Dropsy on the legs and arms: symptoms, causes, treatment with drugs and folk remedies. Dropsy on the fingers and toes in the elderly, adults and children: how to treat?

Swelling of the legs and arms is called dropsy. The article talks about the causes of its occurrence and methods of treatment.

About 50-70 percent of an adult's body weight comes from water. It is part of cells and is found in the extracellular space, blood and other body fluids. As they say, without water here or there, dehydration threatens death. But if there is too much fluid in the body, or it accumulates in the wrong place, they say that the person has dropsy. What kind of disease is this? How to overcome it?

Dropsy - what kind of disease is it?

IMPORTANT: “Dropsy” is the popular name for several diseases at once. This word refers to a water callus - a bubble on the skin, most often formed as a result of friction, as well as the accumulation of water or serum fluid in the subcutaneous tissue in a particular area or a certain cavity of the human body. If a callus is just a nuisance, knowing how to remove it is quite easy, then dropsy-edema requires complex treatment, its causes lie in health problems.

Dropsy - subcutaneous swelling occurs:

general - excess fluid is distributed under the skin of the entire body at the same time
local – swelling is observed under the skin of a specific area of the body

The fluid leaving the blood and lymph vessels is called transudate. Dropsy is most often diagnosed:

Abdominal, or ascites. In this case, transudate (excess fluid) accumulates in the abdominal cavity due to poor circulation in large arteries. Sometimes such swelling signals heart failure. Its treatment is aimed, first of all, at eliminating the disease - the cause, and is carried out exclusively by doctors. Surgery may be required.

Ascites.

Head, or hydrocephalus. Cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the cranial cavity, most often in the ventricles of the brain. The causes of hydrocephalus are injuries and internal diseases that lead to various types of brain damage, due to which there is a violation of blood circulation in the cerebral vessels. Hydrocele of the brain is treated conservatively and surgically. They eliminate both the cause of fluid accumulation in the skull and its consequences.

Hydrocephalus.

Pericarditis, or hydropericarditis. Impaired blood flow or vascular permeability, leading to the accumulation of transudate in the pericardial sac, is provoked by diseases of the kidneys, liver, parasitic and infectious diseases, as well as blood cancer. It is treated conservatively, but in some cases a pericardial puncture is performed to pump out fluid.

Hydropericarditis.

Testicular, or hydrocele. Fluid accumulates between the layers of the vaginal process of the testicle. It is more often observed in infants and is associated with characteristics of embryonic development. But it can also be the result of an inflammatory process. It is treated surgically.

Hydrocele.

Uterus and fallopian tubes, or hydrosalpinx. Most often, fluid immediately accumulates in the left, right, or both fallopian tubes as a result of dormant or untreated inflammation of the female reproductive system. Tubal obstruction caused by dropsy is often treated surgically.

Dropsy on the arms, legs, fingers, feet: causes. What does dropsy look like on the legs and arms: photo

Most often, doctors have to deal with swelling (dropsy) of the extremities. Patients come with a complaint that their fingers, arms, legs, feet have increased in size and are swollen. The swelling can be local, for example, only the lower legs. Swollen skin, depending on the severity of the swelling, becomes pale, bluish, and a network of small vessels may be visible on it. With severe edema, trophic skin lesions are visible. Often one limb becomes larger than the other.

IMPORTANT: Swelling of the fingers, hands, legs and feet can be venous or lymphatic.

What dropsy of the hands and feet looks like - in the photo.

Dropsy of fingers.

Dropsy of the hands.

Dropsy of the foot.

Dropsy of the legs.

Swelling of the arms and legs is characterized by the accumulation of transudate in the subcutaneous space due to impaired fluid outflow caused by:

poor nutrition
sedentary lifestyle
injury
insect bite
internal disease (heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system)
allergies, including to medications (hormonal and anti-inflammatory drugs)

Dropsy of the hand after an insect bite.
The causes of hand dropsy are usually:

Superior vena cava syndrome. Along with swelling of the hands, a bluish tint of the skin, the appearance of a capillary network, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, headache, and decreased vision are observed.
Diseases of the nervous system. Dropsy of the hands and fingers can develop after a stroke, accompany cubital tunnel syndrome, etc.
Thrombophlebitis. If thrombosis of the subclavian vein occurs, the arm swells on the corresponding side. The upper limb becomes heavy and gets tired quickly. At the same time, the patient complains of shortness of breath.
Lymphadenitis and lymphangitis. The outflow of lymph in inflamed vessels and nodes leads to swelling of the hands, increased temperature, and general weakness. At the same time, the lymph nodes are enlarged and painful.
Mastectomy. Swelling of the arm can be observed in the postoperative period and goes away after the development of the arm, the outflow of blood and lymph into the limb is restored.

IMPORTANT: The causes of dropsy of the hands can also be looked for on the surface. For example, swelling can be a reaction to hand cream if the product contains an allergen. And the fingers swell in those who work at the computer for a long time.

If a person spends the whole day on his feet, walks in uncomfortable shoes (and a woman wears heels for more than 2-3 hours a day), by the evening there may be some swelling of the legs, which goes away quickly, on its own.

Swelling of the feet from uncomfortable shoes.

But the causes of dropsy of the legs and feet can be much more serious:

Vascular thrombosis of the lower extremities. It is observed in bedridden patients and is accompanied by blue discoloration of the skin, pain, and shortness of breath.
Heart failure. The feet and legs swell after sitting, appearing not only in the evening, but also after sleep.
Kidney failure. When the kidneys do not cope with their work and water is not removed from the body in sufficient quantities, the patient usually experiences swelling in the legs, face and lower back in the morning.
Varicose veins. Dropsy is associated with a violation of the outflow of venous blood.

Severe dropsy of the legs.

Clinical picture of dyshidrosis

Dyshidrosis is considered a chronic skin disease. Exacerbation occurs in spring and autumn. Pathology usually appears unexpectedly, but with enviable regularity. Dyshidrosis is characterized by single or group small subcutaneous rashes ranging in size from 1 to 4 mm. Over time, they can increase to the size of a pea and merge into one large blister. The blisters have a dense shell and are filled with serous fluid. It is believed that they are a consequence of blockage of the sweat gland ducts.

Dyshidrosis is also called dyshidrotic eczema. The pathology is popularly known as dropsy.

The rashes are localized mainly on the palms and soles, less often on the fingers and the back of the limbs. They are often accompanied by increased sweating. Usually the patient discovers a new vesicle by accident: only after scratching the itchy spot does he feel a lump on the surface of the skin. The clinical picture is complemented by severe itching, redness, swelling and a slight burning sensation.

Dyshidrosis is not contagious, but it looks unsightly and causes discomfort to the patient. It can be diagnosed in a person at any age, including children. More common in women. The disease is independent in nature and acts as one of the symptoms of some dermatoses, such as mycoses and toxicoderma.

Dropsy on the legs and arms in the elderly, adults and children: symptoms

If dropsy of the limb appeared only once and went away on its own, most likely it was a physiological reaction. If the arms and legs swell systematically, the swelling gets worse, we are definitely talking about pathology, and you should definitely consult a doctor. Here are the symptoms of dropsy that should alert you:

Both or one of the limbs swells locally at once.
The swollen area feels like dough to the touch.
The skin on the swollen area is glossy, stretched, pale and loose, and bluish. If trophic skin changes appear on it, this indicates a severe degree of edema.
When you press on the swollen area, a dimple-dent remains on it.

A pit on the skin on palpation of dropsy.

Diagnostics

If you find strange blisters on your hands, you should first contact a dermatologist. But if the malaise is accompanied by an increase in temperature, it is better to play it safe and call a doctor at home. Diseases that cause such symptoms can be potentially dangerous to others from the point of view of contagiousness.

To make a correct diagnosis, the doctor may:

Conduct a visual examination and collect anamnesis. Most often, only this is enough to make a correct diagnosis.
Scrap the skin and send it to the laboratory for examination, in particular, for culture.
Order blood tests, etc.

Based on the data obtained, the doctor selects adequate treatment for the detected pathology. You should not try to self-diagnose or self-medicate.

Dropsy in diabetes mellitus: symptoms

People with diabetes experience a disturbance in the metabolism of carbohydrates and other nutrients, which affects blood vessels of all sizes. Dropsy of the legs often develops for this reason. When the permeability of blood vessels in a diabetic patient increases, transudate enters the perivascular space and accumulates there. In combination with changes in blood viscosity, protein deficiency, damage to soft tissues, skin, and joints, dropsy produces diabetic foot syndrome. The nutrition of the lower tissues is disrupted, irreversible trophic changes occur in the tissues, and necrosis develops. Dropsy in diabetics manifests itself:

swelling of the legs
numbness in the legs
sensitivity to temperatures, especially low temperatures (feet are always cold)
spotting (marbling) of the skin of the legs
the skin dries, thickens and ulcerates

Dropsy in diabetes.
If diabetic dropsy of the lower extremity is ignored, the so-called “amputation of the foot” will occur (the blood supply to the limb is almost completely absent), the ulcer will affect a larger area of skin, “go deeper” into the muscles and bones, and there will be a risk of infection and the development of gangrene. A diabetic should be told by his doctor how to care for his feet and relieve swelling.

Swelling of the arms and legs - dropsy: what to do?

IMPORTANT: If you notice swelling in your arms, legs, fingers or feet, you should consult a doctor. If the patient himself has no idea why he has dropsy, he should come to see a therapist. He will conduct an external examination, confirm the swelling, and give a direction for tests. Based on the results of a blood and urine test, it will be possible to guess what kind of disease caused fluid retention. The patient will be referred to a specialist doctor:

cardiologist
nephrologist
vertebrologist
endocrinologist, etc.

Dropsy of the extremities is a reason to consult a doctor.
It will be possible to fight dropsy with the help of pharmacological drugs and folk remedies.

Causes of hand dyshidrosis

Dyshidrosis as an independent disease was studied and described in detail back in 1873. However, its pathogenesis and etiology have not yet been fully established. What is known is that this disease has many causes.

Scientists believe that the development of dyshidrosis is promoted by:

metabolic disease;
decreased immunity;
nervous stress;
emotional instability;
autoimmune conditions;
predisposition to allergies;
diseases of internal organs;
mental and physical fatigue;
taking certain medications, often antibiotics;
frequent contact with household chemicals.

In some cases, it is problematic to identify the true causes of dyshidrosis. Then the disease takes a chronic form, exacerbating from time to time. This outcome is also caused by delaying a visit to a dermatologist and self-prescribing medications.

Treatment of dropsy of the hands and feet with drugs and medicines

IMPORTANT: They treat, first of all, not the dropsy itself, but the disease, if one caused it.

Therapy will be prescribed by the appropriate medical specialist. At the same time, measures are taken to reduce swelling. The patient is shown a special regimen:

Depending on the case, physical rest or physical therapy is prescribed.
Sometimes the patient is indicated for therapeutic drainage massage.
The patient's therapeutic diet involves limiting water consumption.

Medicine for dropsy of hands and feet: Heparin ointment.
Dropsy caused by impaired blood flow is treated with ointments, creams and gels - phlebotonics. Heparin ointment, Troxavasin, Lyoton, Detralex are considered the most effective. Blood thinning drugs are prescribed internally - Aspecard, Cardiomagnyl, Lospiril.

Medicine for dropsy of the hands and feet: Furosemide.

Cardiac and renal edema are treated:

diuretics – Furosemide, Hypothiazide, Veroshpiron
potassium preparations - Asparkam, Panangin
herbal preparations – Canephron, Chofitol

Medicine for dropsy of hands and feet: Chofitol.

IMPORTANT: The dosage and duration of the course of taking drugs for dropsy are determined by the doctor.

Treatment of dropsy of the hands and feet with folk remedies: recipes

After doctor's approval, swelling of the limbs can be treated with juices.

IMPORTANT: Juicing is carried out exclusively with fresh fruit and vegetable juices with a pulp content of up to 10 percent. Even after several hours of storage in the refrigerator, juices lose most of their medicinal properties. Canned and packaged juices from stores are not suitable.

The recommended dose of juices is up to 600 ml per day; if you can’t drink that much, you don’t need to force yourself. Dropsy is treated with juices:

cucumber (100 ml pure, add it to apple, carrot, beetroot)
celery (also up to 100 ml per day)
pumpkins
carrots
beets
apples

Folk remedy for dropsy: juices.
You can make drainage baths for your hands and feet. Herbs are brewed for them: chamomile, aromatic rush, figs, clover, dubrovnik. Swollen limbs are also carefully rubbed with alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe.

Folk remedy for dropsy: viburnum with honey.

IMPORTANT: As a folk remedy for dropsy, you can use a vitamin mixture of viburnum berries, viburnum juice and honey.

Treatment of dyshidrosis

Therapeutic therapy for the disease is prescribed after determining the cause of its occurrence. It requires an integrated approach, since it is aimed not only at eliminating external manifestations of dyshidrosis and discomfort, but also at strengthening the immune system. In the first case, hormonal ointments containing corticosteroids are prescribed externally, and diuretics and antiallergic drugs are prescribed internally. If the blisters become infected, antibacterial drugs are prescribed. Treatment is carried out at home, but always under the supervision of a dermatologist.

The use of hormonal ointments accelerates the maturation of the vesicles. The larger they are, the more painful and longer they take to heal. After maturation, the bubbles burst, and dyshidrosis enters a regressive stage. It is accompanied by peeling and roughening of the skin, the formation of crusts and shallow cracks. The formation of new rashes is not observed. The affected area of the hand gradually begins to be covered with a renewed layer of epidermis.

When stress and emotional turmoil become the cause of dyshidrosis, the main emphasis in treatment is on restoring the nervous system. To do this, the doctor includes in the therapy the use of sedatives - adaptogens and nootropics.

Often, the treatment regimen is supplemented with adsorbents, including activated carbon, polyphepane, sorbex, etc. These products allow you to cleanse the body of toxins.

The list of auxiliary measures that can affect the outcome of treatment for dyshidrosis includes:

regular walks in the fresh air;
change in diet;
hardening;
use of gloves when in contact with household chemicals.

Dyshidrosis is difficult to cure completely: some time after recovery, the disease recurs.

In the treatment of dyshidrosis of the hands, non-traditional methods are widely used: acupuncture, hirudotherapy, apitherapy. The use of folk remedies is also acceptable. Dermatologists have nothing against hand baths based on medicinal herbs, such as string, sage, St. John's wort, oak bark or chamomile. Unlike drug treatment, traditional medicine is not as effective, but it is quite capable of reducing discomfort in the form of itching.