Lower limb edema and urine protein

In life, many people will suffer from lower limb edema, and some will also have symptoms of high urine protein. The occurrence of this disease is often caused by problems with our kidneys, which leads to lower limb edema and urine protein. This disease is very harmful to the patient's health. If it is discovered, appropriate treatment should be carried out as soon as possible. Failure to treat it in time may aggravate the condition and cause serious symptoms such as renal failure.

Edema with proteinuria Edema with severe proteinuria is mostly renal edema. Mild proteinuria may be seen in cardiogenic edema as well as renal edema. Edema and proteinuria during pregnancy are often seen in gestational edema

reason:

Causes of nephrogenic edema:

① Decreased glomerular filtration rate and water and sodium retention.

② The permeability of capillaries throughout the body increases, making it easier for fluid to enter the tissue spaces from the blood vessels.

③ The plasma protein level decreases, especially the albumin level, which causes the plasma colloidal osmotic pressure to decrease, and water easily moves to the tissue gap.

④ The effective blood volume decreases, leading to secondary increase in aldosterone and aggravating water and sodium retention.

Causes of cardiogenic edema:

Cardiogenic edema is body edema caused by heart dysfunction.

Causes of edema during pregnancy:

In the later stages of pregnancy, the enlarged uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, obstructing blood return and causing mild lower limb edema, which disappears naturally after rest. If the edema does not disappear after rest, or if the edema is severe and there are no other abnormal findings, it is called pregnancy edema. Edema during pregnancy: Some are due to weak spleen and stomach of pregnant women, which are damaged by diet; some are due to congenital kidney deficiency of pregnant women.

examine:

Characteristics of nephrogenic edema:

Edema first occurs in areas with loose tissue, such as the eyelids, face, feet and ankles. It is most obvious in the morning and can involve the lower limbs and the whole body in severe cases. The nature of renal edema is soft and easy to move, and clinically it presents as pitting edema, that is, depression may appear when the local skin is pressed with the fingers.

The characteristics of cardiogenic edema are:

1. Edema develops gradually, first manifested by decreased urine volume, limb swelling, weight gain, and then gradually developing edema of the lower limbs and the whole body.

2. Edema starts in the sagging parts of the body and gradually develops into systemic edema. Generally, pitting edema of the lower extremities appears first, most obviously in the ankles.

3. Accompanied by other symptoms and signs of right heart failure and increased venous pressure, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, distended neck veins, hepatomegaly, and even chest and ascites.

Edema during pregnancy:

The edema starts from the ankles and gradually spreads to the calves, thighs, abdominal wall, vulva and the entire body. In severe cases, the whole body will be swollen and may even be accompanied by ascites.

Mitigation methods:

1. Avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time; when you are at home or at work, stand up and walk around every once in a while.

2. Before going to bed, raise your feet above the height of your heart.

3. Avoid food with strong taste. Salt is not just table salt or things that taste salty, but actually refers to all sauces, pickles or beverages with high sodium content. You should eat more fruits and vegetables (rich in potassium), because sodium and insulin will retain water in the body, while the function of potassium in the body is to excrete water.

4. Live a regular life and don’t overwork yourself.

5. Exercise regularly; do foot muscle pump exercises frequently to prevent and eliminate leg swelling.

6. Do not wear overly tight clothing, especially jeans that are tight on the hips and thighs, corsets, waist bands, and other clothing that will increase abdominal pressure.

7. Wear elastic socks.

What to do with limb edema?

If the swelling goes away on its own after resting or raising the lower limbs, there is no need to pay special attention. However, if the abdominal wall is also swollen, or the swelling does not go down after proper rest, you should go to the hospital to check the cause of the edema and not be careless.

During pregnancy, the main causes of limb edema are as follows:

After pregnancy, the amount of blood returning from the pelvic cavity to the inferior vena cava increases, and the enlarged uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, which obstructs blood return to the lower body and lower limbs. As a result, the venous pressure in the lower limbs increases, resulting in calf edema.

Hemodilution. The total blood volume of pregnant women increases, that is, the plasma increases much more than the red blood cells, but the amount of protein contained in the plasma does not increase with the increase in plasma.

Therefore, the total plasma protein of pregnant women is usually lower than that of normal non-pregnant women. In addition, some pregnant women have insufficient plasma protein due to pregnancy reactions, insufficient protein intake or absorption disorders, which leads to a decrease in plasma colloidal osmotic pressure and edema.

Endocrine effects. During pregnancy, a series of changes occur in endocrine function. The secretion of adrenal cortex hormone, antidiuretic hormone, etc. increases, and the reabsorption of sodium by the renal tubules is enhanced, causing sodium retention in the body and edema.