Why do people with emphysema sometimes have problems with fluid retention and ankle swelling?
Swelling, or edema, of the ankles, legs, and abdomen often accompanies emphysema. This is because damage to the lungs can also lead to heart damage. • In addition to the gradual removal of lung tissue (which includes blood vessels) by progression of emphysema, as the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases, it causes blood vessels in the lungs to constrict. • The blood pressure in the lungs rises, making it harder for the right side of the heart to pump blood to the lungs. • This may result in an enlargement of the right side of the heart, called cor pulmonale, and edema. • When the heart cannot pump blood efficiently, the movement of blood through the body slows, and the flow of blood to other organs decreases. • Therefore, the liver and kidneys can no longer function normally. This leads to protein and salt imbalances, which cause fluid – mostly water – to “leak” into the spaces between the blood vessels and into the surrounding tissues and cells. • Most of the fluid goes to areas th
