Water retention

Introduction Water retention means that the body has accumulated too much water in the interstitial space and cannot be discharged by urination or the like. Excessive water can cause swelling in a part of the body. Generally, the area below the heart is swollen. One of the most obvious features of water retention is lower extremity edema, especially in the feet and ankles. When you just get up in the morning, the lower extremity edema may not be obvious, but it gradually appears after a few hours of getting up and is aggravated over time. If you press your crotch with your fingers, a small concave will appear on the skin and it will take a long time to return to normal. Medically, this phenomenon is called pitting edema. If there is edema in multiple parts of the body, it is called general edema.

Cause

There are many causes of water retention, the most common of which are impaired renal function, high blood pressure and high blood potassium. At the same time, water retention is also one of the common side effects of immunosuppressants, with glucocorticoids being the most important. Hormones can cause sodium retention in the body, and water is always accompanied by sodium, which results in retention of sodium water. Many of the drugs taken after surgery have varying degrees of nephrotoxicity, and water retention is a sign of severe impaired renal function. Studies have shown that if there is severe water retention before surgery, the chance of water retention after surgery is often significantly increased.

an examination

Related inspection

Blood pressure CT examination

Edema can occur in many parts of the body, usually below the level of the heart, such as the hips, back, and even the forearms. Edema in the legs often causes you to feel pain, especially when trying to walk. Severe edema can make wearing shoes or socks very difficult. If the edema is very severe, the retained moisture will begin to seep through the skin, making the skin surface wet. When the body begins to retain excess water, blood pressure usually increases and causes many complications. The most common of these are Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Edema. Once there is pulmonary edema, you will not be able to get enough oxygen, so you will feel short of breath, and further development can produce symptoms such as cough.

Differential diagnosis

The most important feature of water retention is lower extremity edema. Therefore, it should be differentiated from edema in other parts.

1. Non-concave edema of the limb Non-concave edema: refers to the use of a finger to press the edema of the limb, and the non-concave edema is not immediately present, mainly in mucinous edema caused by hypothyroidism. With the development of vascular surgery, the treatment of acute arterial embolization has made gratifying progress, but the mortality rate and amputation rate of the affected limb are still quite high. The main cause of this result is ischemic rhabdomyolysis and the resulting muscle red. Protein, ion disorder, oxygen free radicals, etc. cause myelphropathic-metabolic syndrome (MMS), which is myopathy and nephrotic metabolic syndrome. In the past, this metabolic change has not been given enough attention, so the patient's prognosis is poor. According to recent literature statistics, the incidence of MMS after acute arterial occlusion is 7% to 37.5%, and its true incidence is still unknown. All patients with MMS should consider the possibility of MMS. Early prominent manifestations were muscle contraction, joint stiffness, and non-concave edema of the affected limb. Patients may develop psychiatric symptoms due to pain, metabolic disorders, and azotemia. The prominent manifestations of revascularization and reperfusion are non-concave edema, cherry red urine, oliguria or anuria and impaired cardiac function.

2. The edema of the ankle and the back of the foot and the edema of the foot are the clinical manifestations of lymphedema. Lymphedema is slower onset, and it is more common to swollen the back of the foot.

3. Calf edema calf edema refers to excessive accumulation of body fluids in the interstitial space outside the calf, edema.

4. Upper extremity edema Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women in China. With the advancement of medical technology, the therapeutic effect of breast cancer has been significantly improved, and a considerable number of patients are expected to achieve long-term survival. However, it should not be overlooked that the treatment of sequelae affects the quality of life of patients to varying degrees. Upper extremity edema is the most common, and edema can cause upper limb dysfunction such as shoulder movement limitation, limb weakness, numbness, pain and other abnormalities, which seriously affect the daily life of the majority of patients.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.