National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Edema is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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National Institutes of Health
Edema
Also called: Dropsy
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.
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Edema(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Edema (Swelling) (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
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Treatment
- Diuretics(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Specific Conditions
- Foot Swelling during Air Travel: 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)
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Related Issues
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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Return to top
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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure?
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Health Check Tools
- Abdominal Swelling(DSHI Systems)
- Leg Swelling (Both Legs)(DSHI Systems)
- Leg Swelling (One Leg)(DSHI Systems)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Edema(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Edema
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Women
- Ankle Swelling during Pregnancy: Is It a Concern?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Patient Handouts
- Abdominal tap
- Also available in Spanish
- Foot, leg, and ankle swelling
- Also available in Spanish
- Pulmonary edema
- Also available in Spanish
- Swelling
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
Edema - Multiple Languages