Swelling (medical)

Swelling

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

## Overview

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In medical parlance, swelling is the enlargement of organs caused by accumulation of excess fluid in tissues, called edema.

It can occur throughout the body (generalized), or a specific part or organ can be affected (localized). 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, as well as because of an underlying lump. Swelling — especially swelling of the ankle can also occur if the body is not circulating fluid well.

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.

## Causes

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The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of swelling symptoms:

General possible causes of localized swelling:

* Injury
* Infection

* Skin swelling
* Dependent edema

* Lymphatic obstruction
* Venous thrombosis

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Some possible causes of skin swelling include:

* Skin trauma
* Skin infection
* Cellulitis

* Contact dermatitis
* Eczema
* Hives

* Allergic reaction
* Insect bite
* Insect sting

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Causes of generalized swelling:

* Edema
* Premenstrual syndrome
* Pregnancy
* Preeclampsia
* Heart failure

* Congestive heart failure
* Kidney conditions
* Nephritis
* Glomerulonephritis
* Nephrotic syndrome

* Kidney failure
* Liver condition
* Cirrhosis of the liver
* Chronic hepatitis
* Varicose veins
* Lymphedema

* Lymphatic obstruction
* Filariasis
* Protein deficiency
* Thyroid condition
* Malabsorption
* Celiac disease

* Ulcerative colitis
* Malnutrition
* Beri-beri
* Certain medications
* Excessive IV fluid

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Some possible causes of a swollen limb include:

* Venous Thrombosis
* Sunburn
* Lymphatic obstruction

* Allergic reaction
* Cancer

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## Treatment

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While it's possible for mild swelling to go away on its own, several things can be done to relieve the symptoms or haste the process. The HI-RICE first aid method of rest and protecting the affected area has long been taught as a short term solution.

## Related Chapters

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* Edema
* Causes of edema

## External Links

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File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg | Look up Swelling in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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* NIH/Medline
* University of Michigan

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