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).
Edema: The Most Common Cause. In the general population, swollen ankles are often caused by edema, which is the most common cause in elderly individuals. Edema simply means that excess water accumulation in the body causes swelling of the soft tissues under the skin. When the swelling is of the extremities, such as the ankles or feet, it is called peripheral edema.