What Causes Weight Gain In An Elderly Person?

Posted on Tue, 3 Oct 2017

Question: My mother is almost 90. She had surgery on her foot. But, in the last two weeks she gained over twenty pounds of, we think, water, what should we do?

Answered by Dr. salah saad shoman (58 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
A variety of causes

Detailed Answer:
Dear Ma'am,I have gone through your question and I understand your concerns but water retention can be due to a variety of causes . The most common of which is lymphedema that commonly occur after surgery due to prolonged bed stay and immobilization . As lack of movement prevents the lymphatic system from draining properly ..This can be treated by diuretics as lasix together with physiotherapy and daily massage..
Another common causes include heart and kidney diseases but the edema should be accompanied with exhaustion, shortness of breath, coughing, and a severely reduced ability to urinate.
if she is experiencing any of these symptoms then I would recommend that she gets a blood test for kidney functions ( urea and creatinine ) and an echocardiogram to exclude heart problems
I hope you find this helpful..

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T