I think my dad may have something very bad going on with his health. Can you help?

Question

Alright. So he is 46. He is overweight. He doesn't smoke, or drink. He is very strong. He has high blood pressure and has for a long time. He keeps to himself most of the time so I can't ever get anything out of him.

Heres his problem.

His leg is swelling. His blood pressure is very high, too. It's at like 175. He has been to the doctor and the doctor couldn't find out what was wrong.

As a girl who witnessed my grandma died of cancer, and she swelled up on her legs and arms from two different cancers, I'm concerned about this.

I have it stuck in my mind that something bad is going to happen. Please.. no matter what reality it strikes me with...

Tell me what you think it could possibly be.

Please ask questions. I'll keep answering asap. Ten points deffinately for whoever helps the most. Others, thank you soooooo much.

Answer 1

is it only one leg that's effected? if so is his leg a different colour and temperature than the other leg. does he get pain or not.

I'm thinking along the lines of a blood clot or if its really red and sore looking then possibly cellulitis. have a look on your browser for these problems and see what matches his symptoms,dr's are fallible and can make mistakes, also see if there is anything else symptom wise ,even if you don't think its relevant or linked to his leg problem it may determine the diagnosis.good luck.

Answer 2

Ok, I don't want this to upset you but my own personal experience. My Dad is 53, I am 21. Last year, his leg was sore, he had to stop work (he was working 2 hours away) and come home. He ended up in hospital because his right leg swelled to around about twice its usual size.

He was checked out, and they found that he had deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in his legs), which they found strange as he was already on blood thinners for a heart condition.

They did scans, and found cancer, lung cancer.

I hope this isn't the case for you, it is gut wrenching. Maybe tell him you think there is something bigger wrong and that he should get a second opinion, and maybe mention to the doctor you think it's possible that it could be DVT.

Good luck & I really hope this helps.

By the way, My Dad's leg got twice the size, and very very hot, hot to touch. It also looked sunburned.

Answer 3

Shelbee - try and get your dad to see a different doctor - tell him you are worried about him and that  you love him so much you want him around for a long time yet.  Good luck

Answer 4

Another name for high blood pressure is hypertension.

When blood pressure is high, it starts to damage the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other problems. High blood pressure is called a "silent killer,'' because it doesn't usually cause symptoms while it is causing this damage.

In most cases, doctors can't point to the exact cause. But several things are known to raise blood pressure, including being very overweight, drinking too much alcohol, having a family history of high blood pressure, eating too much salt, and getting older.

Your blood pressure may also rise if you are not very active, you don't eat enough potassium and calcium, or you have a condition called insulin resistance.

Without treatment, high blood pressure can damage the heart, brain, kidneys, or eyes. This damage causes problems like coronary artery disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

The SWELLING OF HIS LEGS IS CALLED PEDAL EDEMA.  iT'S AN EARLY SIGN OF KIDNEY FAILURE.  And he might  eating a lot of salt which can make him retain water.  immobility can also cause pedal edema.; because the blood tends to pool in his legs.  

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on how high your blood pressure is, whether you have other health problems such as diabetes, and whether any organs have already been damaged. Your doctor will also consider how likely you are to develop other diseases, especially heart disease.

You can help lower your blood pressure by making healthy changes in your lifestyle. If those lifestyle changes don't work, you may also need to take pills. Either way, you will need to control your high blood pressure throughout your life.

If you have prehypertension, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes. These may include losing extra weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, cutting back on salt, quitting smoking, and eating a low-fat diet that includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

If you have high blood pressure without any organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you take medicine in addition to making lifestyle changes.

If you have high blood pressure and have some organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, you may need to try various combinations of medicines in addition to making big lifestyle changes.

Most people take more than one pill for high blood pressure. Work with your doctor to find the right pill or combination of pills that will cause the fewest side effects.

It can be hard to remember to take pills when you have no symptoms. But your blood pressure will go back up if you don't take your medicine. Make your pill schedule as simple as you can. Plan times to take them when you are doing other things, like eating a meal or getting ready for bed.

What can you do to prevent high blood pressure?

There are six lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent high blood pressure:

Lose extra weight.

Eat less salt.about 2 Gms or remove it completely.  

Exercise.

Limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women and lighter-weight men.

Get 3,500 mg of potassium in your diet every day. Fresh, unprocessed whole foods have the most potassium. These foods include meat, fish, nonfat and low-fat dairy products, and many fruits and vegetables.

Follow the DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and is low in fat.

Aside from meds, he needs to exercise and regulate his diet.  And above all he has to lose weight.  You might  tell the doctor about his blood pressure readings and that the medications are not working.  He probably will change it.  A lot of hypertensive patients take two meds. And it's not uncommon for the doctor to juggle his meds around until he finds the right ones for him.  Your father needs to keep that hypertnsion under control.  Otherwise, it makes him at high risks for HA( Myocardial Infarction)  or STROKE ( CVA)  

Answer 5

It's great that you're so concerned about your father, and that you're smart and mature enough to understand it could be bad. But don't jump to the worst-case scenario just yet, particularly when your father needs your strength. Have you had his blood-sugar, uric acid or blood-urea level checked? I don't know if your doctor is a specialist or what credentials he has, but try taking your father to another doc, just to be on the safe side. I'm assuming he's already taking medication for his hypertension?

Keep looking on-line for answers, but please keep in mind that your father's case might not be the same as someone else's. Only a qualified physician can tell you what it is. Have you spoken to an oncologist about dad's symptoms? Maybe he can point you in the right direction.

Good luck, I hope your father feels better real soon.

Answer 6

First and foremost, your Father should get a second opinion. Find another Doctor, one that specializes in blood pressure. First your Father is overweight, Strike #1, Some Blood pressure medicines have the side effect of swelling legs, Strike #2. Is he a diabetic, Strike #4. Does he use a lot of salt, Strike #5. Does he have a kidney infection, Strike #6. I could go on but won't. He is retaining water for some reason and should be taking a water pill to release it. Does he have difficulty breathing. Could be in congestive heart failure. If this happens, call an Ambulance and have him admitted in the Hospital. He might not want you to, but do it anyway. Some day he will thank you. I don't believe he has cancer so quit worrying about that. His heart is just being over worked by his weight, and not functioning properly. Try your best to get him to a heart Doctor. But only he can truly make up his mine while he is still able, and you could tell him that. Tell him don't leave it up to you to make a decision for him, and then it will or maybe to late. Keep telling him what you are telling him now, Love overcomes all, and he should be thinking about those that loves him, how hard it will be without him and all the heartache that comes with it. I wish for your father the very best and that he realizes the state he may be in. I wish for you the very best also young lady, for the caring and love you have for your Father and what you are trying to do for him. May God Bless you richly.    

Answer 7

First of all, I'm no doctor so I can't tell you what's his exact problem.

Even though you said his doctor couldn't find an answer, I would suggest you go to a different doctor. Get more opinions. Based on your description, it seem it could be many things such as diabetes (my grandma has diabetes and her leg also swells up).

He also needs to see a doctor about his blood pressure.

Tell him ur concern about his health and maybe talk to another adult such as his wife, mother, sibling or friend who can encourage him.

Hope that helps!

Answer 8

I say you spend as much time as possible researching what that could be because then you can help your doctor figure out what it might be.