What can be done for swollen legs due to CHF?
Leg swelling due to congestive heart failure is very common. The swelling is due to excess fluid that backs up because the heart muscle is weak and cannot pump well. Diuretics are the usual treatment because they help the body get rid of excess fluid. There are numerous diuretics that can be used. If one diuretic is not working they can be used in combination along with other therapies. We would recommend that you consult with a wound care specialist to treat the blisters. Elevating your mom's legs, limiting salt and fluid intake and wearing support stockings may help relieve the leg swelling which may in turn help the blisters heal.
I agree with the above answer, however salt doesn't only mean table salt. All prepared foods are very high in sodium. Stay away from them. As far as the water blisters go I would see a dr. and he will recommend unna booths, elevation and home nurses for caring for the unna boots Good luck.
Your mother's doctor needs to also review the medications she is taking. The blistering can be a side effect of some common medications used for heart failure. In addition is is not uncomon to find that treating common skin fungus, in many cases with over-the-counter medications can control or prevent such blistering. It will require especial care to make sure that bedding, socks or stockings, and towels are kept scrupulously clean and changed daily.
Such cases are considered advanced stage of HF, and most probably those pt's are already on combination diuretics, a matter which must be managed very cautiously, because of diuretic's side effects(hypotension and electrolyte imbalance) so edema of lower limbs in such cases is helpful for the heart, as it might be considered a deloading factor for the already overburdened heart. The right thing is to consult the doctor about the right management of those extremely fragile patients , and the correct way of managing locally those blisters. dr. maged zaki
Need to take care not to use Unna Boots without an ABI (measurement)obtained from MD or WOCN. This treatment should never be used haphazzardly. Also, compression should be used only with MD recommendation, especially with patient in active CHF. The edema (swelling) could travel upwards with the compression, causing increased cardio-pulmonary complications. Deborah T., RN, HCS-C, COS-D, SCHN.
I have CHF, and have blisters forming on both of my legs. Been to the ER room several times, as they got infected. What they did and told me to do, wash the infected areas several times a day, add a antibacteral suave on the wounds, cover in patches, cover that in gauze and then they gave me 2 very strong stretch gauze to wrap my legs very tightly to make the swelling go down. Did that for weeks. Let me tell you, this is NO a easy thing to control. I have scars on several parts of both legs, around the ankles mostly the size of your fists, and yet, little bumps form, and they start a new blister. It took me 2 years to heal from 4 blisters and now, I see another opened up, so back to the treatment, again. Best thing to do, is to keep legs elevated as much as possible, do walking instead of sitting around, and use those compression socks, day and night. It is no easy way, and you probably will never get free of blisters, they seem to make their way back, eventually.
I have "Lymph Edema" and went through the swollen leg trauma where my legs actually swelled so bad that they would erupt and leak fluid from them.Aside from wearing the tight wraps applied by a Therapist and the method he used in therapy that he performed,elevating the legs did the trick.I now have legs that are normal size as long as I continue to wear the "Compreson Stockings".
