What is Edema?

Edema is a medical term for swelling, or inflammation, in the body. Edema occurs when bodily tissues become engorged with fluids leaked from nearby blood vessels. This produces an abnormal accumulation of fluid under the skin, which can affect the entire body or just a body part. As a result, there are multiple classifications for edema based on how and where it manifests. While edema can show up in the lungs, lymph nodes, brain, or eyes, we’ll focus on swelling of the foot and ankle.

Edema in Podiatry

Swelling caused by injury – If you’ve ever twisted an ankle, dropped a weight on your foot, or even had bug bite or severe skin infection, you’ve experienced edema. When any part of the body swells, it is purposefully flooding fluid and white blood cells into the injured area to aid in healing. While the pain and swelling may feel like an annoyance to the injured individual, it’s actually a clever way for the body to “discourage” further use – and potential damage – to the injured area.

Peripheral edema is commonly seen in our podiatry practice. This type refers to the swelling in the extremities: feet, ankles, hands and arms. This type is usually associated with an underlying medical condition, such as lymph node or kidney problems, or those related to poor blood circulation. There is generally a systemic cause at work.

Pedal edema also strikes the feet and ankles. However, its more often seen in older individuals and in pregnant women. Pregnancy symptoms are usually mild in nature. However, during pregnancy, the body produces hormones that encourage fluid retention. Women also retain more sodium and water than usual during this period, leading to increased swelling all over the body: face, hands, lower limbs, and feet. When these fluids begin to accumulate in the feet and ankles, it can cause great discomfort and loss of sensation. It’s not uncommon for mobility to be affected.

Read more...