Causes of Leg Edema

Other than the blood vessels, water can be found in cells and the interstitial spaces between the tissues of the body. What is edema? Edema is a health condition in which there is accumulation and retention of excess water in certain parts of the body. More than normal presence of salt in the body also augments the water retention and causes swelling in the affected area. The body parts that fall prey to water retention and swelling due to edema are the feet, ankles, legs, hands and arms. This condition is also known to occur in the other organs of the body such as abdomen or the peritoneal cavity of the chest. Pulmonary edema is a condition in which the fluid gets accumulated in the lungs. Swelling of the legs due to water retention is medically called peripheral edema. Common symptoms of edema are swelling of skin, stiff joints, high blood pressure, weight loss or gain, and shiny skin in the affected part.

Common Reasons for Leg Edema

The following is a list of the various reasons and situations that can be the possible causes:

• Heart diseases affects its pumping capacity which, in turn, disrupts the pressure and the flow of blood. This may lead to seepage of the watery plasma from the blood vessels to the interstitial spaces between the tissues of the leg where it may get accumulated and cause swelling.
• In malnourished individuals, for the transportation and distribution of the available proteins in the cell nourishing blood, the body may choose to lose its watery part, i.e. plasma to interstitial spaces resulting. The diseases of the liver and thyroid may precipitate edema by affecting the concentration of protein in the blood.
• During exercises, the blood flows to the active parts of the body to feed the muscles. The muscular contraction and relaxations helps with the flow of blood. However, if these muscles are left inactive for a long time, then more than normal amount of blood is supplied to that particular body part. It gets accumulated leading to seepage of plasma and edema.
• Standing or sitting for a long time, without stretching or moving about, affects the movement of blood within the leg and is one of the most common causes of swelling in legs.
• Sometimes, the lymph that flows through the lymphatic system is obstructed and gets accumulated. The condition is termed as lymphedema and is one the causes. Lymphedema compression garments may prove effective in order to avoid swelling due to this condition.
• Allergic reactions to chemicals in food or insect stings may lead to leg edema. In such situations, the body tries to fight off the changes by producing histamine and by mobilizing the cells of the immune system. The aggregation of these cells along with the blood, eventually lead to swelling in the affected area and edema.
• Certain kind of chemicals such as steroids, painkillers, drugs used for hormone replacement, and the drugs used in control of blood pressure can cause edema.
• Diseases drastically affecting the functioning of the kidney can lead to fluid retention in the body and ultimately to edema.
• The problem may also be brought on by internal bleeding resulting in the accumulation of fluid in the legs.
• Ankle edema is a condition which causes the swelling in the ankles, toes and feet in pregnant women.
• There are health conditions in which the varicose veins in the legs become enlarged and painful, and may lead to swelling in lower leg.
• A clot of blood in the arteries or veins of the leg or deep vein thrombosis can obstruct the flow of blood in the legs, leading to the accumulation of the fluid in it and leg edema.
• The other causes are cellulitis, hereditary angioedema and Baker's cyst.

A patient suffering from any of the symptoms of leg edema, should take the situation seriously and seek medical advice as it points to underlying diseases of the heart, liver and kidney. The use of natural diuretics for edema can be considered in order to get some measure of control over it and prevent a bout of severe edema in the leg.