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Suggest Treatment For Swollen Legs And High Blood Pressure
Question: I'm 57, overweight, slightly high blood pressure and recently noticing that my legs are swollen, as if retaining water, skin is tight around calf and ankle muscles/fat. I've also recently (6 months) been unable to hold my urine back when I get the urge to urinate, I have to find a commode NOW or I dribble and twice i've wet myself completely with total loss of control. I was checked for diabetes one year ago and didn't have it then.
Brief Answer:
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain that your symptoms are suggestive of a chronic kidney disease (considering also the urinary incontinence).
But other possible causes of fluid retention (like heart failure, liver disease, diabetes) should be excluded too.
So, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical exam and some tests:
- a resting ECG
- an urinary tract ultrasound (abdominal ultrasound) to examine your kidney
- complete blood count
- kidney and liver function tests
- blood electrolytes
- fasting glucose (it is a long time since you were checked for diabetes)
- inflammation tests (PCR, sedimentation rate)
- urine analysis.
If all the above tests result normal, a cardiac ultrasound to examine your heart and a Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels (for possible varicose veins) are necessary.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain that your symptoms are suggestive of a chronic kidney disease (considering also the urinary incontinence).
But other possible causes of fluid retention (like heart failure, liver disease, diabetes) should be excluded too.
So, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical exam and some tests:
- a resting ECG
- an urinary tract ultrasound (abdominal ultrasound) to examine your kidney
- complete blood count
- kidney and liver function tests
- blood electrolytes
- fasting glucose (it is a long time since you were checked for diabetes)
- inflammation tests (PCR, sedimentation rate)
- urine analysis.
If all the above tests result normal, a cardiac ultrasound to examine your heart and a Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels (for possible varicose veins) are necessary.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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