Edema

Summary

Edema means swelling caused by fluid in your body’s tissues. It usually occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, but it can involve your entire body.

Causes of edema include:

• Eating too much salt
• Sunburn
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Liver problems from cirrhosis
• Pregnancy
• Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
• Some medicines
• Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

To keep swelling down, your health care provider may recommend keeping your legs raised when sitting, wearing support stockings, limiting how much salt you eat, or taking a medicine called a diuretic – also called a water pill.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Encyclopedia

• Abdomen – swollen Medical Encyclopedia
• C1 esterase inhibitor Medical Encyclopedia
• Facial swelling Medical Encyclopedia
• Hydrops fetalis Medical Encyclopedia

Patient Handouts

• Abdominal tap Medical Encyclopedia
• Angioedema Medical Encyclopedia
• Foot, leg, and ankle swelling Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary edema Medical Encyclopedia
• Swelling Medical Encyclopedia

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Edema National Institutes of Health

Treatments and Therapies

• Diuretics Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Start Here

• Edema American Academy of Family Physicians
• Edema Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• When Body Parts Swell: Taking a Closer Look at Edema National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Foot Swelling during Air Travel: A Concern? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hand Swelling during Exercise: A Concern? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hives and Angioedema Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Leg Swelling Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Pulmonary Edema Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• What Is Macular Edema? American Academy of Ophthalmology

Find an Expert

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Journal Articles

• Edema

Women

• What Causes Ankle Swelling during Pregnancy — and What Can I Do about It? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research