LEG SWELLING rcontent40.net

LEG SWELLING

COMMON CAUSES, SYMPTONS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

The Cardiovascular Care Group

BETTER HEALTH SERIES - VOL . 2

CLIFTON | LIVINGSTON | MORRISTOWN | PRINCETON | ROCKAWAY | SHREWSBURY | WESTFIELD

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BETTER HEALTH SERIES VOL. 2

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welling of the lower extremities is

quite common. Unfortunately, some

people suffer from it greatly. They may

have permanent swelling of the legs. They

may have legs that always feel heavy. They

cannot walk effectively. And, in severe

cases, they get ulcers or open sores on the

legs that do not heal.

According to a U.S. Census Bureau report,

4.4 million people each year in the United

States complain of leg swelling, making it

one of the country¡¯s most common health

problems. We know figuring out what¡¯s

going on with your legs can be a circuitous

and frustrating path for diagnosis. Many

people don¡¯t know where to start or who

to ask. And, still others may give up and

assume this is an issue they have to live

with.

There are many potential causes of leg

swelling from Chronic Venous Insufficiency

(CVI) to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) to

Lymphedema to a host of other genetic

and environmental issues.

At The Cardiovascular Care Group

(TCVCG), we share your concern and

specialize in diagnosing and treating

the cause of your leg issues to help get

your legs back to optimal health and

appearance. Most of all, we want you to

know you¡¯re not alone when it comes

to this issue. We¡¯re here to help and we

bring over 55 years of vascular health

experience to you.

Types of Leg Swelling

Two reasons for leg swelling include:

Fluid Accumulation (Edema) and

Inflammation.

A buildup of fluid, which we will focus on

for this eBook, 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 a specific medical

condition, which we will discuss further.

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Inflammation happens when the tissues

in your legs get irritated and swollen. It¡¯s

a natural response if you break a bone or

tear a tendon or ligament, but it also may

be a sign of a more serious inflammatory

condition, like arthritis.

?

Nephrotic syndrome (damage to small

filtering blood vessels in the kidneys)

?

Obesity

?

Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil,

Motrin IB) or naproxen (Aleve)

?

Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue

around the heart)

?

Pregnancy

Leg swelling caused by the retention of

fluid in leg tissues is known as peripheral

edema. Edema is not a disease, but rather

a symptom that can indicate general

health status, side effects of medications,

or underlying medical conditions. It can

be caused by a problem with the venous

circulation system, the lymphatic system,

or the kidneys.

?

Prescription medications, including

some used for diabetes and high blood

pressure

?

Pulmonary hypertension

?

Salt intake

?

Sitting for a long time, such as during

airline flights

?

Standing for a long time

Leg swelling, however, isn¡¯t always a sign of

a heart or circulation problem. You can have

swelling due to fluid buildup simply from

being overweight, being inactive, sitting or

standing for a long time, or wearing tight

stockings or jeans.

?

Thrombophlebitis (a blood clot that

usually occurs in the leg)

?

Venous insufficiency (leg veins with a

problem returning blood to the heart)

Causes of Fluid

Accumulation

Serious Risk Factors

from Swelling

Some of the factors related to fluid buildup

include:

? Acute kidney failure

?

Cardiomyopathy (problem with the heart

muscle)

?

Chemotherapy

?

Chronic kidney disease

?

Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)

?

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

?

Heart failure

?

Hormone therapy

?

Lymphedema (blockage in the lymph

system)

The most serious risk factors associated

with edema are systemic diseases

involving the heart, kidneys, liver, and

lungs. The following are descriptions and

indicators of such risks:

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?

Chronic lung diseases such as

persistent bronchitis or emphysema

resulting in pulmonary edema may

contribute to shortness of breath and

low blood oxygen levels.

?

Chronic venous insufficiency caused by

varicose veins and thrombophlebitis

BETTER HEALTH SERIES VOL. 2

Know Your Symptoms

?

?

?

that results in fluid accumulating in the feet

and ankles.

Although mild cases of edema can

sometimes resolve on their own,

Cirrhosis of the liver can cause increased

unmanaged edema stemming from

pressure in abdominal blood vessels and

chronic, systemic causes can result in

a range of complications. Edema left

present as a bulge from excessive fluid

untreated can cause skin stretching

collected in the abdominal cavity.

to a point of unpleasant itching of the

Congestive heart failure may result in

skin that provokes the urge to scratch

and discomfort accompanied by

pulmonary edema when the heart is

painful swelling, burning, stiffness, and

unable to pump blood efficiently. Increased

difficulty walking.

pressure in the veins that circulate blood

through the lungs eventually pushes fluid

Swollen areas are at increased risk of

skin ulcers and infection. Blood clots in

into the lung¡¯s tiny air sacs, which in turn

deep veins, a condition known as deep

reduces lung capacity.

vein thrombosis (DVT), are more likely

when blood circulation is decreased as

Kidney disease may result in swelling

a result of edema.

around eyes or swelling of legs secondary

to fluid accumulation caused by declining

levels of protein in the blood.

?

Listen to Your Legs

Lymphedema, a disease resulting from

lymphatic system dysfunction, can

Your legs may be telling you something

serious is occurring. The risk factors listed

previously are rare, yet dangerous. But if

caught early on they may be curable or

at least manageable.

cause swelling in the legs or arms. This

edema is from tissue fibrosis produced

by proteinaceous fluid buildup as a result

of this dysfunction. It has various causes

and can be treated and managed, but not

cured.

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If you¡¯re over 60 and your legs are painful

and swollen, chances are it¡¯s not related

to a heart condition. Leg swelling is

connected to the heart about 10-15%

of the time. A more likely explanation

is that it¡¯s linked to reduced blood flow

through the veins in your legs. This

venous insufficiency occurs when valves

in our veins deteriorate. As a result, the

veins no longer transport adequate

amounts of blood from the legs back up

to the heart. When a person has venous

insufficiency, their blood flows back

down the legs and becomes trapped

in the soft tissues of the lower legs and

ankles and that¡¯s when the swelling and

pain occur.

BETTER HEALTH SERIES VOL. 2

The second most common cause of leg swelling in older adults is associated to reactions

to certain medicines. Some of these medicines are related to hormones, such as

estrogens, steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), antidepressants,

diabetes medications, and calcium channel blockers.

While not as common, blood clots in the legs can cause a person¡¯s ankles and legs to

swell. These clots tend to develop on one side of the limb.

There are two main types of blood clot:

? superficial blood clots, which occur in a vein closer to the surface of the skin

?

deep vein blood clots or ¡°deep vein thromboses¡± (DVTs), which occur in a vein deep

within the body

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