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Edema in legs/indentation?

I used to have high blood pressure and retained alot of fluid in my feet and legs and got on blood pressure medicine and compressed stockings. I got my blood pressure under control when I lost weight and it's actually really good now even tho iv gained the weight back that I lost. I have been noticing that if I sit a certain way or if I push in on my legs/shins they leave a indentation and stays that way for a while. Im just a little bit concerned because any time I go to the doctors my blood pressure is really good. Should I start wearing my compressed stockings again? Should I make a doctors apt?
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replied September 26th, 2011
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The persistent indentation you get when pressing over your shins, is actually a test used by doctors to check for "pitting edema". Pitting edema can be a sign of several things, which can include:

What causes pitting edema?

Edema is caused by either systemic diseases, that is, diseases that affect the various organ systems of the body, or by local conditions involving just the affected extremities. The most common systemic diseases associated with edema involve the heart (heart failure), liver, and kidneys. In these diseases, edema occurs primarily because of the body's retention of too much salt (sodium chloride). The excess salt causes the body to retain water. This water then leaks into the interstitial tissue spaces (the "space" between the cells), where it appears as edema (fluid).


So, it is usually recommended that a patient see his/her physician if they have pitting edema, to determine the underlying cause. In the mean time, yes, you should use your compression stockings, to help push that fluid back into the core.

Good luck.
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