Question

Capillaries are by far the most common type of blood vessel in the body, and most capillaries are very porous— they leak fluid. Blood is mostly fluid. The swelling caused by fluids leaking from the blood into tissues is known as edema. Predict where in the body you would see edema related to left-sided heart failure, and where you would see edema related to right-sided heart failure.

a) In the lungs - Left-sided heart failure
b) In the legs and abdomen - Right-sided heart failure
c) In the brain - Left-sided heart failure
d) In the arms and chest - Right-sided heart failure

Answer 1

Left-sided heart failure leads to pulmonary edema in the lungs, while right-sided heart failure causes edema in the lower extremities and abdomen.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of left-sided heart failure, edema is typically observed in the lungs. This condition, known as pulmonary edema, results from the incapacity of the left ventricle to pump sufficient blood through the systemic circulation, leading to a backup of fluid in the pulmonary circulation. The increased pressure in the pulmonary capillaries causes fluid to leak into the lung tissues.

Conversely, right-sided heart failure often leads to edema in the legs and abdomen. This is due to a rise in pressure in the vena cavae, which can result in increased pressure in smaller veins, venules, and capillaries of the systemic circulation. The pressure forces fluids out of the capillaries and into the surrounding tissues, causing swelling in these areas.