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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Prolonged Swelling Above Knees In An Elderly Person?

Hi, My dad is 94 and his legs have been swollen for few months . It started from just above ankle and slowly goes above the knee on both legs. His swollen legs are hard and kind of red with dry skin but he feels no pain and still be able to walk around for about a mile a day. He doesn t think it s a problem and he s resisted to see doctors. What is possibly wrong with his legs? Regards,
posted on Tue, 17 Nov 2015
Twitter Wed, 25 Nov 2015 Answered on
Twitter Wed, 25 Nov 2015 Last reviewed on
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hi Welcome to HEALTHCARE MAGIC..

I have gone through your query and can understand your concern.

Swelling can be a simple harmless symptom due to venous inability to move blood up to the heart in older age. So he can lift his legs up, don't allow him to hang his legs.
Swelling of the lower legs can also be a warning sign of decline in people who have heart failure, liver failure, or kidney failure. Here the swelling usually affects both legs
Swelling in just one lower leg can be a sign of a blood clot in the deep leg veins (called a deep vein thrombosis).Deep vein thrombosis is dangerous, if a piece of the clot breaks off, it can move to the lung (called pulmonary embolism), where it can cause shortness of breath, palpitations, and in some cases even cardiac arrest.

So if his swelling persists you should consult a doctor

Hope this information helps
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What Causes Prolonged Swelling Above Knees In An Elderly Person?

Hi Welcome to HEALTHCARE MAGIC.. I have gone through your query and can understand your concern. Swelling can be a simple harmless symptom due to venous inability to move blood up to the heart in older age. So he can lift his legs up, don t allow him to hang his legs. Swelling of the lower legs can also be a warning sign of decline in people who have heart failure, liver failure, or kidney failure. Here the swelling usually affects both legs Swelling in just one lower leg can be a sign of a blood clot in the deep leg veins (called a deep vein thrombosis).Deep vein thrombosis is dangerous, if a piece of the clot breaks off, it can move to the lung (called pulmonary embolism), where it can cause shortness of breath, palpitations, and in some cases even cardiac arrest. So if his swelling persists you should consult a doctor Hope this information helps