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).
Swelling of the foot, ankle and leg can be severe enough to leave an indentation (pit) when you press on the area. This swelling (edema) is the result of excess fluid in your tissues â often caused by congestive heart failure or blockage in a leg vein. Signs of edema include: Swelling or puffiness of the tissue directly under your skin, especially in your legs or arms