What disease may cause swelling in the body?

There are many reasons for body edema. It mainly refers to the accumulation of some fluid outside the body's cells, causing symptoms of local or systemic edema. Systemic edema is closely related to the lesions of some organs. For example, renal edema is relatively common because of renal insufficiency, which leads to systemic edema. There are also endocrine system reasons, the most common of which is hypothyroidism. Let's learn about this aspect below.

What disease may cause swelling in the body?

1. Renal edema.

When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you may find two "swollen eyelids". If you did not drink much water the night before, you should be alert to whether there is a problem with your kidneys. Kidney disease (such as chronic nephritis, pyelonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, renal failure, etc.) is the main cause of systemic edema. At this time, glomerular filtration decreases, while the renal tubular reabsorption of water and sodium is still good, resulting in water and sodium retention and water retention in the tissue spaces. Renal edema is mostly pitting edema, common in the face and lower limbs, accompanied by small urine volume and high urine protein.

2. Endocrine edema.

This symptom may occur in endocrine system diseases such as hypothyroidism, excessive secretion of adrenal hormones, and aldosteronism. Among them, hypothyroidism edema is more common. Due to hypothyroidism, insufficient thyroid hormone secretion and reduced systemic metabolic rate, mucopolysaccharides in the body accumulate in tissues and skin, manifesting as myxedema, which is non-pitting edema. It often appears on the eyelids, cheeks or limbs.

3. Cardiogenic edema.

Cardiogenic edema mainly manifests as lower limb edema. When combined with kidney disease, edema may appear on the eyelids and face, often accompanied by symptoms such as difficulty breathing, palpitations, fatigue after activity, enlarged liver, and thickening of neck veins. Examination of the heart may reveal pathological changes such as organic murmurs and cardiac enlargement. The most common cause is heart failure, especially right heart dysfunction. Cardiomyopathy, hyperthyroid tachycardia, heart failure after myocardial infarction due to coronary heart disease, cardiorenal syndrome, etc. may all cause it.

4. Hepatic edema.

Diseases such as chronic hepatitis, severe hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer can reduce the liver's ability to synthesize plasma proteins, thereby causing pitting edema and ascites in the lower limbs, which gradually spread upward, while there is often no edema in the head, face, and upper limbs.

5. Malnutrition edema.

People who suffer from long-term diarrhea, eat little, have decreased digestive function or suffer from chronic diseases often suffer from malnutrition. Long-term "income is not enough to cover expenditure" leads to a decrease in plasma protein and a decrease in colloid osmotic pressure, thus causing malnutrition edema. Edema is often preceded by symptoms such as emaciation and weight loss. Edema often starts from the feet and gradually spreads to the whole body.

6. Idiopathic edema.

This type of edema mainly occurs in middle-aged women, and about half of the patients have mild to moderate obesity. The edema usually occurs in the feet and changes with the menstrual cycle. Mild edema will appear in the eyelids, ankles and hands 7 to 14 days before menstruation, but will gradually subside after the menstrual period. It occurs when standing for a long time or when tired, and gradually disappears after lying down or resting. It is currently believed that it may be related to neuroendocrine metabolic dysfunction and abnormal estrogen secretion leading to premenstrual tension syndrome; some people also believe that it is caused by increased aldosterone secretion after standing for a long time, which promotes the reabsorption of sodium by the renal tubules, leading to water and sodium retention and causing edema, which improves after lying down. This type of edema has little impact on the body and generally does not require medication.