Water Retention Remedies

Water Retention Remedies Are you having swelling and puffiness in your body lately? Perhaps you’re suffering from stiff joints or a general bloated feeling. If this is the case, then you may be suffering from water retention. Did you know that water makes up 70% of your total body weight, 50% of body fat contains water, and 75% of muscle tissue is made up of water. In essence water is a huge part of your health and water retention can be a huge problem.

If you have suffered from water retention for a while, then it would be in your best interest to know how to get rid of water retention as well as seeking medical help to rule out pathological conditions that could be detrimental to your overall health. If your condition is less severe, then the following water retention remedies will help you to rid your body of the excess water.

Water Retention Remedies

1. Drink More Water
You might think that when you are trying to reduce water retention in your body, you should stop drinking water; but this is not the case. Water retention usually indicates that the body is trying to hold more water as a precaution for fear that it may lose more water. By drinking the daily recommended amount of water (8 glasses a day), you will actually help to fight water retention.

2. Cut out Salt and Sugar
By cutting out salt and sugar from your diet you’re helping to unclog your body’s water tissue. If you cut out sodium for 2-3 days, you’ll be sure to notice a difference in your symptoms associated with water retention. By cutting out sugar you’re allowing your body to properly digest sodium which would help to prevent clogs in your system.

3. Get Moving
One of the most effective water retention remedies is to move your body by exercising. When you exercise, it prompts your body to produce sweat. Sweat enables your body to get rid of excess water and toxins. You don’t need a gym membership to begin exercising; even just daily walks would go a long way to reduce your water retention.

4. Eat Diuretic Food
By eating more diuretic foods, you’re allowing your body to pee more. By peeing more, your body is releasing more fluids and toxins. You may wonder if you can just take a pill to get the same effects that you would from diuretic food, and the short answer is yes. Just note that it’s not nearly as an effective method as introducing more diuretic foods into your diet. Some of the examples of diuretic food include grapes, tomatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, etc.

5. Potassium Rich Foods Are Key
When considering water retention remedies to try, you should really try to incorporate potassium rich foods into your diet. Potassium is a natural electrolyte that helps to keep water balanced in your body. Your Kidneys will also be stimulated by the potassium and in turn flush waste out of your body. Fruit is one of the most common ways to consume potassium.

6. Use a Clove of Garlic
Garlic is a very common ingredient to use while cooking, but its use goes above and beyond bringing flavor to a dish. You can actually use garlic as aneffective water retention remedy. Garlic is a great natural diuretic for you. Besides, garlic can actually break down fat in your body. The most effective method for using garlic as a natural remedy for water retention is to chew a couple of garlic cloves in the morning and to continue or begin using fresh garlic in your everyday cooking.

7. A Yogurt a Day
When trying to think of how to get rid of water retention, an easy thing for you to do (barring dietary restrictions) would be to consume yogurt. Yogurt is a great source of protein. Protein helps to keep salt and water in your blood vessels. This is key to preventing blood from leaking into your tissues. If you can’t eat yogurt, then other foods high in protein would be just as effective.

8. Dandelions Are Great
Dried dandelions can be steeped to make a tea and make a great diuretic. Dandelion also has theadded benefit of being high in magnetism which is helpful to women who suffer from preMenstrual Cramps. If you’re more comfortable with taking a pill, there are dandelion supplements that you can get over the counter. As with any supplement, if you’re taking prescription medications please consult your doctor to make sure it doesn’t interfere.

9. Epsom Salt Bath
Epsom salt not only is one of the great water retention remedies, but it also helps to reduce bloatingby reversing osmosis. Epsom salt baths can help to get the toxins and excessive fluids out of your body while relaxing your muscles and nerves. All you need to do is soak in a bath of Epsom salt for 15 minutes up to 3 times a week.

10. Fennel Seed Tea
Much like with the dried dandelions, you can make a tea out of the fennel seeds and hot water. Before drinking your tea, remember to strain the seeds after steeping them for 10 minutes. Fennel is a natural diuretic and also works to help your kidneys waste output.

Water Retention

Water Retention






Water retention can be described as collection of excess of fluids in the tissues of the body and in medical terms it is called as Edema. Water retention can occur due to many medical conditions and diseases and it does not necessarily be heart or kidney problems. Water retention is one of the common symptoms during premenstrual period. This problem gets worse for women as they grow old. Water retention can also occur due to unknown cause and is described as idiopathic edema. Though no cure is available for water retention without cause, still the symptoms can be managed by regular exercise and by wearing support stockings.

Causes :

Small amount of fluid leaks out of blood vessels and gets collected in the nearby tissues. This process can occur even for healthy people having normal diet with less salt intake. Water retention is common for many people whose job involves standing for long hours. When a person keeps standing, there is extra pressure in the veins inducing water retention.

Sitting in the same position for extended hours, and going for long journey can also cause retention of water. In some cases water retention occurs due to retention of salt or sodium ions in the body. People who involve in binge eating can also develop water retention and this can happen also in the case of people who follow strict dieting.

Symptoms :

Although water retention can occur anywhere in the body, it is quite common in the extremities like hands and legs. For some people swelling can occur in the abdomen, face and even on the breasts. The symptoms are intense during the evening and night and disappear next morning. There are people who gain weight in the evening due to water retention and get back to normal weight in the morning.

At what places water retention can occur in the body?

• Tissue Spaces :

Fluid that contains oxygen, nutrients and vitamins would pass from capillaries into the surrounding tissues. This fluid (interstitial fluid) gets back into the capillaries after nourishing the cells. However if there is excess of pressure in the capillaries (blood vessels) fluid can leak into the tissue spaces surrounding the capillaries.

Water retention occurs when excess of fluids flows into the tissue spaces instead of returning to capillaries. Similarly excess of pressure build-up in the lymphatic system can cause fluid retention, when the flow of fluids exceeds its capacity. Fluid leaks out of the system and collects in the tissue spaces available in the stomach, legs and hands.

• Heart :

Heart involves in rhythmic pumping motion resulting in exchange of blood. But if the heart cannot function properly (due to some reason like heart failure) Blood Pressure increases in the heart causing water retention or pulmonary edema. Fluid gets collected in the feet and ankles as well leading to swelling. This condition can cause shortness of breath and persistent cough due to extra stress on the heart.

• Kidneys :

Kidneys are responsible for filtering nutrients from the blood and retaining it and expelling the waste products. Renal arteries supply oxygenated blood to the kidneys through many tiny blood vessels called glomeruli. Filtration of blood takes place in the glomeruli or tiny blood vessels. If the glomeruli cannot work properly or if there is increase/decrease in the blood flow to the kidneys it can cause fluid retention. Waste products will not be eliminated from the kidneys properly leading to accumulation of toxic substances in the body.

Pregnancy :

Fluid retention is quite common during pregnancy which will automatically resolve after child birth.

Lack of Activity :

If the blood cannot flow fast enough it would start accumulating in the legs leading to water retention and swelling of legs. Physical inactivity will leave the capillaries of the legs with high rate of fluid causing high pressure. The same increase in pressure will also create problems for the fluids to return into the capillaries again. Varicose Veins are formed when the capillaries break oozing out blood into the skin when the veins develop inflammation and grow into abnormal position. For effective fluid exchange in the body, physical activity is absolutely necessary.

Proteins :

Severe deficiency of proteins can collapse the normal water balance. Lack of protein can make it difficult for the body to force back the retained water in the tissue space into the capillaries. This can cause swelling of stomach which is quite common in malnourished people.

Medications :

Certain drugs can lead to water retention. Oral contraceptive pills, NSAID drugs like pain removing medications and beta blockers can cause bloating and fluid retention. Lastly for most of the women water retention takes place during premenstrual stage leading to bloating.

Treatment :

Water retention cannot be treated easily since fluid accumulation takes place as a process inside the body. Not all the people who develop swelling of ankles and feet and hands would have heart or kidney diseases. It can be due to simple fluid retention. Regular exercises and physiotherapy can help in reducing the water retention. Mild form of water retention can be resolved by making certain changes in lifestyle.

For people whose job involves standing for long hours, water retention can develop easily. They can wear support stockings to reduce swelling of legs and ankles. Obese people are more prone to develop water retention than others. Hence they can take steps to reduce weight. Reduce the sodium (salt) intake daily. Avoid eating processed food stuffs with large quantities of salt and spice. Instead you can include potassium rich foods like bananas in your diet.

Taking diuretic medications for long can cause edema. Diuretics are prescribed for controlling blood pressure but for some people it would alter the water balance in the body increasing their weight. Diuretics can worsen the situation of the kidney function leading to dehydration of blood. Hence consult your doctor if you are taking diuretics for any medical condition. Protein supplement can be given for preventing leakage in capillaries thereby reducing water retention in the tissue spaces.