Doctor Explains What Swelling Location Reveals About Your Health
A Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital doctor explains how swelling location reveals potential heart, kidney, or liver problems, advising that recurring swelling with weight gain or fatigue requires medical evaluation.
On August 21, Dr. Jetsada Bunyavongviroach, deputy director of Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, posted medical advice on his Facebook page "Doctor Jet" explaining how to recognize swelling linked to heart, kidney, and liver problems. He noted that while mild swelling can result from eating salty food, standing or sitting too long, or hot weather, recurring or worsening swelling accompanied by rapid weight gain, fatigue, or abnormal urination warrants closer attention to these organs.
Swelling in the ankles and legs, particularly in the evening, may indicate heart failure, especially if accompanied by shortness of breath, difficulty lying flat, or rapid weight gain over days. Early morning facial or eye puffiness combined with leg swelling could suggest kidney problems, particularly if urine is persistently foamy and blood pressure is elevated. Abdominal bloating with leg swelling, especially in those with existing liver disease, may signal advanced liver cirrhosis, characterized by fluid accumulation in the abdomen and progressive swelling despite thinning arms.
Dr. Jetsada emphasized that while fatty liver disease alone does not cause fluid retention, abdominal swelling usually indicates more serious liver conditions requiring investigation. He advised that pitting edema (indentation that remains after pressing the skin) warrants medical evaluation to determine the underlying cause.
