noun / verb HSK 5
Traditional 水腫
shuǐ zhǒng
edema · dropsy · swelling (medical) · to swell with fluid

Meaning

水肿 is a medical term referring to the abnormal accumulation of fluid in body tissues, causing swelling. It's commonly used in medical contexts to describe swelling in legs, ankles, face, or other body parts due to various health conditions. The term can function both as a noun (the condition itself) and as a verb (to develop edema).

Usage

This is primarily medical vocabulary used by healthcare professionals and patients discussing symptoms. In everyday conversation, people might say 肿了 (swollen) for general swelling, while 水肿 specifically indicates fluid retention. Common in discussions of pregnancy complications, kidney problems, heart conditions, and other medical issues causing fluid accumulation.

Examples

  1. 01
    她怀孕后期出现了严重的腿部水肿
    huái yùn hòu chū xiàn le yán zhòng de tuǐ shuǐ zhǒng.
    She developed severe leg edema in her late pregnancy.
  2. 02
    医生建议他减少盐分摄入以缓解水肿症状。
    shēng jiàn jiǎn shǎo yán fèn shè huǎn jiě shuǐ zhǒng zhèng zhuàng.
    The doctor advised him to reduce salt intake to relieve the edema symptoms.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 水肿
    jiǎo shuǐ zhǒng
    swelling in the feet/legs
  • 眼睛水肿
    yǎn jing shuǐ zhǒng
    swelling around the eyes
  • 治疗水肿
    zhì liáo shuǐ zhǒng
    to treat edema
  • 下肢水肿
    xià zhī shuǐ zhǒng
    lower extremity edema

Origin

The term directly combines 水 (water/fluid) and 肿 (swelling), literally meaning 'water swelling,' which accurately describes the pathological condition of fluid accumulation causing tissue expansion.

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