Why does COPD cause people’s ankles to swell?
February 12th, 2010 | by admin |Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I would like to know the pathophysiology behind it.
Actually CHF (chronic heart failure) is known to cause the ankles to swell. Sometimes people have both COPD and CHF. CHF causes the ankles to swell because the heart does not pump effectively. Because of the ineffectiveness of the pumping, fluid will back up from the heart and redristibute throughout the body. Sometimes it goes into the lungs causing pneumonia and sometimes it goes to the extremities. Sometimes when it goes to the hands or feet, you can press on that area with your finger and leave and indention. This is known as pitting edema.
COPD has five diseases in it. The acronym for those disease is CBABE (cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, asthma, bronchitis(Chronic), emphysema) The most common cause of COPD is smoking either 1st hand or 2nd hand. Structural damage is done to the lungs causing them to not expand and empty properly. This can cause air trapping as seen in emphysema. The best way to explain this is the balloon blowing technique….Have you ever blown a balloon? Let the air out? Blow it again? Let air out? After a while the ballon loses its’ elasticity and is not as strong as it was on the first blow. This is pretty much the same thing that happens with the lungs after years of abuse from smoking. COPD can be genetic too but for the most part it is caused by smoking.
Is this what you were looking for??? If not email me, I will be on here for another hour or so.
***Hart!! OUCH!!! Just because I don’t belong to that other site does not mean I don’t know what I am talking about!! Part of my job is being a respiratory educator…I have done tons of research….I work side by side with a good variety of drs on treatments, medicines, therapies,etc…I have changed numerous things in the hospital for the better. Drs sometimes leave decisions up to me. Honestly since my job is an educator…I have only heard of Yahoo answers and never the other site….hmmmm…I kind of feel offended by your comment. OUCH!! You can feel free to google any of the info I posted in here…just because I am not an "EXPERT" does not mean I don’t know what I am talking about….Geez all I can say is OUCH!!
Got to thinking about it…COPD causes cor pulmoale which in turn causes ankle swelling. So COPD does cause ankle swelling….here is a site for cor pulmonale…..http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/cor-pulmonale
2 Responses to “Why does COPD cause people’s ankles to swell?”
By Amanda S. on Feb 12, 2010 | Reply
Actually CHF (chronic heart failure) is known to cause the ankles to swell. Sometimes people have both COPD and CHF. CHF causes the ankles to swell because the heart does not pump effectively. Because of the ineffectiveness of the pumping, fluid will back up from the heart and redristibute throughout the body. Sometimes it goes into the lungs causing pneumonia and sometimes it goes to the extremities. Sometimes when it goes to the hands or feet, you can press on that area with your finger and leave and indention. This is known as pitting edema.
COPD has five diseases in it. The acronym for those disease is CBABE (cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, asthma, bronchitis(Chronic), emphysema) The most common cause of COPD is smoking either 1st hand or 2nd hand. Structural damage is done to the lungs causing them to not expand and empty properly. This can cause air trapping as seen in emphysema. The best way to explain this is the balloon blowing technique….Have you ever blown a balloon? Let the air out? Blow it again? Let air out? After a while the ballon loses its’ elasticity and is not as strong as it was on the first blow. This is pretty much the same thing that happens with the lungs after years of abuse from smoking. COPD can be genetic too but for the most part it is caused by smoking.
Is this what you were looking for??? If not email me, I will be on here for another hour or so.
***Hart!! OUCH!!! Just because I don’t belong to that other site does not mean I don’t know what I am talking about!! Part of my job is being a respiratory educator…I have done tons of research….I work side by side with a good variety of drs on treatments, medicines, therapies,etc…I have changed numerous things in the hospital for the better. Drs sometimes leave decisions up to me. Honestly since my job is an educator…I have only heard of Yahoo answers and never the other site….hmmmm…I kind of feel offended by your comment. OUCH!! You can feel free to google any of the info I posted in here…just because I am not an "EXPERT" does not mean I don’t know what I am talking about….Geez all I can say is OUCH!!
Got to thinking about it…COPD causes cor pulmoale which in turn causes ankle swelling. So COPD does cause ankle swelling….here is a site for cor pulmonale…..http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/cor-pulmonale
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Resp therapist
By Hart on Feb 12, 2010 | Reply
My father also has issues with COPD . I posted my question on wish123 and got an answer from an expert who solved my problem. Highly recommend the website.
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