Re: edema and diabetes

The cause of my concern and why I am hesitant to suggest that iodine supplementation at high doses is right for you at this time:

www.lymphedemapeople.com/thesite/lymphedema_and_diabetes.htm

Edema and Diabetes

There are three main types of edema associated with diabetes.  The causes of diabetic edema include cardiovascular disease and complications; Nephrotic Syndrome or acute renal failure; renal artery stenosis; acute liver failure, cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis; drugs used to treat diabetes and finally a mixture of other factors involving  protein losing enteropathy, thiamine deficiency, simple premenstrual fluid retention, pregnancy  and acute anaphylaxis.

Macular edema, is the swelling of the macular, an area near the center of the retina.  This area is responsible for fine or reading vision. This area is also involved in color perception and daytime vision.  Diabetic Retinopathy caused macular edema is a complication of diabetes.

It begins from the leaking of fluids from blood vessels in the macula.  The vision loss can progress causing eventual legal blindness.  There are two types of macular edema.  The first is called focal macular edema.   This edema is caused by vascular abnormalities, primarily micro aneurysms which cause the leakage.  Focal laser treatment (used to seal microaneursms) is used  treatment for this type of macular edema.  The second form of  is called diffuse macular edema and is caused by dilated retinal capillaries.  Grid laser treatment is used for this type and is applied to areas of retinal thickening in which there is diffuse leakage.  Again the focus is to seal leakages.

Pulmonary edema may also be experienced as a complication. This can come about due to accompanying cardiovascular disease or may even be caused by diabetic drugs  as reported in the September 2001 issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.  Treatment for this edema involves insertion of a "catheter" to drain the fluids.

Foot and leg edema may be experienced from either venous insufficiency, cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathy, liver conditions, or kidney complications.  Foot and leg edema may also increase the already high risk of non-healing wounds for the diabetic patient.  Treatment of this edema may include diuretics and manual decongestive therapy which moves fluids out of affected areas to where the body can eliminate them.  Subsequent to drugs and decongestive therapy compression garments or hosiery may be proscribed as well.  It is important to remember that the edema resulting as a complication of diabetes is not the same as lymphedema.

Swelling from lymphedema is a direct result of malformation of the lymph system (congenital and hereditary, or primary lymphedema) or damage, injury, trauma or destruction to the lymph system from infections, lymph node removal, radiation treatments to mention only a few causes. Treatment for lymphedema includes manual decongestive therapy, no diuretics, use of compression garments andcompression bandages.  Surgical management and compression pump therapy may also be used.