.

DIAGNOSIS & TESTS

How is edema diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider can tell whether you have edema by examining you. The skin over the swollen area may be stretched and shiny. Pushing gently on the swollen area for about 15 seconds will leave a dimple. If this happens, your healthcare provider might want to do some tests to see what is causing your edema.

PREVENTION

Can edema be prevented or avoided?

Depending on what is causing your edema, you may not be able to prevent it from happening. If it is caused by health problems, such as congestive heart failure, liver disease, or kidney disease, you will not be able to prevent it, only manage it. If your edema is caused by eating too much salt, you will be able to prevent it by eating less salt.

Also, regular exercise such as walking can help lessen edema because it works the calf muscles. These muscles help push fluid upward.

TREATMENT

Edema Treatment

The only way to treat edema is to treat the condition that is causing it. Your healthcare provider 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.

It is important to contact your healthcare provider if you have edema, especially if you are pregnant. If it is not treated, your skin may keep stretching, which can lead to other problems. If you have edema and you start to have trouble breathing, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Living with edema

The following are some things you can do at home to keep the swelling down:

• Elevate your legs when you are sitting or lying down.
• If you have edema of the legs, wear support stockings. You can buy these at most drugstores. Support stockings put pressure on your legs to keep fluid from collecting in your legs and ankles.
• Do not sit or stand for long periods of time without moving around.
• Follow your healthcare provider’s advice about limiting how much salt you eat.