Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of edema (water retention).
Family history
Social history
Current anamnesis/systemic anamnesis (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Do you suffer from swelling and circumferential increases of limbs?
- Have you noticed any other swelling outside the limb?
- Do you have a feeling of tightness in the swollen areas of the body?
- Do you have any other complaints such as:
- Shortness of breath on exertion or at rest* .
- Decrease in performance
- Increased urination at night
- Cough at night
- Bluish skin color
- Weight gain
- Stomach discomfort
- Loss of appetite
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Has your body weight changed unintentionally?
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars, or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (metabolic diseases, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, tumor disease).
- Operations
- Allergies
- Pregnancies
Medication history
- ACE inhibitors (angioneurotic edema; incidence(frequency of new cases): approximately 1%; mortality (death rate): 1%) – benazepril, captopril, cilazapril, enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, moexipril, peridopril, quinapril, ramipril, spirapril
- Alpha-1 receptor blockers (prazosin).
- Analgesics
- Antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs), nonsteroidal (acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), diclofenac, indometacin, ibuprofen, meloxicam, piroxicam).
- Selective Cox-2 inhibitors (coxibe) – celecoxib, etoricoxib.
- Betamimetics (synonyms: β2-sympathomimetics, also β2-adrenoceptor agonists) – fenoterol, formoterol, hexoprenaline, indaceterol, olodaterol, ritodrine, salbutamol, salmeterol, terbutaline.
- Calcium antagonists (primarily dihydropyridine-type/nifedipine-type agents; second- and third-generation agents such as lercanidipine are better tolerated)
- Diuretics – especially loop diuretics such as furosemide and torasemide, which can cause leg edema
- Endothelin receptor antagonists (endothelin receptor antagonists) – bosentan.
- Hormones
- Androgens (testosterone, testosterone antate, testosterone undecaonate).
- Progestogens (etonogestrel, desogestrel, dienogest, levonorgestrel, medroxyprogesterone acetate, medrogestone, norelgestromin, norethisterone).
- Glucocorticoids (cortisone, dexamethasone, prednisolone, prednisone).
- Contraceptives (estrogen-progestin combination).
- Estrogens (ethinyl estradiol, estradiol).
- Growth hormone (somatotropic hormone (STH), human growth hormone (hGH), growth hormone (GH), growth hormone (WH), somatropin (INN)).
- Immunosuppressants (thalidomide).
- Interleukin-2 (IL-2), also known as T-cell growth factor (TCGF).
- Monoclonal antibodies – pertuzumab, trastuzumab.
- Psychotropic drugs – atypical neuroleptics, lithium, MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants.
- Thionamides (carbimazole, propylthiouracil, thiamazole).
- Vasodilators (dihydralazine, minoxidil).
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)
