Most often, swelling can be seen in the lower leg region. This is due to the fact that it is here that stagnation occurs most easily when the activity of the cardiovascular system is disturbed.
Depending on its severity, edema of cardiac origin can spread only to the feet, lower legs or even reach the area of the knee joint.
How to determine the presence of edema?
Everyone is able to recognize cardiac edema. A photo of this pathological phenomenon will show an increase in the volume of the lower leg and foot of the patient. As a result, even a layman can determine their presence. Cardiac edema in the lower extremities is detected very simply. You just need to press on the edematous region with your finger, and then remove it. If the dent persists for 5-10 seconds after the finger is removed, then this is really about edema. The deeper the dent, the greater the disruption of the cardiovascular system.
In addition to edema, there is also a concept such as "pastiness." It is customary to understand it as practically unexpressed swelling of the legs and feet. In this case, there are practically no traces after pressing with a finger on the affected area. Pastosis, unlike edema, practically does not require additional therapy.
Cardiac edema: causes
At present, it is already reliably known that this phenomenon is observed due to the presence of stagnation in the region of the lower extremities. They occur if the right heart is not able to contract with normal force. This leads to an increase in pressure in the pulmonary circulation, and in particular in the vessels of the lower extremities. At the same time, the venous bed is especially crowded. Subsequently, the hydrostatic pressure in the capillaries rises, and the fluid rushes through the vascular wall into the surrounding tissue. This is exactly how cardiac edema appears. Symptoms indicate the presence of disorders in the activity of the cardiovascular system. So you need to seek help from a specialist in a timely manner.
What to do if swelling occurs?
First of all, a person needs to double-check whether he is taking the medications prescribed to him by the doctor correctly. In the event that all the recommendations were followed, but the swelling of the cardiac origin still appeared, then you should consult a general practitioner or cardiologist. Even before the visit to the doctor, it will not hurt to undergo electrocardiography and ultrasound examination of the heart.
Cardiac leg edema: outpatient treatment
This problem is very common in older patients. At the same time, swelling should not persist for a long time, otherwise they can lead to a sufficiently large number of problems. As a result, if cardiac edema occurs, symptoms of a different nature should not be expected. It is necessary to immediately begin treatment.
First of all, the doctor will evaluate the situation and establish whether cardiac pathology really lies at the basis of the resulting swelling. If the problem is really associated with a violation of the cardiovascular system, then the doctor will prescribe drugs from the group of diuretics. Among them, the most commonly used drugs are Furosemide, Hydrochlorothiazide. However, such treatment is only symptomatic. First of all, the doctor will try to restore the correct activity of the cardiovascular system. The most common drugs that allow her to work are beta-blockers. These drugs reduce the burden on cardiomyocytes, thereby facilitating heart function. In addition, drugs that reduce blood coagulation are necessarily prescribed . The use of drugs that improve the metabolism of cardiomyocytes is also highly desirable. The most effective among them is the drug Thiotriazolin. It is almost the only drug whose effectiveness in improving the metabolism of heart tissue has been proven as a result of serious medical research.
In the event that edema occurs in heart failure, this type of treatment will help to quickly overcome the problem.
Inpatient therapy
If the violation of the cardiovascular system has reached a sufficiently high severity, then medical measures are carried out in stationary conditions. If severe cardiac edema occurs, treatment should not include droppers. The fact is that additional volumes of fluid administered intravenously are capable of further disrupting the activity of the cardiovascular system. As a result of such rash manipulations, the patient may even develop pulmonary edema, and this condition should be treated already in intensive care.
Intravenous drip of drugs is possible only after the swelling of the lower extremities is significantly reduced. In addition, the doctor must evaluate if there is fluid in the lung tissue. Most often, people with this pathology are injected with the so-called potassium polarizing mixture in this way. This mixture of drugs significantly improves the activity of the cardiovascular system.
As for diuretics, among others the most widely used in stationary conditions drug "Furosemide". In a hospital, he is usually given intravenously in a jet stream. Moreover, even before the injection, the doctor evaluates the level of blood pressure of the patient. If it is too low, then the introduction of diuretics should be delayed. In the case when the patient takes antihypertensive drugs, then they just adjust the scheme of their use. If the patient does not use such medicines, then the person has to use drugs that increase blood pressure. Among them, the most commonly used drug is Prednisolone.
How to prevent the development of edema?
First of all, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner when the first signs of a violation of the cardiovascular system occur. In addition, it is very important to fully comply with the recommendations that were provided to them.
It should also be noted that excessive intake of sodium contributes to fluid retention in the body. This leads to the appearance of congestion in the lower extremities. In order to prevent the accumulation of a large amount of sodium in the body, excessive consumption of sodium chloride should be avoided. Doctors and nutritionists advise limiting its amount in the diet to 3 g per day.
Which diuretic is better?
Many patients among the diuretic drugs prefer the drug "Furosemide". This state of affairs is due to the fact that it quickly removes cardiac edema. Symptoms of cardiovascular failure often disappear within the first two days. Unfortunately, such a medicine cannot be a panacea for any cardiac edema. The fact is that the constant use of the drug "Furosemide" contributes to the accelerated elimination of potassium and magnesium from the body. As a result, with prolonged use, this medicine can aggravate the course of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
In the event that the drug "Furosemide" is prescribed for a long time, it is very advisable to combine its administration with the drug "Asparkam". It will help the body replenish mineral reserves.
A sufficiently popular diuretic is the drug "Hydrochlorothiazide". This drug has a much less pronounced effect than the drug "Furosemide". Accordingly, it does not cause such a serious loss of mineral substances from the body. As a result, this medicine can be taken almost on an ongoing basis. Cardiac edema under its influence does not go away immediately. A certain effect can be observed after about 3-4 days.
The danger of prolonged edema
In itself, this phenomenon is not dangerous if it does not persist for a long period of time. If cardiac edema is quite pronounced and lasts 1-2 weeks, then this can lead to serious problems. The fact is that when severe swelling occurs on the lower extremities, blood vessels are squeezed. This is especially true for small-caliber arteries and veins. As a result, the blood supply to peripheral tissues is disturbed. This leads to a deterioration in their nutrition and, as a consequence, a gradual withering away. So even trophic ulcers can occur. If you do nothing for a long period of time, then the processes of tissue degeneration can reach even greater severity. In this case, the solution to the problem is often only surgical.
What does such edema look like?
First of all, an increase in the volume of the lower extremities should be noted. First of all, we are talking about the legs and feet. Moreover, in some cases, very pronounced cardiac swelling of the legs is observed. Treatment, if carried out, significantly reduces the volume of the legs, but does not always return it to normal. When pressing on the edematous region, a dent remains on it, which does not pass for 10 seconds.
Unlike other edema
It is worth noting that this phenomenon is observed not only in the pathology of the cardiovascular system. Edema can occur for completely different reasons. As for the lower extremities, they can also appear here due to joint pathology. For example, with rheumatoid arthritis, quite pronounced swelling may occur. The difference here can be that edema of cardiac origin is not accompanied by painful sensations in the small joints of the lower extremities. With rheumatoid arthritis, she is more worried in the morning. In addition, with joint pathology on the surface of the edematous region, the temperature of the skin is increased.
With allergic reactions, edema also occurs. On the legs, it appears as a result of contact with any plant or the bite of an insect. As a result, a history is very important. In this case, the symmetry of the occurrence of edema plays an important role. In allergic reactions, it will be observed on that limb that has been in contact with a plant or an insect bite. Cardiac edema is usually symmetrical. In addition, allergic manifestations are quickly stopped by the introduction of antihistamines. Cardiac edema with this treatment will not disappear.