Swelling Symptoms: Causes

What causes swelling symptoms?

Swelling symptoms can be caused by a wide variety of infections, inflammation, trauma, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. Organs and lymph nodes regulate the balance of fluids that circulate throughout the body. Various conditions that affect organ function can tilt the balance so that fluid is retained and starts leaking into the surrounding tissues.

Mild swelling that goes away on its own may not be due to a serious illness, but long-term swelling and swelling that arises suddenly for no apparent reason can be symptoms of a serious or life-threatening condition, such as heart failure. Because swelling can be caused by many different diseases, disorders and conditions, contact your medical professional about any symptoms you are experiencing.

Injury-related causes of swelling symptoms

Symptoms of swelling can be caused by injury-related conditions including:

• Blunt force trauma

• Broken bone or other traumatic injury

• Burn

• Joint dislocation

• Muscle, ligament or cartilage injury, such as a torn ligament or pulled muscle

• Surgery

Degenerative, infectious, inflammatory and autoimmune causes of swelling symptoms

Swelling symptoms can accompany inflammatory infectious and autoimmune conditions including:

• Allergic reaction

• Amyloidosis (rare immune-related disorder characterized by protein buildup in organs and tissues that can cause serious complications)

• Gout (type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the joints)

• Infection, such as bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections

• Osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation)

• Septic arthritis (infectious arthritis)

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues)

Cardiovascular causes of swelling symptoms

Swelling symptoms can also be caused by disorders related to the circulatory system including:

• Cardiomyopathy (weakened or abnormal heart muscle and function)

• Cardiovascular disease (due to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, or other causes)

• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the leg that can break loose from the leg and cause a pulmonary embolism in the lung, a heart attack, or stroke)

• Heart failure

• Kawasaki disease (rare disease that involves blood vessel inflammation)

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD, also called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, which is a narrowing or blockage of arteries due to a buildup of fat and cholesterol on the walls of arteries, which limits blood flow to the extremities)

• Varicose veins

Other causes of swelling symptoms

Other conditions or disorders that can cause swelling include:

• Cancer, such as swollen lymph nodes due to breast cancer or lymphoma

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis)

• Hernia, such as groin (inguinal) hernia

• Hyponatremia (very low sodium, which is a life-threatening condition)

• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

• Lymphatic obstruction (blockage in the lymph system)

• Organ failure, such as liver, kidney or lung failure

• Preeclampsia (serious condition of pregnancy marked by swelling, high blood pressure, and protein in the urine)

• Pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome

• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs)

• Severe malnutrition

Medications can cause generalized fluid retention and swelling symptoms

Always inform your doctor about any medications or treatments you are using, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal or alternative treatments. The following medications may be a possible cause of swelling symptoms:

• Antidepressants, such as tricyclics and MAO inhibitors

• Diabetes medications

• High blood pressure medications

• Hormone therapy

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Oral contraceptives

• Steroids

Questions for diagnosing the cause of swelling symptoms

To diagnose the underlying cause of swelling symptoms, your licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your symptoms. Questions asked during your examination generally include:

• When did the swelling start?

• Did the swelling symptoms begin suddenly or develop slowly?

• Is the swelling constant or intermittent?

• Did you eat any foods or have contact with any unusual substances before the swelling started (for example, seafood, shellfish, latex, or an insect bite)?

• Have you had any recent infections or injuries?

• Do you have any other symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath?

• Are you taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications or supplements?

What are the potential complications of swelling symptoms?

Complications associated with swelling symptoms can be progressive and vary depending on the underlying cause. Because swelling can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in complications, permanent damage, or death. It is important to visit your health care provider when you experience any kind of persistent swelling or other unusual symptoms. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you can lower your risk of potential complications including:

• Chronic disability

• Heart failure

• Kidney failure

• Liver failure

• Pulmonary embolism, heart attack, or stroke associated with deep vein thrombosis

• Spread of cancer

• Spread of infection