About the data: We used the family income data from the 2013 American Community Survey. This counts only families, which the government defines as households with two or more people related by birth, marriage or adoption. The graph focuses on families living in the country's 30 most populous cities.
Congestive heart failure. When one or both of your heart's lower chambers lose their ability to pump blood effectively â as happens in congestive heart failure â the blood can back up in your legs, ankles and feet, causing edema. Heart failure can also cause swelling in your abdomen. Sometimes it can cause fluid to accumulate in your lungs (pulmonary edema), which can lead to shortness of breath. Cirrhosis. Fluid may accumulate in your abdominal cavity (ascites) and in your legs as a result of liver damage (cirrhosis).
What causes swollen feet and legs? Your feet and legs swell when fluid builds up in the space between the cells of your body. There are many reasons this can happen, some quite serious and many minor or transient. You should consult your doctor to determine the cause of your swelling, which you may hear referred to as edema. Among the possible causes for swollen feet & legs: