how do you know if you retain water

[joshua77]

My ankles were swollen at the top quite a bit yesterday it wasnt really in my feet just bottom of myankles iI did a lilittle bit yesterday I didn't hurt them at all so I doubt it was do to an injury its scathing me to the point were I couldn't sleep last night but how often is swelling feet heart failure?

[ed34]

don't over exert over xmas and just chill :)

[joshua77]

Lol thank you I do have a slightly enlarged right side with bundle branch block but they said there wasn't anything to worry about

[ed34]

That is a good ejection fraction indeed. This is usually something quoted for the left side, whereas swelling with heart problems is normally associated with the right side. Don't worry, have a good xmas, I'm sure it's going to be one of those things they can't find a reason for, or at least nothing serious.

[joshua77]

I will call after the holidays as there not open today thanks for the help. I have had a lot of work ups in the past year nothing has shown up yet the only thing that lingers around is blood in urine and palps the swelling feet thing has scared the daylights out of me as the last few days I've been tired but figured it was the ms acting up I've been working a little harder as of late to but nothing out doing myself. My ejection fraction was 70 something six months ago after  my heart cath

[ed34]

Yes. Alcohol can aggravate edema or liver problems as well as raise blood pressure to highlight any heart condition. Raising your feet above the level of your heart will help with its work too. If only to eliminate any serious issues, I would go and get checked out.

[joshua77]

This is the first time it happened it was after I had four beers the next night I noticed my one ankle was worse then the other and felt weird I looked up how to tell if you holding water and it said to push on your ankles and see if it left an indent this didn't happen. When I put my feet up it went away today I worked a bit all day and Northing any ideas? Thank you all for the advice should I call my doc?

[Flycaster305]

There is a simple way to determine if you are retaining water, simply weigh yourself in your birthday suit every day in the morning after using the facilities.  If you see a weight gain of three pounds or more in a 24 hour period, or five pounds a week, you are retaining water.  The cause can be ferreted out with blood tests by your cardiologist.  I've dealt with this issue for about eight months after my heart bypasses occluded.  I tend to retain water in my abdomen but also in my legs if I have been standing a lot.  Water retention is serious both in the cause and the effect.  You will retain water in the lungs if your heart is weakened, and believe me, you won't wonder if it's happening, you will be panic-struck when you lay down, you feel like you are drowning.  A weak kidney function is also a possibility as is liver issues, so it is something to take seriously, believe me.  I weigh myself every morning when I first get out of bed and use the facilities.  I have the option of adding a Lasix pill if I see a weight gain of two pounds or more, but I'm to call my Cardiologist if my weight stays up... I also am blood tested every three weeks, water retention can be a serious condition.

[ed34]

I would visit your Doctor because it obviously has an underlying cause. It could be the start of venous insufficiency for example, where the tiny one way valves in your leg veins are breaking down. It could the start of a liver infection which is preventing it making a protein that stops fluid leakage from blood vessels. It could be the start of heart failure, but the swelling typically occurs after laying down. In some cases everything checks out and the cause is never determined but you certainly need to rule out worse case scenarios and get on top of the problem as early as possible. One of the first thing any hospital does with heart patients is check their ankles for swelling and make sure they have a strong pulse in that location.

[joshua77]

Xanax bout it never had swelling ankles before kinda scared me

[Occupant]

What medication are you on? To me swollen ankles have more to do with kidney than heart failure.