If you're swelling because you've been on your feet all day, there's a more effective method for combating it. There are a number of factors that can cause water retention including consuming high amounts of sodium or carbohydrates, dehydration, lifestyle, hormones, medication, or even the weather. Water retention, formally known as edema, is a symptom of a number of conditions including dehydration, constipation, hormonal changes, excess sodium in the diet, heart conditions and kidney problems. DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. What is water retention? Water retention which is caused by hormones can be spread around the body but often affects your tummy most of all. All you need is a prescription. Thankfully, water retention isn’t usually something to worry about and can be easy to get rid of if you have the right know-how. Be careful of added sodium in some vegetable juices. I will call my doctor tomorrow, thank you. 4.0 Monitoring water retention. Symptoms of water retention can include: bloating, especially in the abdominal area. Patients can bring a copy of the report to their healthcare provider to ensure that all drug risks and benefits are fully discussed and understood. Once a procedure, other than spray carcass chilling, has been validated to incur less than 0.5% water retention, only an annual test will be necessary. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study. I had been on yaz without issue for probably 10 years, but quit when my ex husband and I split up. Again, eat a variety of colors and types. Water retention is the buildup of water in the body’s tissues. The medical term for any kind of fluid retention, including water, is edema. Edema often is a problem with people whose lifestyle is very sedentary with little or no exercise and for those who are bedridden. You can reduce water retention by decreasing sodium intake. eHealthMe is studying from 60,569 Fluid retention patients now. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. There are two main categories of water retention, generalized edema and localized edema. While lying down, have your feet elevated at least 12 inches above your heart level. Arthritis can cause water retention, so if you believe that to be the reason, talk to your doctor about your options. Translations. How is this medicine (YAZ) best taken? Grab a basketball or baseball and glove and hit the courts or the field. Eating a lot of salty food might make water retention worse. Remove tight rings/watch. Still, coffee--and all caffeinated drinks--can dehydrate the body, so you can consider limiting how much coffee you drink or simply adding more water to your diet. Vomiting 4. Try again... What is a surprising source of sodium that you can cut or limit from your diet? I take way too many, "Knowing what natural supplements I can use for water retention (teas) helped. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Avoid too many sugary drinks or drinks containing high fructose corn syrup (sodas, juice cocktail drinks) because these are simply unhealthy and cause people to gain unwanted weight. If standing or sitting all day has caused fluids to drain into your legs and feet, making them swell, you should: Not exactly! While they can drain the body's store of potassium and contribute to osteoporosis, there is a kind that includes an extra potassium supplement in it (Lasix K). pills now and am going with the natural oils approach. Taking a loop diuretic won't cause you to produce more vitamins. Sodium binds to water in the body and helps maintain the balance of fluids both inside and outside of cells. Water retention usually causes puffiness and swelling in the affected areas. Take a walk or go hiking with friends or family. Dark patches of skin (melasma) 4. Symptoms include swelling of body parts such as feet, hands and ankles, a feeling of stiffness or aching and weight fluctuations. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. If you live close enough, ride your bike or walk instead of driving to work or to run errands. generic drugs) are not considered. I have water retention, but my GP can't give me tablets due to low blood pressure. You would also be helping the environment by driving less. This is actually one of the first signs of liver disease. If you're only eating potatoes and corn, two of the most caloric vegetables, then you aren't getting the nutrients you need from vegetables, but they're not a surprising source of sodium. There are methods of treating water retention if it has already occurred. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Water retention can be down to a number of different things, most of which are nothing to worry about and easy to … Yaz may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. Causes include the body's reaction to hot weather, a high salt intake, and the hormones associated with the menstrual cycle. 2. The World Health Organization recommends less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day 2. Add 10 to 20 drops of dandelion tincture to salads or other foods daily. A physical exam and/or blood tests can determine if there is a liver problem. ", "The diet advice: eating bananas and more fresh veg and fruit. With the amount of salt that is added to foods and in processed foods, this can be quite difficult to achieve. Depres… Nice! Also learned how to determine if I am, "Thanks for making this available with so many sensible options and explained in such a down-to-earth fashion. It is a required part of human cells and the blood. You should also make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to avoid becoming dehydrated, which causes your body to retain water as a survival mechanism. Should I be concerned about it? But this obviously depends on your body and calorie intake. It can also increase blood potassium levels. In addition, vegetables and fruits that are high in potassium promote the right balance of fluids in the body. Get your family involved in looking up recipes and cooking with you to make it a fun activity that everyone looks forward to. That's right! You would be surprised all the ways there are to exercise! Breast tenderness 5. How do I know what is causing my water retention? A too-salty or poor diet can certainly cause water retention, so if you believe that is what's to blame, consider keeping a food diary to track your meals and drinking more water. High blood sugar (typically in women with diabetes) 6. Water pills (diuretics). Just be sure to wear a helmet and abide traffic laws while biking. Also see… Wastes and Toxins. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017. Try again! If you notice you’re retaining water in your legs, try lying down and propping your legs up on a pillow to reduce the swelling. They're not a source of sodium, however. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The phase IV trial will monitor drug safety outcomes that are personalized to your gender and age (0-99+). Just a simple and small flat fee, you can take any number of meds in eHealthMe's Essential Drug Plan. Bloating 2. Water retention occurs in the circulatory system and causes swelling in the ankles, feet, and legs and bloating. Hormonal changes that occur during these longer transition periods in the body cause excess fluid retention that may be constant, cyclical or intermittent. Prepare meals using fresh (not canned) vegetables and fruits, grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. If you are following all of the diet and lifestyle recommendations but still experience extreme monthly cramping and bloating, discuss this with your gynecologist. Water retention can also be caused other serious conditions: Deep vein thrombosis: If you have swelling in just one foot or leg, it’s possible you have a blood clot. If you have something going on and your doctor brushes it off when it is genuinely concerning to you, see someone else. eHealthMe is studying from 40,538 Yaz users now. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. These will check the health of your heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory, lymphatic, and thyroid systems. of Health and Human Services, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Reduce-Water-Retention-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Reduce-Water-Retention-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Reduce-Water-Retention-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/aid1329518-v4-728px-Reduce-Water-Retention-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"