65 Year Old Female with Chronic Lower Leg Edema - Essay Example

"65 Year Old Female with Chronic Lower Leg Edema" is a wonderful example of a paper on symptoms. Tissues in the body based on several factors including the use of fluid contained in them. These fluids are made up of several constituent components such as water, electrolytes, some protein, and macromolecules (quote). The quantity at which the level of fluid is found is very important for ensuring that the tissues can function very effectively, given the fact that there are always massive capillary and filtration actions involved in the functioning of fluids within the tissues (quote). The implication here is that when levels of fluid fall below or above the required quantity, it can lead to different forms of effects that directly affect the activity of capillary and filtration within the body. At some point in a person’s life, the fluid in the tissues becomes excessive, due to unwanted accumulation of this fluid in the tissue. When such a situation happens, the quote (year) noted that the resulting condition from the presence of such excessive fluid accumulation is the swelling of the tissues. Medically, such swelling of tissues is known as edema. Some of the pathophysiologic conditions that take place within the tissues in the occurrence of edema include the fact that the type of fluid which has earlier been mentioned leaves capillaries and minute post-capillary venules that are registered as a result of filtration (quote). The filtration process that takes place within the tissues occurs by way of capillary hydrostatic pressure. It is therefore expected that at any point in time, the capillary actions that take place will be within a well-regulated range so as to minimize capillary pressure or avoid instances of increased capillary pressure (quote).  

Most patients, particularly older females like the 65-year-old presented in the case have often had different causes of edema that result from such increased capillary pressure as discussed above. Generally, in the filtration functioning of fluid in the tissue, it is the permeability of the vessel walls known as endothelium and basement membrane that determines the amount of fluid filtered per unit time (quote). Consequently, a misplaced functionality leads to increased capillary pressure when there is excessive fluid as the causes of edema begins to manifest. The first cause of edema that will therefore be discussed has to do with increased capillary hydrostatic pressure. There are a number of organic functional conditions that lead to venous pressures becoming elevated as a result of gravitational forces. Two of these will be noted to be heart failure and venous obstruction. In situations like this, there is what is known as increased capillary hydrostatic pressure, which negatively affects the normal functioning of the tissues and thus brings about increased capillary pressure, causing edema. The capillary hydrostatic pressure referred to is generally a form of pressure that plays the functional role of driving out fluid from the capillary in a process known as filtration.

 

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