Swelling (medical)

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Template:Infobox symptom In medical parlance, swelling, turgescence or tumefaction is a transient abnormal enlargement of a body part or area not caused by proliferation of cells.^[1] It is caused by accumulation of fluid in tissues.^[2] It can occur throughout the body (generalized), or a specific part or organ can be affected (localized).^[2] Swelling is usually not dangerous and is a common reaction to an inflammation or a bruise.

Swelling is considered one of the five characteristics of inflammation; along with pain, heat, redness, and loss of function.

In a general sense, the suffix "-megaly" is used to indicate a growth, as in hepatomegaly, acromegaly, and splenomegaly.

A body part may swell in response to injury, infection, or disease. Swelling, especially of the ankle, can occur if the body is not circulating fluid well. If water retention progresses to a symptomatic extent, swelling results.

Generalized swelling, or massive edema (also called anasarca), is a common sign in severely ill people. Although slight edema may be difficult to detect to the untrained eye, especially in an overweight person, massive edema is very obvious.

Types of swelling

Traumatic swellings develop immediately after trauma, like a hematoma or dislocation.

Congenital swellings are present since birth, such as a hemangioma or meningocele. Some congenital swellings may not be discovered until later in life, such as a branchial cyst, dermoid cyst or thyroglossal cyst.

Inflammatory swelling may be either acute or chronic. The presentations of acute swellings are redness, local fever, pain and impairment of function of the affected organ. The related lymph nodes will be affected and will show signs of acute lymphadenitis. Chronic inflammatory swellings will show the signs of acute inflammatory swellings, but in subdued form. In this case, edema might not occur. Chronic swellings can be differentiated from neoplastic swellings by the fact that neoplastic swellings never recede in size, but inflammatory swellings may show occasional diminution.

Causes

Causes of generalized swelling:

Some possible causes of a swollen limb include:

Treatment

While it is possible for mild swelling to go away on its own, several things can be done to relieve the symptoms or hasten the process. It is important that swelling is treated quickly because it occurs at the fastest rate once immediately after the incident. The RICE first aid method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation protecting the affected area has long been taught as a short term solution. The application of oxygen is known to assist in the reduction of swelling.

See also

• Edema
• Carpometacarpal bossing
• Tumescence

References

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