Swelling occurs when water builds up in the tissues. Common causes of swelling in people with cancer include salt and water retention (due to medication for heart, liver, or kidney failure), malnutrition, pelvic tumors, and obstruction to the veins or lymph system. Fluid can also build up in the abdomen, making it swell.
What to Look For
- Feet and lower legs swell when you sit in a chair or walk
- Rings become "too tight" for fingers
- Hands look tight when you make a fist
- Abdomen swells
- Breathing becomes difficult, especially when lying down
What to Do
- Limit use of salt in cooking and on the table, and eat foods low in salt
- Eat as well as you can
- Take medication, as prescribed by the doctor
- Put your feet on 2 pillows when resting in bed
- Elevate your feet on a stool with a pillow when you sit in a chair
Do Not
- Add salt to foods when cooking or at the table
- Eat foods high in salt and monosodium glutamate (check food labels)
- Forget to take medications as prescribed by the doctor
- Rest your feet on the floor
Call the Doctor About Any of the Following Symptoms
- Inability to eat for a day or more
- Inability to urinate normally for a day or more
- Swelling so severe that if you press your finger on the swelling, the fingertip mark stays
- Swelling that spreads up legs or arms
- Puffy or blown-up belly
- Shortness of breath
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