I have been having severe itching on the top and around my…

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Thank you for your patience.

I understand your concern.

I know that you are worried about it.

• I will inform you and guide you regarding the situation.

• I am aware that this can be quite confusing and distressing.

• You have bilateral pedal edema. There can be many underlying reasons for the issue. Let me discuss the causes and I would also tell you what I think about that problem.

I am listing the common causes of bilateral pedal edema below.

• Venous insufficiency, that is decreased and impaired return of blood towards the heart.

• Hypoproteinemia, that is decreased levels of protein.

• Anemia, that is decreased hemoglobin.

• Impaired heart function leading to insufficient pumping by the heart but will usually be associated with other symptoms like decreased tolerance to exercise and breathlessness, especially after any exertion or on lying down.

• Impaired kidney function causing water retention.

• Hypothyroidism, that is decreased function of the thyroid gland in producing thyroid hormones.

• Amlodipine and other drugs of the same class that are calcium channel blockers and that are used for controlling hypertension can also cause bilateral pedal edema. Other medicines like gabapentin can also be a cause. This would be pertinent if you have recently started blood pressure medicine. If not, this would not apply to you.

• You might be worried about blood clots causing swelling. However, it is incredibly uncommon to have blood clots on both sides, and therefore blood clots are unlikely to be responsible.

• The less common but under-recognized cause is pulmonary hypertension that is usually associated with sleep apnea.

• I have a suspicion that this is most likely related to venous insufficiency that is responsible for pooling of the blood in the feet. And this swelling is causing the itching. It is common to have itching as a symptom of venous insufficiency.

You should see your doctor and have investigations carried out, including doppler venous examination of both legs, echocardiography to visualize heart functioning, and kidney and liver function tests along with complete blood counts and thyroid function tests.

Meanwhile, it would help to keep the feet elevated as far as possible. It might also help to keep the skin in the feet and the ankles and the calves moisturized by using a good moisturizer. It might also help to apply calamine lotion.

Thank you.

Your doctor would know.

Is there anything else I can help you with?