Water Retention (Edema): Causes

Pathogenesis (development of disease)

Possible causes of edema are varied. Increased hydrostatic pressure (pressure in the vascular system), decreased oncotic pressure (hypoproteinemia, i.e., decrease in blood protein), increased capillary permeability (vascular permeability), or disturbances in lymphatic drainage can cause edema formation.

Etiology (Causes)

Biographic factors

  • Gravidity (pregnancy)

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • High intake of sodium and table salt – permanently increased sodium intake can lead to edema.

Causes related to disease

Increased hydrostatic pressure

Reduced oncotic pressure

  • Exudative enteropathy (protein wasting syndrome).
  • Liver parenchymal damage
  • Nephrotic syndrome – collective term for symptoms that occur in various diseases of the glomerulus (renal corpuscles); symptoms include: Proteinuria (increased excretion of protein in the urine) with a protein loss of more than 1 g/m²/body surface per day; Hypoproteinemia, peripheral edema due to hypalbuminemia of < 2.5 g/dl in serum, hyperlipoproteinemia (lipid metabolism disorder).

Capillary wall damage – damage to the small vessels.

Disorders of lymphatic drainage in

  • Inflammation – for example, erysipelas (acute areal skin infection caused by streptococci ) or arthritis (inflammation of the joints).
  • Filariasis – infection with filariae, a type of nematode.
  • Lymphatic aplasia – failure to develop – or hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of lymphatic vessels.
  • After radiatio (radiotherapy)
  • After surgical interventions
  • Tumors

Drugs

Operations

  • Especially after major surgery with removal of larger portions of tissue, the drainage of lymphatic fluid can be impeded