What is edema?

Your ankles or lower legs look puffier than usual, and you want to know whether the word for it is edema and whether it matters.

What the word means

my.clevelandclinic.org describes edema as swelling from fluid buildup inside your body, especially your legs, feet, hands or around an injury. So the word names the swelling, and it says nothing yet about why the swelling is there.

Why the name is not enough

A clinician, after an examination, is the one who can say what is behind it. If you want to read further, there are pages on compression therapy, chronic venous insufficiency, and lymphedema from the Society for Vascular Surgery and MedlinePlus.

Notes to bring to the clinician

Note which leg is swollen, when you first saw it, and whether it changes through the day. Bring those notes to a clinician. Readers in Mokena and New Lenox Township can use the same notes with any provider they choose.

A question worth asking

Ask what is causing the swelling, not only what to do about it.