Share:
Thick legs Infections, diseases of the lymphatic vessels and organs
Diseases of the lymphatic vessels
The lymphatic vessels also carry a portion of the body fluid, the so-called lymph (watery light yellow liquid), as well as small amounts of proteins from the tissue in the direction of the venous system. Disorders of the lymphatic system, as well as impairments of the venous system, often result in backflow of body fluid in the legs. This manifests itself by swelling in the area of the ankles and feet, whereby also the toes swell up in the rule clearly. In most cases, only one leg is affected and the toe swelling occurs first. Swelling caused by impaired lymphatic function is called lymphedema. In this case, fluid collects between the cells due to the obstructed lymph drainage.
The causes of lymphedema can be of various kinds. So some forms (primary lymphedema) are innate and occur until the 35th year of life for the first time. Other forms are caused by damage to the lymphatics, which can be the result of surgery, radiation, infections, cancer or cancer treatments. Also, the damage to the nerves in a stroke are sometimes the cause of lymphedema. In the course of the disease, the symptoms continue to increase, with the swollen toes attracting little attention at first, especially as they usually go back relatively quickly when raising the legs. Over time, however, the swelling becomes larger and spreads to the foot or ankle, lower leg and eventually the whole leg. The swelling of the leg can assume proportions that correspond to a multiple of the original body part. The skin feels increasingly rough. So-called fibrosis (abnormal growth of connective tissue) arise. Lifting up the legs does not provide any relief, and without therapeutic countermeasures, the leg swelling hardens, which can bring significant impairment of mobility. On the skin more vesicles, eczema and small, poorly healing wounds form.
Swelling of the legs due to infectious diseases
Infections are the trigger of the fat legs into consideration, with the so-called erysipelas is one of the more common causes of swollen limbs. The bacterial infection of the upper layers of the skin and lymph vessels, which is also known as wound rose, is caused by pathogens of the genus Streptococcus, which can penetrate into the tissue in case of injuries to the skin. 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 infection. Often sufferers suffer in parallel with fever and chills. In more rare cases, other infectious diseases can cause damage to the vessels, causing backflow of body fluid in the legs. However, leg swelling in such cases is only indirectly due to the infections. The actual cause of the swollen limbs are the damage to the lymphatic and blood vessels.
Disease of the internal organs
Especially with swelling on both legs is often a disease of the internal organs the cause. It usually affects organs that are directly related to the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.
Swollen legs can be the result of heart failure. (Image: ag visual / fotolia.com) heart failure
For example, chronic heart failure (impaired function of the heart muscle) can be the cause of swollen legs. Due to the so-called Rechtsherzinsuffizienz (a hypofunction of the right half of the heart) that organ can no longer provide the required pump power and the pressure conditions of the body fluids get out of balance. The increase in pressure in the cardiac veins close to the heart causes a backflow of the blood, with the consequences already mentioned above. The causes of cardiac insufficiency include, for example, chronic hypertension, a previous myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (diseases of the coronary arteries), other cardiac muscle diseases, heart valve defects and cardiac arrhythmias. In addition, dysfunction of the thyroid, certain lung diseases and the so-called anemia may be the cause of chronic heart failure.
The chronic heart failure manifests itself in the initial stage mostly by swelling on the back of the feet, which occur predominantly in the evening. When lying down, the swelling initially goes back, so that those affected in the morning usually have no swollen legs after getting up. Many patients notice the changes for the first time, when in the evening the shoes are no longer fit, in which they slip in the morning without any problems. In the further course of the disease, the swelling can increase significantly and also affect the ankle or the front of the lower leg. As fluid build-up in the legs is broken down during the night, sufferers often have to stop their sleep for a walk to the toilet. In addition to the swollen legs, chronic fatigue, shortness of breath and a general decline in performance are the result of heart failure. In addition, the patients are often recorded a massive weight gain. In addition, more fluid accumulates in other parts of the body as well.
kidney disease
The edema in the legs is sometimes the result of kidney disease, which in turn can have many different causes. Frequently, the swollen legs are due to a disease-related kidney weakness. Since the kidneys make a significant contribution to the regulation of metabolism, water-salt balance in the organism and blood pressure, impaired kidney function can cause the fluid balance in the body to become unbalanced, causing fluid retention in the legs. It is important to distinguish between acute and chronic renal failure. While acute renal failure usually has reversible symptoms, chronic kidney failure is based on irreversible kidney damage. For example, acute kidney failure can be triggered by drug abuse, the sudden worsening of long-standing kidney disease, or acute events such as accidents, infections, surgery, and blood poisoning. Here, the purification of the blood by the so-called nephrons (renal corpuscles and Nierenkanchenchen) is affected acutely. The nephrons usually ensure that superfluous substances are eliminated, while important substances and fluids are preserved in the body. If the nephrons are not fully functional, the toxins can no longer be filtered out sufficiently and spread in the body. In addition, the balance of the liquid household is affected. The consequences include fluid retention in the legs.
Chronic kidney failure can also result in recurrent leg swelling. The chronic kidney failure is usually triggered by diabetes or high blood pressure, but also inflammation and kidney infections, constrictions in the urinary drainage system as well as hereditary kidney diseases can cause 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 in case of signs of renal insufficiency. Among the important functions which the kidneys take over in the human body include, in addition to 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 (via the Excretion of acid). Also, the kidney has a crucial influence on the delivery of hormones that regulate blood pressure.
Thick legs are one of the first recognizable symptoms that may indicate kidney weakness. Here, the edema partially extend over the entire leg to the hip. Such leg swellings are usually neither pressure nor pain sensitive. If the affected people have to use the toilet at the same time and excrete very light or cloudy urine, this may also indicate a renal insufficiency. Kidney pain, fever and high blood pressure are also associated symptoms of kidney failure. In the later course of the disease, the increased urinary frequency and those affected may under certain circumstances no longer excrete urine. In addition, in the late stage of renal failure, more and more adverse health effects such as nausea and vomiting, headache, fatigue, blurred vision, muscle twitching or itching appear and the skin gradually begins to discolor.
liver disease
Another possible cause of bilaterally swollen legs is liver disease. The liver takes over the vital production of proteins, utilizes nutrients, is responsible for the bile production and thus makes the main contribution to the reduction or excretion of metabolic products, drugs and toxins. Also, the liver regulates the nutrient content of the blood. The nutrients absorbed through 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 needed. If the function of the liver is disturbed lasting, also the fluid balance of the body gets out of balance and it form in addition to the typical pathological fluid accumulations in the abdominal cavity (ascites, so-called ascites) also increased edema of the legs. Thick legs may therefore indicate liver disease.
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 by hepatitis viruses (B, C or D), undesirable side effects of drugs and poisoning of various kinds. Also, excessive fat and calorie intake in the long term cirrhosis (chronic liver disease in the large parts 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, numerous naturopathic therapists recommend detoxifying regular liver (usually once a year). Although it may not be possible to prevent liver disease in this way, the elimination of pollutants and toxins significantly facilitates the work of the organ and reduces the risk of overloading.
Destruction of the liver tissue, which is associated with all liver disease, can sometimes lead to the fact that the organ is no longer properly supplied with blood and the blood accumulates on the portal vein. This increase in blood pressure results in the formation of fluid deposits in the abdominal cavity and legs. In the case of those affected, a swollen abdomen is often to be seen next to the swollen legs. Patients also suffer more often from abdominal pain and are prone to bruising. Her skin sometimes shows significant changes, the so-called liver membrane signs, such as a vascular spider (discolored web of veins on the face or upper body), itching or called the Palmar or Plantarerytheme redness of the palms. The swelling of the legs occurs in the case of liver disease usually only in the advanced stage of disease, so that here, if necessary, immediate therapeutic measures are required. Further information can be found in the article Liver pain.
thyroid disease
Thyroid disorders also sometimes cause swelling of the legs. It is important to distinguish between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The different hormones produced by the thyroid have, in part, considerable influence on the metabolic processes in the organism, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and digestion as well as numerous other bodily functions. If too few thyroid hormones are formed (hypothyroidism) impairments of the metabolism are a possible consequence. The metabolism of the body is significantly slower than normal and there are increasingly deposits of special sugar-protein compounds (glycosaminoglycans) between the cells, which are usually seen as tissue swelling (so-called myxedema) on the legs and hands. Hyperthyroidism, where too many hormones are secreted, may result in the formation of myxedema on the legs. The most common cause of thyroid hyperfunction (hyperthyroidism) is the autoimmune thyroid disease, Graves' disease. The main causes of hyperthyroidism (hypothyroidism) include the usual aging processes and past thyroid inflammation. In rare cases, the thyroid subfunction is also innate.
The deposition of sugar-protein compounds (myxedema) on the legs and hands is one of the typical symptoms of hypothyroidism. Most of these swellings occur on the instep and on the front of the lower leg. In addition to the leg swelling sufferers often have comparable edema on the hands. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include chronic fatigue, a tendency to depression, a slower pulse, indigestion, hair loss, and significant weight gain despite persistent loss of appetite. Thyroid hyperfunction also includes leg swelling in the form of myxedema, which is usually accompanied by an increased heart rate, marked weight loss (underweight), excessive sweating, and inner restlessness. Occasionally, the eyeballs of those affected appear conspicuously.
Continue reading:
Causes of swollen legs
Diagnosis of swollen legs
Treatment of fat legs