Edema in elderly people,what it is, the causes and treatments, including massage therapy!

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Edema

Introduction:

Edema (also known as dropsy or fluid retention) is swelling caused by the accumulation of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the spaces between the body's cells or in the circulatory system. It is most common in feet, ankles, and legs. It can also affect the face and hands. Pregnant women and older adults often get edema, but it can happen to anyone. Edema is a symptom, not a disease or disorder. Widespread, long-term edema can indicate a serious underlying health problem.

Signs and Symptoms:

These will vary and may include the following:

• Swollen limbs (possibly accompanied by pain, redness, heat)
• Facial puffiness
• Abdominal bloating
• Shortness of breath, extreme difficulty breathing, coughing up blood
• Sudden change in mental state or coma
• Muscle aches and pains

What Causes It?

Some of the following factors may cause edema:

• Sitting or standing for long periods
• Certain medications
• Hormonal changes during menstruation and pregnancy
• Infection or injury to a blood vessel, blood clots, or varicose veins
• Blocked lymph channels (lymphedema)
• Allergies to food or insect bites
• Kidney, heart, liver, or thyroid disease
• High or low blood pressure
• Eating salty foods
• Brain tumor or head injury
• Exposure to high altitudes or heat, especially when combined with heavy physical exertion

Nutrition and Supplements

Following these nutritional tips may help reduce symptoms:

• Eliminate suspected food allergens, such as dairy (milk, cheese, and ice cream), wheat (gluten), soy, corn, preservatives, and chemical food additives. Your health care provider may want to test you for food allergies.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Eat foods high in B-vitamins and iron, such as whole grains (if no allergy), dark leafy greens (such as spinach and kale), and sea vegetables.
• Natural diuretic vegetables include asparagus, parsley, beets, grapes, green beans, leafy greens, pineapple, pumpkin, onion, leeks, and garlic.
• Eat antioxidant foods, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes), and vegetables (such as squash and bell peppers).
• Avoid refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and sugar.
• Eat fewer red meats and more lean meats, cold water fish, tofu (soy, if no allergy), or beans for protein.
• Use healthy cooking oils, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
• Reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids, found in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
• Avoid alcohol, and tobacco.
• Exercise lightly, if possible, 5 days a week.

You may address nutritional deficiencies with the following supplements:

• A multivitamin daily, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, 1 - 2 capsules or 1 - 2 tbs. of oil daily, to help decrease inflammation and help with immunity.
• Vitamin C, 500 - 1,000 mg daily, as an antioxidant.
• Alpha-lipoic acid, 25 - 50 mg twice daily, for antioxidant support.
• If you use diuretics, your doctor may have you supplement with potassium aspartate (20 mg per day), since diuretics flush out potassium from the body and cause a deficiency. Do not take extra potassium without informing your doctor. Some diuretics do the opposite and cause potassium to accumulate in the body.
• Magnesium, 400 - 600 mg daily, for nutrient support.

Herbs

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your doctor to determine the best and safest herbal therapies for your case before starting any treatment. If you are pregnant or nursing, do not use herbs except under the supervision of a physician knowledgeable in herbal therapies. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 - 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 - 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 - 4 cups per day. You may use tinctures alone or in combination as noted.

• Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) standardized extract, 80 - 100 mg 3 times per day for antioxidant support. Do not use Bilberry if you are on blood thinning medications.
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ), 4 - 10 g of dried leaf steeped in one cup hot water. Strain and cool. However, Dandelion leaf is itself a diuretic so it should not be used while taking diuretic medications. Speak with your doctor. Do not use andelion if you have gall bladder disease, take blood thinning medications, or have allergies to many plants.
• Grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera), standardized extract, 360 mg 2 times daily, for antioxidant support. Evidence suggests that using grape seed extract may improve chronic venous insufficiency, which causes swelling when blood pools in the legs.

            Acupuncture

• Acupuncture may improve fluid balance.

Massage

·         Therapeutic massage can help lymph nodes drain.

Source: Edema http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/edema-000055.htm#ixzz2WDUC0Lt0 
University of Maryland Medical Center 
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