Edema
April 27th, 2008 Posted by: admin
One thing that I want to talk about is edema. Edema is the accumulation of fluid in a certain part of the body. Congestive heart failure keeps the heart from properly pumping fluids throughout the body and thus these fluids build up in places such as the legs and arms. This can be very dangerous. Usually doctors will prescribe a diuretic such as Lasix to eliminate the fluids from the body. However, these medications can also lead to other complications such as kidney failure. People with heart failure may wake up one day to notice that they have gained 20 pounds. This is because of the accumulation of these fluids. In severe cases of pulmonary edema in which fluids accumulate in the lungs, some people can even drown to death if they are not treated immediately. If anyone ever experiences swelling in the legs and arms, you should immediately seek a health care professional.