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Peripheral or dependent edema is the accumulation of fluid in the parts of the body that are most affected by gravity. In ambulatory people these are the legs1. As people age, the body naturally loses some power of circulation, making it more likely for gravity to pull fluids to the lower extremities, and less likely for that fluid to be put back into the body's circulation. The most common way to treat this is elevation of the legs and compression stockings.

  • high hydrostatic pressure of the veins, leading to poor reabsorption of fluid
    • venous obstruction, e.g. deep vein thrombosis (typically one-sided)
    • congestive heart failure
    • varicose veins
    • asymmetric compression of thigh and leg (e.g., knee pads, tight jeans)
  • low oncotic pressure
    • cirrhosis
    • malnutrition
    • nephrotic syndrome (renal protein loss)
    • epidemic dropsy
  • obstruction of lymph drainage
    • infection
    • cancer
    • fibrosis after surgery
    • filariasis
  • inflammation (active secretion of fluid into the interstitial space due to increased membrane permeability by inflammatory mediators):
    • allergic conditions (e.g. angioedema)
    • any other form of inflammation (tumor - or swelling - is one of the main characteristics of inflammation)1



      1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edema





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Wiki User

14y ago

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More answers

your tissues fill with fluid or what doctors like to call edema. this can be from a number of underlying causes such as a side effect from certain medications a person may take, etc. also if you have swelling in your feet/ankles/calves that could be an indication of pulmonary edema which is when the lungs fill with fluid [I know this because this is what my mother had]. best advice go to a doctor and get checked out.

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Wiki User

15y ago
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Any number of things can cause the swelling. It depends if it is temporary or long term. If it is long term it is probably Arthritis. If it is temporary it is probably a sprain or injury. Still, going with 50% probability without knowing more information only gives you the best first guess and it is a wild guess. That leaves a great margin for error. The common condition is called oedema. It is a fluid build up around the articulated joints and normally associated with long periods of bed rest or immobility.

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Wiki User

15y ago
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Knees hurt so much because you use them in your everyday routine and all of your body is realigning on your legs but mainly your knees.

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Wiki User

15y ago
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inflammation or liquid in between the bones and cartilage

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Wiki User

14y ago
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you swell because of the pressure inside your skin and muscles making your muscles pop a bit out.

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ISAAC YEN

Lvl 2
4y ago
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Inflammation

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Wiki User

11y ago
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Yes

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Wiki User

13y ago
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I don’t know

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Anonymous

4y ago
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