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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Can Cause Swelling In The Feet And Poor Memory?

My mother is 71 yrs old and she was the sole caretaker of my elderly grandmother for 3 yrs before my grandmother passed away almost 3 months ago . I noticed my moms feet & ankles swelling and her memory is just horrible, like she can't hardly form a sentence. People tell this is normal but I am not so sure. I worry there is more going on with my mom.
Thu, 24 Jan 2019
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Hello,

None of your mother's symptoms or findings is normal. Leg swelling can be caused by various disorders including venous insufficiency, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, endocrine disorders, etc.

Persistent and reproducible forgetfulness is usually the presenting symptom of dementia. A neurologist should be able to do a proper assessment with appropriate tests and a CT or MRI scan of the brain.

Certain disorders may cause (or worsen) symptoms that resemble dementia. For example, serious anemia or electrolyte disorders, infections etc may cause the brain to malfunction. Her doctor should exclude other disorders before diagnosing dementia particularly if she presented with these symptoms all of a sudden.

So in conclusion, what happened to your mother is not normal. She requires assessment by a doctor, but the most likely diagnosis is dementia.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist
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General & Family Physician Dr. Ashakiran S's  Response
Hi,

Swelling of the feet could be due to improper cardiac activity, particularly could be related to signs of uncontrolled hypertension or congestive heart failure.

Loss of memory and unable to form a proper sentence could be due to the neurological deficit or age-related cerebral atrophy. Hence, she needs to consult Cardiologist for clinical evaluation of the cardiovascular system as well as Neurologist for clinical evaluation of the nervous system.

She may require certain investigations to arrive at the diagnosis, for which specific treatment can be administered.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Ashakiran S,
General & Family Physician
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What Can Cause Swelling In The Feet And Poor Memory?

Hello, None of your mother s symptoms or findings is normal. Leg swelling can be caused by various disorders including venous insufficiency, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, endocrine disorders, etc. Persistent and reproducible forgetfulness is usually the presenting symptom of dementia. A neurologist should be able to do a proper assessment with appropriate tests and a CT or MRI scan of the brain. Certain disorders may cause (or worsen) symptoms that resemble dementia. For example, serious anemia or electrolyte disorders, infections etc may cause the brain to malfunction. Her doctor should exclude other disorders before diagnosing dementia particularly if she presented with these symptoms all of a sudden. So in conclusion, what happened to your mother is not normal. She requires assessment by a doctor, but the most likely diagnosis is dementia. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis, Internal Medicine Specialist