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What causes swollen feet and walking difficulty in elders?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

The health of my 62-year-old mother is deteriorating, and she is unable to get proper medical advice because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She complains of weakness, difficulty in walking much around the house or getting out of bed. She also has a severely swollen foot. She is under medication for diabetes and high blood pressure. She recently did a blood test, and I have attached her reports.

Kindly help.
Answered by Dr. Sugreev Singh

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sugreev Singh is an experienced General Surgeon with expertise in Internal Medicine and General Medicine. He is skilled in performing a wide range of surgical procedures and managing complex medical conditions with a holistic approach. Known for his clinical precision and compassionate care, Dr. Singh is dedicated to delivering effective, patient-centered treatment to promote long-term health and recovery.

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Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for writing, and I understand your concern.

Her kidney is not functioning well, and hence she has swelling and weakness in her feet. Her GFR (glomerular filtration rate) has also decreased. This suggests that her kidney is not functioning correctly. Improper renal function can further increase her blood pressure, so it is advisable to lower her salt intake.

And please attach a picture of the swollen leg.

Thank you.

The Probable causes

Chronic renal disease.

Investigations to be done

Abdominal ultrasound.

Differential diagnosis

Hydronephrosis.

Probable diagnosis

Decreased kidney function.

Preventive measures

Low salt diet.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thanks for the reply.

I fear that my mother is giving up her hope because she feels emotionally low and disconnected in the last few conversations with her. Anyway, I have attached all the information you requested. Now her BP is 185/90 mmHg.

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on the following two most significant concerns that I have:

1) How do we get her swollen feet better?

2) How do we get her energy level up so she can move around without much assistance?

Thanks.

Answered by Dr. Sugreev Singh

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sugreev Singh is an experienced General Surgeon with expertise in Internal Medicine and General Medicine. He is skilled in performing a wide range of surgical procedures and managing complex medical conditions with a holistic approach. Known for his clinical precision and compassionate care, Dr. Singh is dedicated to delivering effective, patient-centered treatment to promote long-term health and recovery.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Thank you for the quick reply and for attaching pictures. I have gone through the pictures (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity).

All her symptoms are due to deranged kidney function. It will get better with time as she is already taking all the necessary medications. But it will take time for the kidney function to get normal.

Kindly do an abdominal ultrasound and attach the reports to correlate and correct the issues accordingly.

As for now, please decrease salt intake.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team
Published At October 29, 2021
Reviewed At July 5, 2024

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sugreev Singh is an experienced General Surgeon with expertise in Internal Medicine and General Medicine. He is skilled in performing a wide range of surgical procedures and managing complex medical conditions with a holistic approach. Known for his clinical precision and compassionate care, Dr. Singh is dedicated to delivering effective, patient-centered treatment to promote long-term health and recovery.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Sugreev Singh
Dr. Sugreev Singh

Internal Medicine

Consult this doctor

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sugreev Singh is an experienced General Surgeon with expertise in Internal Medicine and General Medicine. He is skilled in performing a wide range of surgical procedures and managing complex medical conditions with a holistic approach. Known for his clinical precision and compassionate care, Dr. Singh is dedicated to delivering effective, patient-centered treatment to promote long-term health and recovery.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality
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