| What is swelling?
Swelling refers to the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body structures caused by excessive buildup of fluid in the tissues. This buildup can lead to a rapid increase in weight over a short period of time (days to weeks). Swelling is also called edema.
Swelling can occur throughout the body (generalized) or it may be limited to a specific part of the body (localized). The most common types of swelling include:
Toe, foot, and leg swelling
Ankle, knee, and elbow swelling
Finger, hand, and arm swelling
Abdominal and stomach swelling
Eye, lip, and face swelling
Thyroid, throat, and neck swelling
Tongue, jaw, and gum swelling
What Causes Swelling?
The common causes of swelling are:
Too much salt or sodium intake
Side effects of drugs/ medications
Kidney/ liver diseases
Burns/ sunburn
Heart/ circulatory diseases
Inflammation
While these common causes seem quite different, they all lead to any of the following two fundamental causes of swelling:
· High density of impurities in the blood. The accumulation of impurities can easily settle at specific areas of the body and block the normal flow of bodily fluid, thus causing swelling. Common causes such as too much salt or sodium intake, side effects of drugs/ medications, and kidney/ liver diseases can all lead to a high density of impurities in the blood.
· Poor blood circulation. If the blood circulation is slower than normal, blood containing metabolic wastes may back up into some areas of the body and inflate the blood vessels/ tissues, thus causing swelling. Common causes such as burns/ sunburn, heart/ circulatory diseases, and inflammation can all lead to poor blood circulation.
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