A common phenomenon caused by serious physical and psychological discomfort is swelling of the legs due to heart failure.
It is in the tissues of the lower extremities that fluid accumulates. Tissue changes more strongly in appearance if there is cardiac dysfunction.
Why is this happening? What causes swelling to appear? What diseases can be hidden? How to relieve all manifestations of swelling quickly at home? Such questions will be addressed in this article.
Distinctive signs of the disease
In addition to leg swelling due to heart failure, there are other types of manifestations. Limbs can become swollen in cases of injury, varicose veins, kidney disease and endocrine system.
In addition, legs swell for other reasons. For example, these include cirrhosis of the liver, thrombosis of peripheral vessels, various phlebitic manifestations and a number of others. To determine the nature of edema, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Swelling of the legs in heart failure has characteristic symptoms. The limbs gradually increase in volume, the phenomenon should occur symmetrically. Edema in heart failure is indicated by the density of the skin when palpated. If you press on the foot, the pits remain. If patients lead an active lifestyle, walking long distances during the day, then cardiac edema of the legs usually occurs in the evenings.
Typically, swelling of the legs is localized in the ankles and feet with complete disappearance in the morning.
With swelling, the bluish skin on the legs becomes tense, shiny and shiny, sometimes it bursts. The skin becomes cold. This is one of the most common causes of heart disease.
If patients move limitedly, then accumulated fluid is hidden under the swelling. It is usually observed in the sacrum, in the sides, and abdomen. This manifestation is typical for elderly patients.
Legs often swell in combination with other manifestations of diseases. Tachycardia, shortness of breath, and weakness may occur. Swelling can be caused as a result of heart problems. It is a consequence of rheumatic diseases that develop against the background of heart disease.
In addition, the leg swells as a result of congenital defects and coronary artery disease. The disease can occur against the background of developing hypertensive, cardiosclerotic, arrhythmic, cardiopathic, myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis manifestations.
Heart failure along with swelling of the legs is observed together with anemia, obesity, and cirrhosis of the liver. The cause of the disease must be determined by a doctor as a result of an examination.
Why does edema develop due to heart pathologies?
With heart disease, fluid begins to retain in the body. This occurs due to increased pressure in the veins and prolonged retention of sodium ions by the kidneys.
When pressure rises in the veins, it also increases in the capillaries, resulting in fluid transfer into the tissues. Due to the disturbed distribution of sodium ions, water is absorbed back into the kidney channels, moisture is concentrated in the lower part of the body.
Fluid accumulation also develops when blood stagnates due to weakening of the heart as a pump.
The causes of cardiac edema may be as follows:
- hypertension;
- cardiomyopathy;
- endocarditis;
- ischemic disease;
- myocarditis;
- arrhythmia;
- pericarditis;
- cardiosclerosis;
- myocardial infarction;
- heart defects;
- atherosclerosis.
These diseases cause a reduction in the release of blood from the organ, as a result of which the pumping of interstitial fluid slows down, the water-salt balance is disturbed and stagnation occurs.
We eliminate swelling of the legs in heart failure with drug treatment
If swelling of the legs is observed due to heart failure, then treatment should begin with a visit to a specialist in a medical facility.
If current diseases of the cardiovascular system occur together with edema, then the doctor will help adjust the prescribed medications for their treatment. A professional will prescribe medications that can eliminate the causes of tumors in the lower extremities. This is possible with the help of glycosides. A specialist can also tell you how to treat the disease. You must strictly follow the dosage prescribed by your doctor.
If you drink more than you should, there may be negative consequences for the body. The person may experience nausea. You may often feel dizzy and have a headache. In addition, cardiac arrhythmia can often be observed. Such manifestations are especially common in older people with uncontrolled treatment.
Excess fluid is removed and blood circulation is facilitated if leg swelling is treated with diuretics, which are diuretics. For a cardiac solution to the problem of insufficiency, Furossemide, Hypothiazide, Piretanide, Veroshpiron, Triamterene or Torasemide are usually prescribed.
But diuretics should be taken carefully so that the body does not become completely dehydrated. The effect of tablets that eliminate edema is enhanced by drinking tea drinks of plant origin.
The attending physician prescribes medications that replenish vitamins and minerals in the blood. Usually, taking Panangin or other drugs containing potassium and magnesium helps replenish the missing substances in the blood.
Diet for health
Treatment of leg swelling due to problems complicated by heart disease will be quick and effective if you change your nutritional preferences. To do this, avoid eating dishes with spicy or overly salted foods. It is necessary to remove seasoned products from the diet, including sauce.
Along with treatment, it is worth reducing the consumption of smoked, sweet, and fatty foods. It is necessary to limit the amount of fried meat and fish products.
In addition, you should be careful when consuming all dairy products, as well as baked confectionery products with a high content of creamy substances.
Patients should steam their meals. The pathology can be eliminated with the help of boiled and fresh vegetable products. You should eat foods that contain potassium every day. This substance can be replenished with dried apricots, raisins, nuts, and seeds. “Remove salt from your diet!” - This advice is given by many doctors and nutritionists.
You should drink more carrot and pumpkin juices. You can relieve tumor-like manifestations with the help of tea drinks; lingonberries and fresh viburnum are used in their preparation, and you can also diversify your diet with fresh cucumbers, cabbage salads and apple juices.
Diagnostics
Diagnosing cardiac edema is not that difficult. The doctor first looks for characteristic symptoms inherent in cardiac edema, then selects the most appropriate diagnostic method. Sometimes a basic examination is enough, sometimes more serious measures are necessary.
Typical examination methods:
- Physical examination . This is the name for approaches that do not require the presence of any special equipment. The doctor simply carefully examines the patient and makes some conclusions, depending on the changes detected.
- Anthropometric data . This type of diagnosis involves tracking changes in the size of various parts of the human body. These changes make it possible to understand whether the problem is progressing or, on the contrary, gradually receding. The patient's weight is also measured because sometimes fluid accumulation is not so easy to notice.
- Radiography . For this diagnosis, the patient takes either abdominal or chest imaging. Radiography allows you to identify locations of fluid accumulation, which will help you further identify the problem and understand how exactly to eliminate it.
- Blood and urine analysis . A urine test is performed to distinguish cardiac edema from renal edema. A blood test can reveal changes in the functioning of various organs.
- Ultrasound . Examination of the swollen area is rarely prescribed, but to analyze internal organs and potentially identify the causes of swelling, this safe research method is used quite often.
- ECG . One of the most common methods for diagnosing various diseases that relate to the heart and blood vessels. The test is very quick and simple, can be performed in virtually any medical department, and the accuracy is sufficient for diagnosis.
- EchoCG . This is a more accurate study of structural changes in the heart, which allows you to diagnose potential problems and pathologies, although it does not directly determine the cause of swelling.
- Venous pressure measurement . This is a very important indicator that signals the presence or absence of stagnation in the veins. Based on this, it is possible to draw certain conclusions about the presence of the disease, as well as its current stage.
- Kaufman experiment . A fairly simple experiment, which, nevertheless, can show the presence of a problem with fairly high accuracy. The patient drinks a large amount of liquid. Then he first lies down, then lies with his legs elevated, then walks or stands. In between these conditions, a urine sample is taken from him, based on which the presence/absence of a problem can be determined.
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Swelling of the legs due to heart failure: how to quickly organize treatment
If your legs increase in size due to heart failure, you can relieve the swelling before going to the hospital. In this case, folk remedies come to the rescue. You can sit comfortably or lie down on the sofa, while raising your feet.
To do this, they usually place several pillows under their knees or roll up a blanket. To stimulate normal blood circulation, doctors recommend wearing elastic stockings and bandages.
To eliminate swelling in the legs due to heart failure, you should drink less fluid (about 1 liter during the day) and eat salt (less than half a teaspoon). Helps get rid of swelling quickly if you adjust your diet. An effective remedy for edema is massage of the lower extremities. Massage intensely in circular motions from the toes to the groin area.
A contrast shower procedure, which can be performed before bedtime, as well as immediately after waking up, effectively relieves symptoms and restores normal blood flow.
In addition, heart disease is effectively relieved with baths and compresses, which we will discuss separately.
Using baths and compresses
Treatment of edema in heart failure is possible with the help of baths. They are made from sage, chamomile, mint, burdock, juniper, pine and spruce extracts. The decoction is prepared like this. The mixture of herbs is diluted with boiling water in the proportion of 3 tbsp. per liter jar. Boil the product for 30 minutes, cool and filter.
To carry out the procedures, you should take a high container. A healing solution is poured into it, and the water should be at a temperature of 40 degrees. After this, the limbs are immersed in water for a 20-minute period.
If a limb is swollen, then alternative treatment can be used. A remedy made from raw potatoes can often remove tumor-like manifestations. Grate the vegetable using a fine grater. The resulting mass is applied to the diseased area, and food or ordinary polyethylene film material is placed on top.
The final stage of the folk procedure is insulation. To maintain optimal temperature conditions, you should use a scarf or woolen handkerchief to cover the surface of your leg. The greatest therapeutic effect is achieved if you use a compress immediately after bathing procedures.
Usually the procedures are carried out in the evening. This is necessary to avoid stress on the legs for 5-7 hours.
Maintaining a daily routine
To improve your health, you should use medications along with dietary modifications. It is necessary to avoid nervous shocks and stressful situations. Daily moderate physical activity will help avoid illness.
If a person is very busy at work or in the household, then alternating work and rest should be carried out. You can walk about a kilometer every day. Shoes should be comfortable, spacious so that the limbs are free, and also provide them with comfort.
Patients should sleep fully for 8 hours. Staying in a horizontal position for a long time will help get rid of the disease effectively. As a result, it is possible to completely eliminate leg swelling due to heart failure. This especially helps older people.
Prevention
The main method of preventing the problem is diet, which consists of the following:
- fractional diet;
- avoiding increased fluid and salt intake;
- good food processing, minimizing frying and smoking;
- a balanced diet and optimal energy value, no more than 2500 kcal per day.
