Treatment: Medication and homeopathy
The treatment of edema is manifold. It starts small with simple means that anyone can perform: Raising the legs and cooling. Compression stockings provide relief and can be prescribed by a doctor.
Lymphedema is treated by manual compression therapy, the so-called lymph drainage. It is also possible to use homeopathic remedies to treat mild oedemas. In homeopathy there are different remedies for the different causes of edema.
In general, Apis mellifica and Apisinum help against swelling, which is used in the treatment of edema. Apocynum and Crataegus are further active ingredients for the homeopathic treatment of edema, which are also used to treat high blood pressure and cardiac insufficiency. Another remedy is potassium carbonicum, which is effective against cardiac insufficiency and thus prevents the development of edema.
Some herbal remedies, such as horse chestnut or red vine leaves, are effective against edema by reducing the permeability of the blood vessels. In addition, there are numerous draining herbal agents (nettle, horsetail, birch leaves). When using these active ingredients, however, a doctor should still be consulted to determine whether the active ingredients are compatible with the underlying disease responsible for the edema.
A helpful measure against edema is also a low-salt diet. Drug therapy is based on the use of diuretics which flush out fluid accumulations. The different types of diuretics have different effects and different indications depending on the underlying disease.
These drugs must be prescribed by a doctor in any case. Slight edema can be treated by a self-experiment with the above mentioned tricks. However, if the edema is pronounced and there is shortness of breath, a doctor should always be consulted.
