Why does my knee swell up?

Many people complain about swelling of the knee. After all, do not forget that it is on the knee joint is the main load during walking. Edema and pain can be caused by completely different causes, from injuries to infectious diseases.

Knee swelling due to injury

Quite often, the cause of edema is acute damage to the knee joint, which are possible, for example, with a strong impact or fall. As a rule, the trauma is accompanied by sharp pain, the intensity of which can be weakened, as well as the presence of hematoma and edema. In any case, mechanical injury to the knee joint is fraught with:

• Strains or ruptures of tendons and ligaments;
• Damage to the meniscus;
• Fracture of the patella, the lower part of the tibia or the upper part of the tibia;
• Displacement of the patella;
• Dislocation of knee joint.

It is worth noting that the knee swells at each of the above injuries. Therefore, the victim must immediately be sent to the hospital - without medical assistance here can hardly be dispensed with.

Why does my knee swell up? The most common diseases

Sometimes it happens that the swelling of the knee joint appears against the background of general health without mechanical trauma. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon can signal the mass of a variety of diseases:

• Bursitis - a fairly common disease, accompanied by inflammation of synovial bags (bursa). Inflammatory process can be caused by trauma, stroke, persistent physical stress, and also by infection. With such a problem most often encounter athletes, in particular cyclists, jumpers, football players. The disease is accompanied by pain, fever and accumulation of fluid inside the joint.
• If the knee is red and swollen, this may indicate the development of arthritis. Such a disease can occur under the influence of various factors, including trauma, infection, hypothermia, physical activity, etc.
• In some cases, edema can be explained by the presence of free bodies in the cavity of the joint bag. Such a phenomenon can be the result of both trauma (for example, a meniscus fracture or fracture), and some diseases, including osteoarthritis, chondromatosis. In any case, the patient needs help, since the presence of loose bodies is often accompanied by blockade of the knee joint.
• If the knee is swollen from the inside, then this may indicate a so-called "Baker's cyst", which is nothing more than a fluid cluster in the popliteal region.
• Be sure to pay attention to the attendant symptoms - whether there is pain, redness of the skin, a rise in temperature, as this is important for the diagnostic process.

In any case, swelling of the knee - this is a pretty serious problem. It is almost impossible to diagnose such a condition and determine the cause of the violation independently. Therefore, if there is swelling in the knee area, it is best to go straight to the hospital, where the doctor will examine the leg, prescribe tests and X-ray examination - this is the only way to find out the nature of the pathology, which, of course, directly affects the chosen method of treatment.