Oedema
9 medicines
Oedema is fluid trapped in body tissues, most visible as swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet, and usually a sign of an underlying process such as heart, kidney, or liver disease. It's treated with diuretics like furosemide or spironolactone.
Amiloride Tablets
Amiloride
5mg
Amiloride Tablets is a heart blood pressure medication containing Amiloride, available as 5mg tablets.
Key facts
- Oedema is fluid trapped in body tissues, most visible as swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet; it's a sign of an underlying process rather than a disease in itself.
- Heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease (cirrhosis), and venous insufficiency are common systemic causes; swelling confined to one leg or eyelid usually points to a local cause instead.
- Treatment centres on diuretics: furosemide or torsemide for significant fluid overload, hydrochlorothiazide for milder cases, and spironolactone or amiloride when potassium needs sparing.
- Seek urgent care for sudden one-leg swelling with calf pain, swelling with breathlessness, or swelling that develops rapidly over hours.
What drives the fluid build-up
The kidneys regulate how much salt and water the body holds, and anything that disrupts that balance can push fluid out of blood vessels and into surrounding tissue. Heart failure is one of the most common culprits: a weakened heart raises backpressure in the venous system and pushes fluid outward. Kidney disease reduces the body's ability to excrete sodium, and cirrhosis lowers albumin levels, which normally keep fluid inside blood vessels. Certain blood pressure medicines, corticosteroids, and anti-inflammatory drugs can also contribute. Localised oedema, one swollen leg or a puffy eyelid, points toward a local cause such as a deep-vein thrombosis, lymphatic blockage, or local infection rather than a systemic one.
Diuretics: the main treatment approach
Most oedema treatment centres on diuretics, which increase urine output and pull excess fluid out of the tissues. Furosemide, a loop diuretic, works quickly and is often the first choice for significant fluid overload linked to heart or kidney conditions. Torsemide is a longer-acting loop diuretic that some people tolerate better. For milder cases, or alongside a loop diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide reduces how much salt the kidney tubules reabsorb. Spironolactone and amiloride are potassium-sparing options, useful when other diuretics cause low potassium, and spironolactone is a first-line choice for oedema caused by liver cirrhosis. Acetazolamide has a narrower role, mainly in altitude-related oedema and specialist settings. Heart and blood pressure conditions that lead to oedema are covered separately.
Self-care and when to get help
Mild dependent swelling often responds to elevating the legs above heart level for 30 minutes a few times a day, cutting back on sodium, and wearing compression stockings. Staying well-hydrated, counterintuitive as it sounds, helps the kidneys work efficiently. Seek medical attention promptly for sudden swelling in one leg with calf pain, swelling that comes with breathlessness or chest tightness, or pitting oedema that appears rapidly over hours; these can signal a clot or acute heart failure needing urgent assessment.
This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.