About 3 weeks ago Mom (96, has dementia, and is bedridden) started to develop severe edema in her hands and arms. There is no swelling in her legs. She does not have any other pre-existing conditions apart from the dementia. Her lab work looks good, she has been alert and talkative, she is eating and drinking. Blood pressure is good and she isn’t diabetic. They did an ultrasound to check for blood clots and found none but she does have bad arthritis in her hands which shouldn’t be causing this level of edema. Last week she started to have trouble swallowing which caused aspiration pneumonia and she is now in the hospital being treated. We are considering hospice but would like to know what is causing the edema. Maybe the hospital will give us some answers. Had anyone experienced anything similar?
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I am leaving you to discuss this with MD. I have no familiarity with it. I surely would be interested in what they tell you. I can tell you that. Please update us on what you find out. So sorry you are dealing with this.
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However, a search on Google brought up the following - Edema, or swelling, of the arm or hand can be a result of many different conditions. Edema may be caused by abnormal movement of fluids, such as blood and lymph, in or out of the extremity. Edema can be extra fluid that is part of the body’s inflammatory response. Some examples of causes might be trauma, tight wraps or braces, lack of use, or whole-body problems of swelling. It can occur from too much fluid into the arm and hand or not enough draining out. In contrast to edema that is all over the limb or body, swelling or extra fluid specifically within a joint is called an “effusion.”
The body is complicated. Here on the forum you’ll get a bunch of guesses.
Heart failure?
Edema at the end of life? https://www.crossroadshospice.com/hospice-palliative-care-blog/2018/march/21/managing-swelling-and-edema-at-end-of-life/
But I guess if the docs haven’t told you this then it’s not that?
Hope you figure it out. Good luck!
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/edema/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20366532#
My dad had Atrialfibrilation (a-fib) and congestive heart failure (chf), he retained water in his torso, not his lower extremities, causing untold suffering for him. When he arrived at my house, he had 70 pounds of water weight and 99% of it was in his torso. He would have died if he had not changed medical providers. They never even looked at anything but his lower legs, ankles and feet to see if he was retaining water. Ignorant, untrained medical professionals, and I use that term loosely, are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. It's labeled medical errors.
jdg, you keep on advocating for your mom. May God be with you all during this time and may HE touch your mom.
That’s a lot of additional fluid. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must have been for your dad.
There is a duplicate of this question
Usually extremity swelling is in the legs and feet--indicating renal insufficiency or CHF. In the hands? Maybe circulatory failure?
Being 96 is probably the best explanation.