Water retention in the legs should not be underestimated. Because it represents a serious health problem due to the penetration of water into the tissues.
What is water in the legs?
When a patient has water in the legs, it is called edema. When a patient has water in the legs, this is called edema. In most cases, this is manifested by swelling of the leg tissue. Edema usually occurs only for a short time and is localized. They can be diagnosed by applying pressure to the affected areas. If the dent remains for some time after the pressure has ceased, this is indicative of edema.
Causes
Water in the legs can have many different causes. For example, water retention can be a symptom of a serious disease, such as heart or kidney disease. A distinction must be made here as to whether the swelling occurs in one or both legs. In the case of the legs, the causes are venous weakness, lymphedema, deficiency of blood supply, infections or tumors. In the case of swelling on both legs, many diseases are possible causes: lack of exercise, lipedema, disorders of heart and kidney function, diseases of the liver, protein deficiency edema, diabetes or eating disorders can be the causes. But also allergies, poisoning, hormonal disorders, consequences of surgery and certain medications can trigger such swelling of the legs.
Diseases with this symptom
- Heart failure
- Menopause
- Hypertension
- Liver disease
- Quincke’s edema
- Hormonal imbalances
- Eating disorders
- Renal failure
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes mellitus
- Circulatory disorders
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Venous insufficiency
- Kidney inflammation
- Adrenocortical insufficiency
- Allergy
- Lymphatic filariasis
- Lymphedema
Diagnosis and course
For this reason, if there is water in the legs, a comprehensive health check should be performed. In any case, a healthy lifestyle is important. So if you do something against excess weight and exercise regularly, you have already done a lot for prevention. If it has come to this, then a doctor should be consulted quickly, so that the causes can be clarified. The doctor will first take a close look at the feet and legs and then carry out the appropriate therapy. If the water retention has existed for a very long time, functional disorders of the legs are possible. If the water retention leads to a very heavy burden on the affected person, the development of depressive symptoms is also possible. In the course of the diagnosis, the particular medical history of the affected person is also elicited. This is followed by a detailed examination to find out the cause of the underlying disease. After that, a decision can be made about the type and method of treatment.
Complications
Water in the legs develops due to various causes, which can carry different complications. Typically, edema occurs more frequently in kidney weakness (renal insufficiency). In addition, the kidney can no longer remove sufficient toxins from the body, so that poisoning can occur (uremia). This can lead to uremic coma. Furthermore, not enough acid is excreted, so that the blood becomes overacidified. As a result, the body has less free calcium available, so the body suffers many more cramps. In the worst cases, the affected person must undergo dialysis or even a kidney transplant, which greatly reduces the quality of life. Liver weakness (liver insufficiency) also leads to increased water retention in the legs. The liver can then develop into cirrhosis. In this case, the synthesis capacity of the liver is severely impaired. It no longer produces enough proteins, which on the one hand prolongs the bleeding time or also promotes the development of edema. In addition, water can accumulate in the abdominal cavity, resulting in ascites. The scarring of the liver also redirects the blood flow, more blood reaches the spleen, where it is increasingly broken down. Anemia and painful enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) are the result.In the worst cases, cirrhosis of the liver can progress to liver cancer (liver carcinoma).
When should you see a doctor?
Water retention in the legs can have many causes: prolonged standing, obesity, genetic predisposition, medications such as antihypertensives, heat, or too much fluid intake. However, serious health problems can also be behind the complaints. A physician should be consulted if self-help measures are not effective in the long term. If it is not enough to regularly elevate the legs, apply cooling creams such as vine leaf extract or essential oils such as eucalyptus and Japanese mint oil, lose excess weight and exercise regularly, a visit to the doctor is urgently necessary. Water retention in the legs should not be trivialized, because over time vein damage can occur. Moreover, it may be a symptom of another disease. If all self-help measures fail, there may be serious medical causes. Behind water in the legs, for example, may be kidney disease or damaged lymph. The first step should always be to consult a general practitioner, who may be able to remedy the situation, for example by having a blood count done or prescribing medication to flush excess water out of the body. If the suspicion that another disease is present is confirmed, the general practitioner can arrange referrals to special specialists who will get to the bottom of the causes. Symptomatic treatment is then not sufficient.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment must, of course, be based on the underlying disease. Thus, a treatment success is the best and most effective remedy for swollen feet. However, a healthy lifestyle is also very important. Above all, risk factors must be recognized and eliminated. These include, for example, alcohol and nicotine, as these substances can damage the blood vessels. Regular physical exercise is also important. Everyone should find the type of sport that gives them fun and pleasure. However, consultation with the doctor treating the patient is obligatory. Someone who suffers from cardiac insufficiency will perhaps choose a different type of sport than someone with varicose veins. There are a variety of sports that can be perfectly integrated into everyday life; for example, swimming, but also jogging and cycling. Swimming has above all the advantage that it also has a very positive effect on the leg muscles. Since most swimming pools are also open in the evening, this sport can be easily integrated into everyday life. But cycling and jogging are also highly recommended. If you cycle to work every day, you have already done a lot for your fitness. Depending on your needs, other measures may also be necessary. For example, if you sit for a long time, small exercises for in between can help. This is because long periods of sitting can also cause the blood to sink into the legs, resulting in corresponding swelling. This is often a big problem, especially on long flights. This can be counteracted by using compression stockings and occasionally changing the posture of the legs. In any case, some relaxation phases should be built into everyday life. This is because psychological stress and mental pressure can also exacerbate existing conditions and are therefore also significant risk factors.
Outlook and prognosis
Water in the legs is at first sight no clinical picture, which must be necessarily examined and/or treated by a physician. Since water in the legs is merely a symptom of a certain underlying disease, an exact outlook and prognosis is very difficult to predict. Many affected individuals suffering from water in the legs have been in the hot sun for an extended period of time. If a permanent sitting position is now added, water can form in the legs very quickly. However, the water accumulation in the legs should disappear completely by itself after several hours. In some cases, however, there is an underlying disease, so that a doctor should be consulted in the event of water accumulation. In such a case, the legs not only become thicker, but there is also permanent pain in the legs. If, for example, a venous disease is present, then the water no longer flows back out of the legs. In addition, there is an accumulation of blood in the legs, which can lead to circulatory problems.Anyone who wants to counteract this clinical picture quickly and effectively should consult a doctor immediately. Only with appropriate medication can an accumulation of water in the legs be quickly and effectively combated.
Prevention
Of course, the best thing is good prevention. Already aforementioned treatment measures also apply inder prevention. Who is regularly active in sports and also otherwise a healthy lifestyle to the day, which has already done a lot for his health. After all, obesity, smoking and alcohol are also among the biggest risk factors for swelling in the legs. A regular health check at the family doctor is particularly useful from the age of 35.
What you can do yourself
Water retention in the legs can be avoided with some help. Affected people should drink a lot – drinking 2-3 liters of water a day promotes the removal of waste products and lymph fluids. Alternating showers also help, because the alternation of warm and cold water is best suited to purify the legs. Those affected start by showering their legs for about two minutes and then switch to cold. The procedure should be repeated several times – about three to four times. Elevating the legs helps very well against water in the legs. The legs should be elevated as often as possible – relief of the legs is noticeable relatively quickly. Wearing compression stockings is advisable for patients who have to sit a lot. An orthopedic technician will make the appropriate stockings. In many cases, health insurance will cover the costs. To support this, the legs should be regularly rubbed with purifying ointments. A pharmacist can advise on which creams are suitable. The effect can be strengthened, in which the legs with conventional plastic wrap are wrapped and over night highly stored. Lymph drainages are also detoxifying. This special massage technique can be learned and applied to oneself. Medications for draining the legs should be taken only in consultation with the doctor.
