Swelling that leaves a deep indentation and slowly rebounds when pressed firmly with a finger is called pitting edema. What does the dampness mentioned in Donguibogam mean in modern medical terms? Our body is composed of three main fluids: blood, lymph, and interstitial fluid, and these fluids constantly circulate to supply nutrients and eliminate waste. Pitting edema mainly occurs due to the excessive accumulation of fluid in the space between cells outside blood vessels, known as interstitial fluid.
The causes are quite diverse, but the most common is dysfunction of the leg veins, namely chronic venous insufficiency. When the valves inside leg veins are damaged or weakened, blood cannot ascend well to the heart and pools in the legs. At this time, the pressure within the blood vessels rises, causing water and protein to leak out of the capillaries, increasing interstitial fluid and creating edema. This is also why it appears particularly often in people who stand or sit for a long time and in pregnant women.
However, it may be a more serious signal, so it must be examined closely. In the case of congestive heart failure, where the heart is weakened and cannot sufficiently pump blood throughout the body, blood cannot return to the heart and stagnates in the lower body, causing edema. When kidney hypofunction prevents smooth excretion of water and sodium, generalized edema, especially lower limb edema, can also worsen. When proteinuria becomes severe and the albumin concentration in the blood drops, as in nephrotic syndrome, the osmotic pressure of the blood falls, allowing water to easily escape outside the blood vessels and cause edema. Liver hypofunction can also induce edema through a similar mechanism.
Endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism, side effects of specific medications such as hypertension drugs, anti-inflammatory analgesics, or steroids, and, rarely, lymphedema caused by problems in the lymphatic system can also cause pitting edema. As such, leg edema that dents when pressed does not arise simply from being tired, but can be an SOS signal sent by various organs such as the circulatory system, kidney, heart, and liver. Therefore, it is important to observe carefully whether it is a temporary phenomenon, or if it becomes chronic or is accompanied by other symptoms. If you are concerned, consult a specialist to identify the precise cause and begin proper management. Paying attention to the sounds your body makes is the very first step in protecting your health.
