In addition to the diseases of the venous system, which can be the cause of swollen or thick legs , impairments of the lymphatic system, the internal organs and infections often play a role in the formation of edema in the limbs.
(Image: toa555 / fotolia.com)
Table of Contents
- Swollen legs: causes
- Lymphatic system disorders
- Swelling of the legs due to infectious diseases
- Disease of the internal organs
- Heart failure
- Kidney disease
- Acute kidney failure
- Chronic kidney failure
- Kidney weakness
- Liver disease
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver
- Thyroid disease
- Underactive thyroid
- Cancer and tumor diseases
Swollen legs: causes
There are many different causes for swollen legs, such as
- Diseases of the lymphatic vessels,
- Infectious diseases,
- Disease of the internal organs,
- Heart failure,
- Kidney disease,
- Liver disease,
- Thyroid disease,
- Cancer and tumors.
Lymphatic system disorders
The lymphatic vessels also carry part of the body fluid, the so-called lymph (watery, light yellow fluid), as well as small amounts of proteins from the tissue. Lymphatic system disorders as well as impairments of the venous system often result in a build-up of body fluid in the legs. This is manifested by swelling in the area of the ankles and feet, with the toes generally also swelling significantly. In most cases, only one leg is affected and the toe swelling occurs first. Swelling caused by impaired lymphatic function is called lymphedema. Due to the restricted lymphatic drainage, fluid collects between the cells.
Swelling in the legs often begins in the toes and feet. (Image: toa555 / fotolia.com)
The causes of lymphedema can be of many different types. Some forms (primary lymphedema) are congenital and appear for the first time up to the age of 35. Other forms are caused by damage to the lymphatic vessels that may result from surgery, radiation, infection, cancer, or cancer therapy. Damage to the nerves during a stroke can also cause lymphedema. In the course of the disease, the symptoms increase continuously, with the swollen toes barely noticeable at first to many affected people, especially since they usually go back relatively quickly when the legs are raised. Over time, however, the swelling increases and passes to the foot or ankle, lower leg and finally the whole leg. The swelling of the leg can take on dimensions that correspond to a multiple of the original body part. The skin feels increasingly rough. So-called fibrosis (pathological multiplication of the connective tissue) arise. Raising the legs no longer brings relief and without therapeutic countermeasures, the leg swelling hardens, which can lead to considerable impairments in mobility. Blisters, eczema and small, poorly healing wounds form on the skin.
Swelling of the legs due to infectious diseases
Infections are considered to trigger the thick legs, with the so-called erysipelas being one of the more common causes of swollen limbs. The bacterial infection of the upper layers of skin and lymphatic vessels, also known as wound rose, is caused by pathogens from the genus of streptococci, which can penetrate the tissue if the skin is injured. The infection spreads through the lymphatic system and manifests itself as overheated swelling and severe reddening of the skin. The symptoms are usually limited to a certain area, but can spread relatively quickly in the course of the infection. Those affected often suffer from fever and chills in parallel . In rare cases, other infectious diseases can occurCausing damage to the vessels, causing a build-up of body fluid in the legs. In such cases, leg swelling is only indirectly due to the infections. The real cause of the swollen limbs here is the damage to the lymphatic and blood vessels.
Disease of the internal organs
A disease of the internal organs is often the cause, especially in the case of swelling on both legs. Organs that are directly related to the bloodstream or lymphatic system are mostly affected.
Heart failure
For example, chronic heart failure (impaired function of the heart muscle) can cause swollen legs. Due to the so-called right heart failure (a subfunction of the right half of the heart), the organ can no longer provide the required pumping power and the pressure conditions of the body fluids become out of balance. The increase in pressure in the coronary veins near the heart causes the blood to back up, with the consequences already mentioned above. The causes of cardiac insufficiency include, for example, chronic high blood pressure, a previous heart attack , coronary heart disease (diseases of the coronary arteries), other heart diseases, Heart valve defects and cardiac arrhythmia. Malfunctioning of the thyroid gland, certain lung diseases and the so-called anemia can also cause chronic heart failure.
Swollen legs can be the result of heart failure. (Image: ag visuell / fotolia.com)
Chronic heart failure usually manifests itself in the initial stage through swelling on the back of the feet, which mainly occurs in the evening. When lying down, the swelling initially subsides, so that those affected usually have no swollen legs in the morning after getting up. Many patients notice the changes for the first time when they no longer fit shoes in the evening that they can easily slip into in the morning. As the disease progresses, the swelling can increase significantly and also cover the ankle or the front of the lower leg. Since the fluid accumulation in the legs is broken down during the night, those affected have to interrupt their sleep more often to go to the toilet. In addition to the swollen legs are chronic fatigue, Shortness of breath and a general decrease in performance as a result of heart failure. In addition, there is often a massive increase in weight in the patients. In addition, fluid accumulations are also forming in other parts of the body.
Kidney disease
The edema in the legs is sometimes the result of kidney disease, which in turn can have numerous different causes. The swollen legs are often based on a kidney weakness due to illness. Since the kidneys make a significant contribution to regulating the metabolism, the water-salt balance in the organism and blood pressure, impairments of the kidney function can unbalance the fluid balance in the body and thus cause fluid accumulation in the legs. A distinction must be made between acute and chronic kidney failure. While acute kidney failure usually has reversible symptoms, chronic kidney failure is based on irreversible damage to the kidney.
Acute kidney failure
Acute kidney failure can be caused, for example, by misuse of medication, the sudden worsening of longstanding kidney disease or by acute events such as accidents, infections, operations and blood poisoningto be triggered. The cleansing of the blood is acutely impaired by the so-called nephrons (kidney bodies and tubules). The nephrons normally ensure that superfluous substances are excreted, while important substances and liquids are retained in the body. If the nephrons are not fully functional, the toxins can no longer be filtered out sufficiently and spread throughout the body. In addition, the balance of fluid balance is affected. The result is, among other things, fluid retention in the legs.
Chronic kidney failure
Chronic kidney failure can also cause recurrent leg swelling. Chronic kidney weakness is usually caused by diabetes or high blood pressureInflammation and infections of the kidneys, constrictions in the urinary system and hereditary kidney diseases can also trigger chronic kidney failure. As the progressive damage to the kidney can in the worst case result in a complete loss of function of the organ, urgent medical attention should be sought if there are signs of renal insufficiency. The important functions that the kidneys perform in the human body include the elimination of metabolic toxins, the regulation of the fluid balance (via water excretion), the electrolyte balance (via the ion concentration in the body fluids) and the acid-base balance(about the excretion of acid). The kidney also has a decisive influence on the release of hormones that regulate blood pressure.
Kidney weakness
Thick legs are one of the first recognizable symptoms that can indicate kidney weakness. In some cases, the edema extends over the entire leg to the hip. Such leg swellings are usually neither sensitive to pressure nor pain. If the affected person has to go to the toilet and excrete very light or cloudy urine at the same time, this can also indicate kidney failure. Kidney pain , fever and high blood pressure are also accompanying symptoms of kidney failure. In the later course of the disease, the increased urge to urinate diminishes and those affected can hardly ever excrete urine. In addition, in the late stage of kidney failure, additional health impairments such as nausea and vomiting ,Headache , fatigue , visual disturbances, muscle twitching or itching and the skin begins to change color.
Liver disease
Another possible cause of swollen legs is liver disease. The liver takes over the vital production of protein substances, utilizes food components, is responsible for the production of bile and thus makes the main contribution to the breakdown or excretion of metabolic products, medicines and toxins. The liver also regulates the nutrient content of the blood. The nutrients absorbed via the intestine are transported with the blood through the portal vein (vena portae) to the liver, where additional nutrients can be released into the blood or nutrients can be removed from the blood as required. If the liver’s function is permanently impaired, The body’s fluid balance also gets out of balance and, in addition to the typical pathological fluid accumulations in the abdominal cavity (ascites; so-called abdominal dropsy), increased edema on the legs. Under certain circumstances, fat legs can also indicate liver disease.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver
The most common cause of liver failure is excessive alcohol consumption. Other possible triggers of liver failure are all diseases or damage to the organ, such as those caused by hepatitis viruses (B, C or D), undesirable side effects from medicines and various types of poisoning of the tissue). Furthermore, chronic heart failure and congenital metabolic disorders are among the possible causes of liver failure. To reduce the risk of sustained damage to the liver, regular naturopathic therapists detoxify the liver(usually once a year) recommended. Although liver disease cannot be avoided in this way, the elimination of the pollutants and toxins makes the work of the organ significantly easier and the risk of overloading is reduced accordingly.
The destruction of the liver tissue, which goes hand in hand with all liver diseases, can possibly lead to the fact that the organ is no longer supplied with blood properly and the blood accumulates at the portal vein. This increase in blood pressure results in the formation of fluid deposits in the abdominal cavity and legs. In addition to the swollen legs, those affected can often see a bloated stomach . Patients also suffer from abdominal pain more oftenand are prone to bruising. Your skin sometimes shows significant changes, the so-called liver skin signs, such as a vascular spider (discolored network of veins on the face or on the upper body), itchy lichen or the reddening of the palms called palmar or plantar erythema. In the case of liver disease, the swelling of the legs usually only occurs in the advanced stage of the disease, so that therapeutic measures may be necessary immediately. More information can be found in the article Liver Pain.
Thyroid disease
Disorders of the thyroid gland can also cause leg swelling. There is between an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroidto distinguish. The different hormones produced by the thyroid gland sometimes have a considerable influence on the metabolic processes in the organism, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the digestion as well as numerous other body functions. If too few thyroid hormones are formed (hypothyroidism), impairments in metabolism are a possible consequence. The body’s metabolism is significantly slower than normal and there are more deposits of special sugar-protein compounds (glycosaminoglycans) between the cells, which are mostly recognizable as tissue swellings (so-called myxedema) on the legs and hands. An overactive thyroid gland, in which too many hormones are released, can also result in the formation of myxedema on the legs. The most common cause of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is the autoimmune disease of the thyroid, Graves’ disease. The main causes of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) are normal aging processes and previous inflammation of the thyroid. In rare cases, the underactive thyroid is also congenital.
Underactive thyroid
The deposition of sugar-protein compounds (myxedema) on the legs and hands is one of the typical symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Most often, these swellings occur on the back of the foot and on the front of the lower leg. In addition to leg swelling, those affected often have comparable edema on their hands. Other symptoms of an underactive thyroid include chronic fatigue, a tendency to depression, a slow pulse, indigestion, hair loss and a significant weight gain despite persistent loss of appetite. The hyperthyroidism also counts leg swellings in the form of myxedema among the typical symptoms, whereby these usually include an increased pulse, a significant weight loss ( underweight ), excessive sweatingand accompanied by an inner restlessness . Sometimes the eyeballs of those affected also stand out conspicuously.
Cancer and tumor diseases
When cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels, lymphedema can occur. For example, a tumor growing near a lymph node or lymphatic vessel could enlarge enough to block the flow of lymphatic fluid. Radiation therapy during cancer treatment can also lead to scarring and inflammation of the lymph nodes or lymphatic vessels and thus promote edema
