| By edema excessive fluid gather in body parts or | | | | High position of limb: When you are sleeping or |
| greater areas of the body, making the areas | | | | resting the swollen body parts can be placed in an |
| swollen. Edema is most often a problem in the | | | | elevated position by means of pillows, pads or by |
| legs, but can occur anywhere in the body. | | | | resting in an adjustable bed or chair. |
| There are several types of edema, and many | | | | Massage: By minor edema yourself, your spouse |
| cases are also a mixture of more than one type. | | | | or a friend can massage the affected body part |
| By lymphedema the drainage from the tissues | | | | to alleviate the edema. The massage should be |
| through the lymph vessels are impaired or | | | | done in the direction of natural flow of blood and |
| excessive fluid goes through the blood capillary | | | | lymph that is towards the heart. You should |
| walls into the spaces between the cells in a tissue. | | | | however avoid massaging distinctly injured or |
| Edema can also occur because of poor drainage | | | | distinctly inflamed body parts. By severe edema a |
| of blood through the veins towards the heart. | | | | professional massager should be engaged to |
| Edema can further be caused by general | | | | perform the massage type called "manual |
| accumulation of excessive fluid in the body. | | | | lymphatic drainage". |
| The causes of edema are many. Edema is a | | | | Elastic bandaging: You can use elastic gloves, |
| symptom by most inflammations. Insufficient | | | | stockings, tapes or bandages around the swollen |
| heart action by congestive heart failure can cause | | | | body parts during the day or during physical |
| edema. A too high intake of salt can cause | | | | activities after instruction from a professional |
| general water retention in the body. Sitting and | | | | person. |
| standing long in the same position can cause | | | | Inflatable garments: There are inflatable garments |
| edema in the lower limbs. A still sitting life without | | | | to be found that can be used around the |
| exercise can cause or aggravate edema. | | | | engorged body parts some times of the day. |
| Insufficiencies of the liver or kidneys can cause | | | | Also these should be used after professional |
| fluid retention and thereby edema. Edema can be | | | | instruction. |
| a side effect of antihypertensive drugs, steroids | | | | Sequential gradient pump therapy: One can get |
| surgery and radiation therapy. Further causes of | | | | special electric pumps connected to inflatable |
| different types of edema are varicose veins, | | | | garments. The pump inflates and deflates the |
| cancer, hypothyroidism, blood clots, constipation | | | | garments repeatedly. Each garment has several |
| and physical injuries. | | | | rooms that are inflated sequentially in the direction |
| To treat edema, it is important to treat the | | | | of the natural fluid stream towards the heart. In |
| underlying disease or injury. However, medical | | | | this way the fluid is dynamically pumped the right |
| treatment does not always cure the underlying | | | | way out of the engorged body part. This type of |
| condition or the cause is wholly or partially lifestyle | | | | therapy is used in professional settings or at |
| aspects. Therefore various measures targeted | | | | home after instruction from a professional. |
| directly against the edema are useful. These are | | | | Skin care: The skin on a body part affected by |
| presented here: | | | | severe edema should attain special care to avoid |
| Pharmacological treatments: The physician will | | | | and treat sores. Proper cleaning, daily use of |
| sometimes prescribe diuretics to reduce fluid | | | | moisturing creams, proper rinsing of skin injuries, |
| retention in the body and thereby reduce edema. | | | | antiseptic creams by injuries. |
| This treatment should however be used for | | | | Complete decongestive therapy: This is a |
| serious edema or edema persistent when other | | | | complete set of edema treatment techniques |
| measures do not work. | | | | done by a professional person combined with |
| Salt intake restriction: Restriction of salt intake is | | | | self-care instructed by the professional. The |
| an important measure by edema. People suffering | | | | techniques used are: Manual lymphatic drainage, |
| from edema should avoid adding great amount of | | | | compression bandaging, therapeutic exercise and |
| salt into their food or consume preprocessed | | | | skin care. |
| food with a salty taste. | | | | Herbal and natural products: Many herbs and |
| Diet: A good general diet that alleviates chronic | | | | products composed of a blending of these herbs |
| inflammation is useful. The diet should especially | | | | are used against edema. Such herbs are: |
| contain enough sources of omega-3-fatty acids | | | | Dandelion, Gingko biloba, horse chestnut, buchu, |
| and monounsaturated fatty acids, like: Fat fish, | | | | goldenrod, corn silk, horsetail, juniper, butchers |
| seafood, flax oil, olive oil, almonds, rape oil and | | | | broom, cleaver and ginger. Some people have |
| canola oil. Also vegetables and fruit in a natural | | | | experienced a good effect from using apple cider |
| shape are useful. | | | | vinegar. |
| Avoiding constipation: Constipation should be | | | | The flavonide rich product pycnognenol extracted |
| treated, since a stomach engorged by excessive | | | | from the bark of the French maritime pine has |
| content can cause impairment of fluid circulation. | | | | shown promising effects against edema according |
| Variation of corporeal position: You should avoid | | | | to scientific studies. The flavonides |
| sitting or standing still a long time during the day. | | | | hydroxyethylrutosides also seem to have good |
| When sitting during work or rest, you should | | | | effect against edema. Other natural substances |
| change position with regular intervals. | | | | that may help to treat edema are the flavonids |
| Exercise: Every day you should have some | | | | diosmin and hesperidin and vitamin C. |
| exercise adjusted to your health condition. This | | | | Oil pulling: The procedure called "oil pulling" may help |
| could be walking, cycling, swimming, running or any | | | | for edema. It consists of rinsing the mouth with |
| other sport activity where you use greater parts | | | | one tablespoon of natural oil for 15-20 minutes |
| of your body. Doing regular stretching exercises | | | | and then spitting the oil out. It is done in the |
| or yoga is useful. By severe edema special | | | | morning before eating. Sesame or sunflower oils |
| therapeutic exercises should be prescribed by a | | | | are usually recommended for this use. |
| professional. | | | | |