What is edema? What is leg edema? Before discussing about the causes of leg edema, we shall first discuss what does edema and leg edema mean. Edema is basically defined as swelling caused due to fluid retention.
The problem basically occurs when the tissues of the body trap in excess fluid than what is normally required. Edema can occur in various body areas like legs, feet, ankles, arms, and hands. When there is excessive fluid accumulation in the legs, the problem is termed as leg edema. There are various causes of leg edema, which are broadly classified into common causes and uncommon causes.
Common Causes of Leg Edema
A few common causes of leg edema have been discussed as under:
Alcoholism
The most common cause of leg edema is alcoholism. People who drink alcohol on regular basis are at the risk of being affected by leg edema at some point of time in life.
Obesity
Another common factor responsible for leg edema is obesity. Overweight people are at the higher risk of being affected by excessive accumulation of fluid in the legs than people who are in good health.
Trauma
A person in a traumatic situation may also suffer from leg edema.
Varicose Veins
In case of few people, veins are easily visible on the skin. Such people may be at the risk of being affected by edema.
Congestive Heart Failure
One of the common causes of leg edema is congestive heart failure. It is a serious health disorder in which the heart stops functioning in an appropriate manner due to insufficient supply of blood. Excessive build up of fluid occurs at times in case of heart patients, thus leading to edema.
Pregnancy
The problem of leg edema is also noticed in case of pregnant women. The increasing weight of the women during pregnancy is the major factor responsible for excessive accumulation of fluid in the legs.
Uncommon Causes of Leg Edema
The uncommon causes of leg edema are discussed below:
Burns
Skin burns with symptoms of skin peeling, skin blistering, and reddening skin may result in edema.
Scleroderma
Scleroderma refers to an autoimmune disease which attacks body’s connective tissues. The skin becomes hard in this case. Fluid build-up may occur as a result. This eventually causes edema.
Prolonged Standing
Though quite uncommon, leg edema may also occur due to prolonged standing. A person standing continuously for a number of hours may have fluid build-up in the legs, subsequently resulting in leg edema.
Malnutrition
Leg edema may also occur in case of malnourished people. People who do not take proper care of their diet, and have extremely less body weight are at the risk of being affected by leg edema. With the help of eliminating the causes of leg edema, the problem can be prevented to a great extent. It is important for an individual to follow a healthy diet plan so that the body remains in good shape. Both excessive body weight and less body weight can pose problems. Further, most importantly, bad lifestyle habits of smoking and alcohol consumption should be eliminated from life to prevent edema.
