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Water retention:causes, treatments, prevention

It is mainly women who today suffer from fluid retention , also known as "edema", but men are not spared either.

This accumulation of water in the body is mainly located in the legs:calves, ankles and feet. But it is possible that it causes swelling on other parts of the body.

However, there are several active or preventive solutions to avoid or relieve water retention in the body .

What is water retention?

Let's start at the beginning. As you know,the human body is made up of 65-70% water . Two-thirds of this water is found in the cells of our body and the remaining third is located outside these cells or in blood vessels or between cells.

To define water retention, it is an abnormal accumulation of water in certain areas of our body , usually as a result of venous insufficiency.

If our body is functioning properly, water is discharged through the kidneys. But in the case of edema, this non-evacuated water creates an accumulation of liquid which will migrate into the tissues and form a swelling.

What are the causes and factors of water retention?

Following the people, factors and causes of water retention may be different, but in general it is the same ones that come back and sometimes the causes overlap with each other. The main causes of water retention are:

  • Heat, which causes blood vessels to dilate and become more porous. It also promotes the outflow of water from the blood vessels, which prevents absorption from the tissues;
  • Prolonged static posture holding, primarily sitting and standing;
  • A diet high in salt, because sodium mixed with water does not allow proper evacuation;
  • The consumption of carbohydrates, in particular following a period of deprivation (diet or pathology);
  • Hormones, especially during pregnancy, before menstruation, at menopause or when taking the wrong birth control pill;
  • Certain medications, mainly anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids or calcium channel blockers;
  • Certain pathologies such as renal, venous or cardiac insufficiency, because they disrupt the fluid regulation system;
  • And poor blood circulation.

Where is it located and what are the symptoms?

The symptoms of water retention are manifested by abnormal swelling of the tissues .

As ​​we mentioned above, it is mainly the legs (calves, ankles and feet) that are affected by water retention due to gravity.

But it is also possible to retain water in the stomach, liver or intestines, which causes more or less unpleasant bloating.

Another symptom has been observed in some patients:very rapid and unexplained weight gain . It is possible to gain up to 3kg in less than 24 hours. These are not pounds that you have gained as a result of overeating, but simply an abnormal fluctuation in your weight in 24 hours.

How to prevent water retention?

To fight water retention , it is mainly on the diet that we will have to look and thus limit the causes of water retention. For this you can:

  • Reduce your salt intake
  • Hydrate yourself throughout the day with water, herbal teas, potassium or water-rich foods;
  • Limit your alcohol consumption;
  • Eat more animal or vegetable protein;
  • Prefer foods with draining properties such as blueberries, pineapple, grapefruit, endives or asparagus;
  • Split your meals.

How to relieve water retention?

Do you already suffer from water retention? You're going to have to use the hard way to relieve yourself!

Several options are available to you, knowing that you can combine them for more efficiency:boost your blood circulation, modify your diet or even adapt your clothing.

Change your diet

As ​​with the prevention of fluid retention, you must adapt your diet, starting by drastically reducing your salt intake.

In addition, good fats and oils are preferred , such as walnut, soy or rapeseed oil.

For fruits and vegetables, opt for diuretics, they will help your liver and kidneys to evacuate the excess liquid present in your body. And last point, don't neglect your hydration .

Boost your blood circulation

In addition to changing your eating habits, you can boost your blood circulation by adopting a simple but effective sports routine. Hang on and try to do at least 30 minutes of sport a day and limit holding a static sitting or standing position. You can walk or run, cycle, swim or just take the stairs instead of the elevator or fetch your bread on foot.

Adapt your clothing

Tolimit water retention , avoid wearing clothes that are too tight s, even if the latter allow you to have a flatter stomach or more plump buttocks. It is never healthy to compress your body.

Do natural solutions exist?

By going to your doctor, he will probably prescribe you a drug treatment to fight against water retention .

But before going through the medicine box, why not try some natural solutions to fight against water retention ?

First, herbal teas and essential oils are very good allies in the fight against water retention. For herbal teas, the preferred plants are:

  • Cackgrass
  • Green tea
  • Meadowsweet;
  • And green tea.

For essential oils, those of cypress, cedar and juniper will help decongest the venous and lymphatic systems. The HE of cypress will reduce edema and that of cedar stimulates the drainage of the lymph. That of juniper is also renowned for its draining properties.