Edema treatment

If your edema is being caused by an underlying medical condition, your doctor will look to treat that problem to reduce swelling and fluid build-up. If your doctor suspects that your edema is being caused by a medication you are currently taking, they may adjust your prescription to see if that reduces symptoms.

In moderate-to-severe cases of edema, your doctor may prescribe a diuretic such as furosemide (Lasix) to help eliminate excess fluid in the body through urine.

There are several self-care strategies you can use at home to reduce swelling and relieve the symptoms of edema. These include:

- Elevate your legs while sitting or lying down for long periods. For example, put a pillow underneath your legs as you sleep to help drain fluid from the area.

- Move around regularly to keep fluid from building up in your lower body. This keeps blood circulating and pumps the excess fluid back towards the heart, reducing swelling.

- Apply compression to the area. Compression sleeves, socks, and gloves can help prevent fluid from building up in the limbs.

- Massage the swelling. Gentle pressure applied to the affected area can help reduce excess fluid build-up.

Edema may be reduced with some changes to your lifestyle and habits. Some changes that can prevent and reduce edema include:

- Limit your salt intake. Eating a highly salty diet can result in swelling and increased blood pressure. Lower your salt intake to reduce swelling.

- Quit smoking. Quitting smoking will positively impact nearly all aspects of your health, and can reduce the swelling caused by edema.

- Limit alcohol and caffeine intake. These substances can dehydrate you and worsen conditions that cause edema.