BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuSwellingEdema; AnasarcaSwelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a rapid increase in weight over a short period of time (days to weeks).Swelling can occur all over the body (generalized) or only in one part of the body (localized). Considerations Slight swelling (edema) of the lower legs is common in warm summer months, especially if a person has been standing or walking a lot.General swelling, or massive edema (also called anasarca), is a common sign in people who are very sick. Although slight edema may be hard to detect, a large amount of swelling is obvious.Edema is described as pitting or non-pitting.Pitting edema leaves a dent in the skin after you press the area with a finger for about 5 seconds. The dent will slowly fill back in. Non-pitting edema does not leave this type of dent when pressing on the swollen area. Causes Swelling can be caused by any of the following:Acute glomerulonephritis (a kidney disease) Acute glomerulonephritisAcute nephritic syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur with some disorders that cause swelling and inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidney, o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Burns, including sunburn BurnsBurns commonly occur by direct or indirect contact with heat, electric current, radiation, or chemical agents. Burns can lead to cell death, which c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic kidney disease Heart failure Heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Liver failure from cirrhosis CirrhosisCirrhosis is scarring of the liver and poor liver function. It is the last stage of chronic liver disease.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nephrotic syndrome (a kidney disease) Nephrotic syndromeNephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms and abnormal test results that include protein in the urine, low blood protein levels in the blood, high ch...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Poor nutrition Pregnancy Thyroid disease Too little albumin in the blood (hypoalbuminemia) AlbuminAlbumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood. Albumin c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Too much salt or sodium Use of certain drugs, such as corticosteroids or drugs used to treat heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes Home Care Follow your health care provider's treatment recommendations. If you have long-term swelling, ask your provider about options to prevent skin breakdown, such as: Flotation ring Lamb's wool pad Pressure-reducing mattress Continue with your everyday activities. When lying down, keep your arms and legs above your heart level, if possible, so the fluid can drain. DO NOT do this if you get shortness of breath. See your provider instead.Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional If you notice any unexplained swelling, contact your provider. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will take your medical history and will perform a physical examination. You may be asked about the symptoms of your swelling. Questions may include when the swelling started, whether it is all over your body or just in one area, what you have tried at home to help the swelling. In an emergency situation (pulmonary edema), rapid diagnosis and treatment is important.Physical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem. A physical examinati...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Albumin blood test Blood electrolyte levels Blood electrolyte levelsA comprehensive metabolic panel is a group of blood tests. They provide an overall picture of your body's chemical balance and metabolism. Metaboli...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Echocardiography EchocardiographyAn echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The picture and information it produces is more detailed than a s...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) Electrocardiogram (ECG)An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney function tests Kidney function testsKidney function tests are common lab tests used to evaluate how well the kidneys are working. Such tests include:BUN (Blood urea nitrogen) Creatinin...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Liver function tests Liver function testsLiver function tests are common tests that are used to see how well the liver is working. Tests include:AlbuminAlpha-1 antitrypsinAlkaline phosphata...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Urinalysis UrinalysisUrinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article X-raysX-raysX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include avoiding salt or taking water pills (diuretics). Your fluid intake and output should be monitored, and you should be weighed daily.Avoid alcohol if liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis) is causing the problem. Support hose may be recommended.Liver diseaseThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article HepatitisHepatitis is swelling and inflammation of the liver.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Support hoseYou wear compression stockings to improve blood flow in the veins of your legs. Compression stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up your...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesMcGee S. Edema and deep vein thrombosis. In: McGee S, ed. Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 56.Swartz MH. The peripheral vascular system. In: Swartz MH, ed. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 15.AllVideoImagesTogPitting edema on the leg - illustration Pitting edema occurs when fluid collects in the tissue. By pressing a thumb or finger firmly against the tissue for a few seconds, a dent can be produced. When the finger is withdrawn the dent may persist for several minutes.Pitting edema on the legillustrationPitting edema on the leg - illustration Pitting edema occurs when fluid collects in the tissue. By pressing a thumb or finger firmly against the tissue for a few seconds, a dent can be produced. When the finger is withdrawn the dent may persist for several minutes.Pitting edema on the legillustrationRelated Information Foot, leg, and ankle swelling(Symptoms)Angioedema(Condition)Gums - swollen(Symptoms)Swollen lymph nodes(Symptoms)Facial swelling(Symptoms)Abdomen - swollen(Symptoms)Premenstrual breast changes(Symptoms)Scrotal swelling(Symptoms)Joint swelling(Symptoms)Overweight(Symptoms)Weight control and diet - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 10/20/2022 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. 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SwellingEdema; AnasarcaSwelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a rapid increase in weight over a short period of time (days to weeks).Swelling can occur all over the body (generalized) or only in one part of the body (localized). Considerations Slight swelling (edema) of the lower legs is common in warm summer months, especially if a person has been standing or walking a lot.General swelling, or massive edema (also called anasarca), is a common sign in people who are very sick. Although slight edema may be hard to detect, a large amount of swelling is obvious.Edema is described as pitting or non-pitting.Pitting edema leaves a dent in the skin after you press the area with a finger for about 5 seconds. The dent will slowly fill back in. Non-pitting edema does not leave this type of dent when pressing on the swollen area. Causes Swelling can be caused by any of the following:Acute glomerulonephritis (a kidney disease) Acute glomerulonephritisAcute nephritic syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur with some disorders that cause swelling and inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidney, o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Burns, including sunburn BurnsBurns commonly occur by direct or indirect contact with heat, electric current, radiation, or chemical agents. Burns can lead to cell death, which c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic kidney disease Heart failure Heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Liver failure from cirrhosis CirrhosisCirrhosis is scarring of the liver and poor liver function. It is the last stage of chronic liver disease.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nephrotic syndrome (a kidney disease) Nephrotic syndromeNephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms and abnormal test results that include protein in the urine, low blood protein levels in the blood, high ch...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Poor nutrition Pregnancy Thyroid disease Too little albumin in the blood (hypoalbuminemia) AlbuminAlbumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood. Albumin c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Too much salt or sodium Use of certain drugs, such as corticosteroids or drugs used to treat heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes Home Care Follow your health care provider's treatment recommendations. If you have long-term swelling, ask your provider about options to prevent skin breakdown, such as: Flotation ring Lamb's wool pad Pressure-reducing mattress Continue with your everyday activities. When lying down, keep your arms and legs above your heart level, if possible, so the fluid can drain. DO NOT do this if you get shortness of breath. See your provider instead.Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional If you notice any unexplained swelling, contact your provider. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will take your medical history and will perform a physical examination. You may be asked about the symptoms of your swelling. Questions may include when the swelling started, whether it is all over your body or just in one area, what you have tried at home to help the swelling. In an emergency situation (pulmonary edema), rapid diagnosis and treatment is important.Physical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem. A physical examinati...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Albumin blood test Blood electrolyte levels Blood electrolyte levelsA comprehensive metabolic panel is a group of blood tests. They provide an overall picture of your body's chemical balance and metabolism. Metaboli...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Echocardiography EchocardiographyAn echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The picture and information it produces is more detailed than a s...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) Electrocardiogram (ECG)An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney function tests Kidney function testsKidney function tests are common lab tests used to evaluate how well the kidneys are working. Such tests include:BUN (Blood urea nitrogen) Creatinin...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Liver function tests Liver function testsLiver function tests are common tests that are used to see how well the liver is working. Tests include:AlbuminAlpha-1 antitrypsinAlkaline phosphata...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Urinalysis UrinalysisUrinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article X-raysX-raysX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include avoiding salt or taking water pills (diuretics). Your fluid intake and output should be monitored, and you should be weighed daily.Avoid alcohol if liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis) is causing the problem. Support hose may be recommended.Liver diseaseThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article HepatitisHepatitis is swelling and inflammation of the liver.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Support hoseYou wear compression stockings to improve blood flow in the veins of your legs. Compression stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up your...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesMcGee S. Edema and deep vein thrombosis. In: McGee S, ed. Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 56.Swartz MH. The peripheral vascular system. In: Swartz MH, ed. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 15.