I have a swelling in my ankles. Is this because of heart failure?

Question

Hello doctor,

Since yesterday, I have been so tired, and I have a swelling in my ankles. It looks like a mild swelling, but I am scared. I have attached pictures of the swelling. Is this starting edema because of heart failure? I had some cardiac enlargement on MRI, but I had normal ejection fractions a year ago. What do I do now?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have seen and reviewed the images which you have attached (attachment removed to protect patient identity). It looks like you have mild edema around your ankle. In the absence of any respiratory symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, or other cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, it is not related to any cardiac issues. It could be due to other factors such as slight renal parameter derangement, or wearing very tight socks.

I will advise you to get a CBC (Complete Blood Count), RFT (Renal Function Test) and LFT (Liver Function Test) done. If these tests are normal, you can go ahead and get an ECG done. But as of now, there is no need to worry about heart failure.