Question

Why would you have edema and dyspnea?

Answer 1

Edema is a condition when swelling occurs in different body parts like arms, feet and ankles due to fluid retention in body tissue. One could have edema due to simple gravitational force like sitting or standing in one place for too long in which water flows down and get collected in the lower extremities of the body. In edema, little blood vessels of the body leak bodily fluid which surrounds the tissues and leads to swelling. Side effects from certain medication like NSAIDs, Steroids, Estrogen, BP and certain diabetes could possibly cause edema. Pregnancy and some diseases like CHF, kidney disease and cirrhosis can also give rise to this problem. Too much sodium in the food also increases the chances of getting edema as sodium has a property of retaining water and other fluids in the body.

One could have edema and dyspnea if the total blood pressure of the affected individual rises to such level that their body fluid starts pushing into their air spaces in the lungs and hence reducing the usual oxygen flow throughout the lungs making it difficult for them to breath.