What you should know about edema
What is edema?
Edema (say: eh-DEE-mah) is swelling or puffiness of parts of the body.
Edema usually happens in the feet, ankles, and legs. It also can affect the face and hands. Pregnant women and elderly people often get edema, but it can happen to anyone.
What causes edema?
Edema happens when water gets trapped in the tissues in your body.
Many things can cause this to happen. Sometimes gravity pulls water down into your legs and feet. Sitting in one place for too long can cause edema of the legs. Eating food with too much salt can make the problem worse.
Congestive heart failure and liver, kidney, and thyroid diseases can cause edema. You cannot catch edema from other people. It does not run in families.
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