Why does edema occur in kidney disease?

Mr. Zhang is in his 50s. He has been feeling weak recently. His calf swelling has become more and more obvious. There is a noticeable depression when he presses his fingers on it. He also feels that he can't wear shoes. He chatted with his friends and learned that if you have kidney disease, you are prone to edema. Hearing this, Mr. Zhang was also worried that there was something wrong with his kidneys, so he rushed to the nephrology department of the hospital for treatment. After the doctor's examination, he was finally diagnosed with kidney disease. What exactly is edema caused by kidney disease? Let's find out together!

What causes edema in kidney disease?

The kidney is the most important excretory organ in the human body. Its main function is to excrete toxins and excess water produced by metabolism. Edema can be caused by many reasons, and different edema has different characteristics. Edema caused by kidney disease is called "renal edema", which is the most common cause of edema in clinical practice and one of the common symptoms of kidney disease.

When the kidneys are diseased, any reason for a decrease in glomerular filtration or an increase in tubular reabsorption can reduce the excretion of water and sodium, causing them to be retained in the body and causing varying degrees of edema in the loose tissue areas.

What are the characteristics of edema caused by kidney disease?

The degree of renal edema can be mild or severe. In mild cases, the eyelids and face are swollen, or even no obvious edema, only weight gain or slight swelling of the eyelids in the early morning, commonly known as "swollen eyelids". As the edema worsens, persistent edema occurs in the face and lower limbs. In severe cases, the patient's eyelids are highly swollen and unable to open their eyes. The most common renal edema is pitting edema, which means that you can see a depression when you press down with your fingers.

Although not all edema is a kidney disease, it should still be taken seriously. Once discovered, go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying the treatment of the disease and ensure your kidney health.