Swelling

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Pitting edema on the leg

Swelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by build up of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a rapid increase in weight over a short period of time (days to weeks).

Swelling can occur throughout the body (generalized) or only in a specific part of the body (localized).

See also:

• Ankle, feet, and leg swelling
• Angioedema
• Swollen gums
• Swollen glands
• Facial swelling
• Swelling in the abdomen
• Breast enlargement
• Scrotal swelling
• Joint swelling

Edema; Anasarca

Slight swelling (edema) of the lower legs commonly occurs in warm summer months, especially if a person has been standing or walking a lot.

Generalized swelling, or massive edema (also called anasarca), is a common sign in severely ill people. Although slight edema may be difficult to detect, especially in an overweight person, massive edema is very obvious.

Edema is described as pitting or non-pitting.

• Pitting edema leaves a dent in the skin after you press the area with a finger for about 5 seconds. The dent will slowly fill back in.
• Non-pitting edema does not leave this type of dent when pressing on the swollen area.

• Too much salt or sodium
• Burns
• Sunburn
• Too little albumin in the blood (hypoalbuminemia)
• Poor nutrition
• Pregnancy
• Drugs, including
  • Androgenic and anabolic steroids
  • Certain blood pressure medicines
  • Corticosteroids such as prednisone
  • Estrogen
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Diabetes medicines called thiazolidinediones
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Acute glomerulonephritis
• Chronic kidney disease
• Heart failure
• Liver failure from cirrhosis
• Thyroid disease

Review Date: 12/15/2006
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.