Swelling is an unhealthy symptom. This condition is not an independent disease, but it always signals a malfunction in the body of an elderly person. Swelling is an accumulation of fluid in a specific part of the body. Older people are most often worried about swelling in the legs: foot, ankle and knees. Do not be afraid of this symptom - you just need to draw conclusions about possible diseases and begin to treat them.
Chronic diseases and a tendency to swelling of the legs
Most often, this is a signal about the appearance of chronic diseases characteristic of the elderly. The inability of the heart to pump thousands of liters of blood, as in the old days, leads to the accumulation and stagnation of fluid below the waist. In chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, there may be swelling in the knees and ankles, even the toes swell.
Kidney problems - advanced pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, urolithiasis - can also cause swelling. Often there is an option when, due to type 2 diabetes mellitus, the death of kidney cells begins, renal failure progresses - one serious disease entails another, no less terrible. In both of these cases, the patient will suffer from swelling of the lower extremities. In both diabetes and renal failure, this is a frequent and significant symptom in treatment.
Photo of leg swelling in the elderly:
Causes of edema in the elderly
Here are the most common, relatively safe causes of swelling of the lower extremities in old age:
- traces after wearing tight socks, clothes or shoes;
- water retention in tissues due to chronic diseases;
- long legs in a position above the region of the heart;
- varicose veins complicates blood flow and leads to swelling;
- a large amount of salted and spicy food eaten on the eve;
- excessive alcohol libation can trap up to three extra liters of fluid in the body.
If the body is healthy, all waste water through the capillaries should be transported from the intercellular space through the venous bed. This process can be hindered by problems with blood pressure in the peripheral vessels, with the permeability of the vessel walls. The absorption of proteins and the presence of sodium in the blood also affect the process of fluid retention.
Treatment of lymphatic edema
Leg swelling in older people (the causes and treatment are considered in this material) can occur not only due to water retention, but also because of a violation of lymph outflow. Such a process in medicine is called lymphostasis. In the process of failure of the outflow of lymphatic fluid in the elderly, the feet and ankles can swell strongly.
Lymphatic edema of the foot is called lymphedema. Based on statistics, you can call this symptom rather rare. Only about 7% of older people and 3% of young people suffer from chronic lymphostasis.
Loss of former tone and patency of the lymphatic vessels is observed with lymphadenitis and leads to their expansion. As a result, the normal operation of the valves of other vessels is disrupted. As a result, lymph stagnation occurs and severe swelling appears. Doctors usually associate such processes with malfunctions of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system.
With improper treatment, this ailment can progress, the legs will be less and less mobile, and the case may end for the patient with a lifelong disability.
Renal edema
Kidney disease is the most common cause of leg swelling in an older person. Treatment in such cases is serious. First you need to go to the hospital - there, with the help of special tests, daily urine collection, doctors will find out how much the kidneys have retained their function. Most often, a sick person is prescribed a strict diet with a low content of salt and protein (table No. 7). If inflammation is detected in the tissues of the kidneys, antibiotic therapy is necessary. If there are stones, a diuretic is prescribed and, in some cases, surgical treatment. If it comes to kidney failure, then hemodialysis is necessary. You should not be afraid of kidney problems - the faster the patient goes to the doctor, the easier and more successful the treatment will be.
Drugs for treating leg swelling in older people with kidney problems: Kanefron, Ursofalk, Renel, Fitolizin. On taking any medication, you must first consult with your doctor or therapist or nephrologist.
What does swelling of the feet signal?
List of the most common reasons why the feet of the elderly swell :
- Diseases of the blood vessels, acute and chronic disorders of venous blood flow.
- Joint problems - polyarthritis, osteoarthritis.
- Diseases of the internal organs caused by insufficient blood circulation - pathologies of the heart, liver, endocrine disorders.
Swelling of the legs in the elderly, in particular the feet, should not be allowed to drift. Of course, this condition will not pass, whether it is a violation of the water-salt balance or lymphostasis. Be sure to consult, at least, with a therapist and pass basic blood and urine tests.
Leg swelling in the elderly: treatment for diabetes
Diabetes is an incurable disease characterized by a once and for all disturbed carbohydrate metabolism. Edema in diabetes is a frequent companion. Usually not only the lower limbs suffer, but also the hands and face.
Swelling of the legs in the elderly and blueness of the extremities in diabetes are more often characteristic of the course of the first type of disease. Be careful: blue areas of the body are also characteristic of microstrokes. If it’s hard for the patient to breathe and speak, do not hesitate and urgently call an ambulance!
Treatment of leg swelling in the elderly with redness of the limbs should be carried out under the supervision of doctors. Redness and the appearance of the vascular network are characteristic of type 2 diabetics. But sometimes it can just be a manifestation of chronic venous insufficiency.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system and swelling
This phenomenon is called cardiac edema in medicine . It is characteristic of men over sixty years old and women over forty. This is the result of a violation of the normal concentration of blood components and spikes in blood pressure. Such problems begin due to circulatory disorders. The liquid, due to the action of gravity, flows to the lowest parts of the body. If a person stands for a long time - these are legs, if lying - head and internal organs, if sitting - coccyx.
Treatment of the causes of leg edema in an elderly person is possible only after an accurate diagnosis. From the side of the cardiovascular system it can be cardiomyopathies of various origins, rheumatism, amyloidosis, pulmonary heart, arrhythmias, cardiosclerosis, congenital heart defects.
Which doctor should I contact?
To establish the exact causes of leg edema in the elderly and further treatment, it is necessary to first contact a local therapist. He will prescribe a minimum of tests - a biochemical blood test, a general analysis of urine, ultrasound of the kidneys and digestive tract. Surely some indicator in the analyzes will deviate from the norm.
After that, the therapist will give direction:
- to a nephrologist - if creatinine or urea is increased, there will be sediment, white blood cells or protein in the urine,
- to the cardiologist - if the patient complains of pain in the heart,
- to the endocrinologist - if the blood sugar level is disturbed.
Diet for swelling
Removing fluid retention is very easy with special nutrition. If there are no serious pathologies, then just minimize the salt in the diet. It is necessary to completely delete the sharp and salty dishes, canned food, chips, beer, alcoholic drinks, fried nuts. You also need to reduce the use of fried foods.
Preference should be given to lean meat, stewed and steamed vegetables without the addition of salt and spices. Salt should also not be added to cereals. Diet alone is already part of the treatment of leg edema in the elderly. The reasons may be different, but it will be necessary to establish nutrition in any case.
An approximate diet for swelling of the legs
The optimal diet for the treatment of leg edema in the elderly, the causes of which are fluid retention:
- Breakfast - oatmeal without salt, in water or skim milk. For taste, you can add a spoonful of honey, dried fruits.
- Snack - one banana (will help replenish potassium reserves for the normal functioning of the heart muscle) or an apple. You can eat a handful of raw nuts, most importantly - not fried and not salted.
- Lunch - vegetable soup made of potatoes, cauliflower and herbs. Chicken fillet goulash. Salt can be added to the broth - very little so that it is possible to eat without disgust.
- Snack - a pack of low-fat cottage cheese (a source of calcium, protein, essential amino acids).
- For dinner, skim milk with 50 g whole grain bread. You can bake your favorite fish in foil, make a turkey steak. All without the addition of salt, oils, fats, spices, cheese.
Drug treatment
Diuretic drugs according to the principle of exposure are:
- thiazide;
- loopback;
- osmotic;
- potassium-sparing.
Old people often buy cheap diuretics, such as Furosemide, Torasemide, Veroshpiron. Try to explain to your elderly relatives that these drugs are dangerous to health and belong to the class of obsolete medicines with many side effects. Before thoughtlessly swallowing the diuretics of the old generation, it is necessary to diagnose and establish the cause of leg edema in the elderly.
Edema most often occurs as a result of impaired activity of the heart muscle or urinary system. Only comprehensive treatment will help to eliminate it, getting rid of the underlying disease. The most popular medications for heart swelling of the legs are:
- diuretics ("Pyrethanide", ethacrylic acid);
- cardiac thiazides ("Dichlothiazide");
- loop diuretics.
For edema due to varicose veins, medications are prescribed to thin the blood. For example, Cardiomagnyl, Detralex, Eskuzan.
Folk recipes against puffiness
At home, treatment can also be very effective. There are many popular recipes with a mild diuretic effect that promote blood thinning.
Folk remedies for leg edema in the elderly, the causes of which are fluid retention, are presented below:
- Every evening, take foot baths with salt, soda and infusions of herbs (clover, chamomile, dandelion). Such procedures will help relieve leg fatigue and will be especially effective for older people who lead an active lifestyle and spend many hours standing or sitting.
- Establishes the water-salt balance of flaxseed decoction. Boil a teaspoon with boiling water, let it brew. Take half a cup half an hour before meals - after a month, swelling of the limbs will become much less pronounced.
- If the taste of flaxseed decoction seems unbearable - try figs. His infusion has similar properties. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the outflow of bile and in general has a restorative effect on the body.
- Add a sprig of mint to your usual tea. The decoction of this plant has hemorrhaging properties and helps prevent leg swelling.
- When resting, try to slightly raise your legs: place a pillow or roller under them. This will contribute to the outflow of blood from the lower extremities and reduce their swelling. You can ask someone to do a light foot massage, disperse blood - this is very useful.
- A decoction of parsley, wild rose, bear ears has excellent diuretic properties. You can mix the crushed dry leaves and fruits of these plants in equal proportions (for example, one tablespoon), or you can use an infusion of only one rose hip or only parsley. The main thing is to take such a decoction daily for at least two weeks. Fluid retention will become less, and puffiness will also partially disappear.