Where is pedal edema

Pedal edema causes swelling of the feet and legs that is often due to standing or sitting in the same position for a long time. Reducing your salt intake in food or doing basic exercises or keeping your feet elevated can reduce swelling. If the edema of the feet is due to an underlying medical condition, it is important to treat that condition to alleviate the edema.

Causes: Swelling in the feet, knees, and ankles can be caused by several factors. In most cases, the majority of the time, swelling is caused by such lifestyle causes, such as: Being overweight: Excessive body mass can decrease blood circulation, causing fluid accumulation in the feet, legs, and ankles.

Standing or sitting for long periods: When the muscles are inactive, they cannot pump body fluids towards the heart. Swelling in the legs can be caused by the accumulation of water and blood. Other possible causes of foot, leg, and ankle swelling include certain medical conditions or body changes, such as: A blood clot in the leg: A blood clot is a group of blood that is in a solid-state. When a blood clot forms in a vein in the leg, it can affect blood flow and cause swelling and discomfort.

Injury or infection: An injury or infection affecting the foot, leg, or ankle causes increased blood flow to the area. This presents as swelling. Venous insufficiency: This condition occurs when the veins cannot pump blood properly, causing blood to pool in the legs. Preeclampsia: This condition causes high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Increased blood pressure can cause poor circulation and swell in the face, hands, and legs. Viome specializes in gut health testing kits — but do they actually work? Find out everything you need to know and more. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with substances added to make it unfit for human consumption. Here's how it's different from I isopropyl alcohol. Learn why this happens, as well as other causes of white patches on your tongue.

The location, hardness, and other characteristics of a pea-sized lump may determine whether the cause is temporary or if you should see the doctor…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Share on Pinterest. Risk factors. Grade Depth Rebound time 1 2 millimeter mm depression, or barely visible immediate 2 mm depression, or a slight indentation 15 seconds or less 3 mm depression seconds 4 8 mm depression, or a very deep indentation more than 20 seconds.

Tips for prevention. Medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M. Read this next. Abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles , feet, and legs is called edema.

Being overweight Blood clot in the leg Increased age Leg infection Veins in the legs that cannot properly pump blood back to the heart Injury or surgery involving the leg, ankle, or foot can cause swelling. Swelling may also occur after pelvic surgery, especially for cancer. Long airplane flights or car rides, as well as standing for long periods of time, often lead to some swelling in the feet and ankles. Swelling may occur in women who take estrogen or during parts of the menstrual cycle.

Most women have some swelling during pregnancy. More severe swelling during pregnancy may be a sign of preeclampsia also called toxemia , a serious condition that includes high blood pressure and swelling.

Swollen legs may be a sign of heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure. In these conditions, there is too much fluid in the body. Antidepressants, including MAO inhibitors such as phenelzine and tranylcypromine and tricyclics such as nortriptyline, desipramine, and amitriptyline Blood pressure medicines called calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, and verapamil Hormones like estrogen in birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy and testosterone Steroids.

Your doctor will take a medical history and do a thorough physical examination, paying special attention to your heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, legs, and feet. The treatment will be aimed at the cause of the swelling. Diuretics may be prescribed to reduce the swelling, but they can have side effects. Home treatment for benign causes of leg swelling should be tried before drug therapy. Pedal edema Overview What are the symptoms? Diagnosis When to seek urgent medical care?

Treatment options Where to find medical care for Pedal edema? Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in your body's tissues. Edema in foot and ankle Open pop-up dialog box Close. Edema in foot and ankle Swelling of the foot, ankle and leg can be severe enough to leave an indentation pit when you press on the area.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Longo DL, et al. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.