For example, lying in bed with the feet at the level of your heart is generally better than raising your legs while seated. The higher your legs are relative to the level of your heart, the faster fluid will drain out of your legs. Be sure to seek immediate medical attention if you have edema along with new redness and/or warmth, since this may be a sign of cellulitis.Įlevating the legs reduces the effect of gravity and helps the fluid that has collected in the lower legs to drain back to the heart.
Leg fluid retention skin#
Finally, dependent edema is a risk factor for infections of the skin of the legs, known as cellulitis. If you already have a pressure ulcer, dependent edema can prevent or delay healing. Significant foot swelling can cause shoes to fit poorly, potentially leading to pressure ulcers. Dependent edema, especially if long-standing, can cause the skin to become thin, fragile, and more vulnerable to breakdown. The major consequences of dependent edema involve the skin. You should always let your medical provider know if you have any new leg swelling, even if in both legs, since this may be a sign of a new or worsening medical condition. For example, blood clots in the veins of the leg, a bony fracture, or an abnormal bone formation called heterotopic ossification, can all result in new, asymmetric leg swelling and require immediate medical attention. If leg swelling is asymmetric (not the same in both legs), this may be a sign of a more serious medical condition. You can also examine the skin under your sock – an indentation left by the sock is an indicator of edema. If an indentation remains for several seconds after removing your finger (called “pitting”), lower extremity edema is present (see figure on right). A reliable way to detect edema is by pressing a finger into the skin over the lower shin. Though you can usually tell whether edema is present just by looking, legs can sometimes appear normal if the edema is mild. While there are several other medical conditions that can cause lower extremity edema, dependent edema is the most common type among patients with SCI. This type of edema is termed dependent edema (because the legs are “dependent” or hanging down while sitting).
As a result, blood collects in the legs, and fluid from the blood leaks out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.
It occurs more frequently in people with SCI compared to able-bodied individuals because paralyzed muscles are unable to pump blood that has pooled in the legs due to gravity back from the leg veins to the heart. Edema in the lower extremities-feet, ankles and legs- is a common problem among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Leg fluid retention update#
Spinal Cord Injury Update Spring 2015: Volume 24, Number 1 Swollen Feet and Legs: Edema in SCI By Shawn Song, MD, SCI Medicine Fellow, UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine ContentsĮdema is swelling caused by too much fluid in your body’s tissues.
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