What causes women's feet to swell?

Swelling of feet, in fact, this situation will occur when we walk too much. Generally speaking, swollen feet will lead to the appearance of swollen feet. But not all swollen feet are caused by walking, many are caused by diseases. If we cannot distinguish them, it will affect the best treatment period. So, what are the causes of swollen feet in women? There are the following points:

(1) Cardiogenic edema: In cases of right heart failure, exudative or constrictive pericarditis, edema is caused by increased venous pressure in the systemic circulation and increased capillary filtration pressure. The characteristic of cardiogenic edema is that it first occurs in the lower part of the body, often gradually spreading from the lower limbs to the whole body. In severe cases, ascites or pleural effusion may occur. Edema forms slowly. The edema is firm in nature and less mobile. The diagnosis of cardiogenic edema is based primarily on the history and physical signs of heart disease. A significant increase in venous pressure is an important adjunct to diagnosis.

(2) Cirrhosis-related edema: Before the onset of ascites, cirrhosis often causes mild edema of the lower limbs, which first occurs in the ankles and gradually spreads upward. There is usually no edema in the head, face, and upper limbs. In severe cases, ascites and pleural effusion may occur. The history of various chronic liver diseases as well as physical signs and laboratory indicators of liver function damage are the basis for diagnosis.

Cirrhosis of the liver

(3) Malnutrition-induced edema: Chronic wasting disease, long-term nutritional deficiency, protein-losing gastrointestinal disease, severe burns, etc., resulting in hypoproteinemia and vitamin B1 deficiency, can all cause edema. The tissue relaxation and decreased tissue pressure caused by the reduction of subcutaneous fat will aggravate water retention. Edema often spreads gradually from the feet to the whole body.

(4) Systemic edema due to other causes:

① Myxedema: When the condition of hypothyroidism is serious, the skin is infiltrated by mucin and mucopolysaccharide, resulting in characteristic non-pitting edema, called myxedema. It often occurs on the face and anterior tibia.

②Drug-induced edema: The use of certain drugs can cause edema, which is characterized by mild edema after medication and gradually disappears after stopping the medication. The more common drugs are cortical hormones, testosterone, estrogen, insulin, etc. Excessive doses of Rauwolfia, thiourea and licorice can also cause edema.

③ Premenstrual tension syndrome is also edema: it is characterized by mild edema of the eyelids, ankles and hands 7 to 14 days before menstruation, which may be accompanied by breast tenderness and pelvic heaviness. After menstruation, urine volume increases, and edema and other neurotic symptoms gradually subside.

④ Idiopathic edema: It mainly manifests in the sagging parts of the body, more common in obese adult women, often related to emotional and mental changes, accompanied by neurasthenia symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, anxiety, insomnia, etc., and the standing and supine water tests are positive. The cause of this type of edema is unknown, but it may be related to endocrine dysfunction and abnormal response to the orthostatic posture.