How Nephrology Can Help You With Edema

Swelling is your body’s natural response to an injury or infection. But you can also have a different type of swelling called edema.

Edema, swelling due to excessive fluids, can be an insignificant and temporary problem. Or it can be one of the first signs of a serious health condition like kidney disease, and then it’s essential to turn to a nephrology (kidney) expert.

Our board-certified nephrologist, Dr. Deon Middlebrook, helps people with all aspects of kidney care, including determining if edema is caused by a kidney problem and providing the treatment you need to stop progressive kidney disease.

Don’t hesitate to connect with our practice, Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC, if you have questions or need help with persistent edema. Meanwhile, keep reading to learn more about the connection between edema and kidney disease.

Edema explained

Edema is swelling that develops when excess fluids build up in your body. While you can have edema anywhere, it most often affects your feet, lower legs, hands, and abdomen. You could also have swelling around your eyes.

You can see the swelling and puffiness in your feet and legs. If you have abdominal edema, you feel bloated and your abdomen inflates, just like it would if you have gas.

The swelling becomes uncomfortable as the fluids keep accumulating. Severe swelling in your legs makes it hard to bend your joints and walk. Abdominal swelling may cause shortness of breath and chest pain.

Edema has many possible causes. Temporary edema often develops from daily activities like sitting or standing too long and consuming too much salt. 

When your edema persists or keeps recurring, it usually signals a health condition such as:

• Kidney disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Gastrointestinal disease
• Liver disease
• Thyroid disease
• Vein disease

As nephrology specialists, we provide the expert care you need when edema arises from kidney disease.

Kidney disease basics

Kidney disease begins when problems like hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and polycystic kidney disease damage your kidneys.

Some diseases damage blood vessels in your kidneys; others cause inflammation and scarring. No matter the cause, the damage is permanent, and the injured tissues can’t function properly.

Kidney disease doesn’t get better. Without treatment, ongoing and progressive damage occurs, eventually leading to kidney failure.

How kidney disease causes edema

Healthy kidneys filter about one-half cup of blood every minute. Tiny structures inside each kidney remove extra water and wastes, including excess sodium and potassium, turning them into urine and eliminating them from your body.

There are several ways kidney disease leads to edema. For starters, damaged kidneys can’t remove enough water, so it accumulates in your body. Malfunctioning kidneys also allow too much sodium to stay in your body and sodium makes your body retain fluids.

Your kidneys don’t usually remove proteins from your blood, but damaged kidneys let albumin escape into your urine. Albumin is a protein that normally circulates in your bloodstream. 

When albumin levels drop, fluids leak out of your blood vessels, and you end up with edema in your lower legs, ankles, and feet. You may also notice some swelling or puffiness around your eyes.

Nephrology’s role in treating edema

Edema won’t disappear until the underlying cause is identified and treated. When the fluid buildup is due to kidney disease, it’s crucial to turn to a skilled nephrologist.

You need a kidney expert to evaluate the extent of your kidney damage and begin personalized treatment to slow or stop progressive damage. Treating your kidney disease also reduces edema, but if fluid retention doesn’t improve, we can prescribe medications and recommend lifestyle changes.

Edema is a warning sign telling you to seek treatment. Call Deon Middlebrook MDPC, right away or connect online to request an appointment, learn the cause of your edema, and take the first step toward restoring your kidney health.