Everything you need to know about Water Retention

Your Complete Guide to Water Retention. Feeling swollen, puffy, or noticing sudden weight gain and tight skin? You could be experiencing water retention.

In this guide, you’ll learn what water retention is, common symptoms to look out for, potential causes, and effective ways to manage it - naturally or with the help of herbal supplements.

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What is water retention?

Water retention, also known as fluid retention or edema, occurs when excess fluid accumulates in the body’s tissues, leading to swelling - often in the feet, ankles, legs, hands, or abdomen. This condition can cause considerable discomfort and is particularly common in women, especially around menstruation, although men can experience it too.

Medically, edema refers to an abnormal buildup of fluid either in the circulatory system or within the body’s tissues or cavities. Under normal conditions, excess fluid is cleared from tissues by the lymphatic system – a network of vessels that helps remove waste, toxins, and surplus fluid, eventually returning it to the bloodstream.

When this drainage process is disrupted or overwhelmed, fluid can accumulate, resulting in water retention.

Symptoms of Water Retention:

The most common symptom of water retention is swelling, but it can vary depending on the cause and severity.

1. Swelling: Most noticeable in the feet, ankles, and legs, but it can occur anywhere in the body (e.g., face, hands, abdomen).

2. Bloating: The abdomen may feel distended or puffed up, especially around the time of menstruation.

3. Puffiness: The face, particularly around the eyes, can look puffy or swollen.

4. Weight Gain: Rapid weight fluctuations are common due to the body holding onto water.

5. Skin Tightness: The skin over swollen areas may feel tight or stretched.

6. Reduced Mobility: In severe cases, fluid buildup can make it harder to move or walk, especially in the feet or legs.

7. Stiffness: Joints may feel stiff or heavy due to the increased fluid in surrounding tissues.

10 Causes of Water Retention

  • Salt

    Eating too much salt can be a problem and is one of the main causes of water retention. The main component of salt is sodium, which the body dilutes with water if too much of it is present. Salt makes you thirsty, and your body will hold on to this water.

  • Lack of water

    Not drinking enough water can cause water retention. This may sound strange, but if you are not drinking enough water, the body will hang on to all the water it can, because it assumes a drought is coming. However, drinking too much tea, coffee and colas can upset the fluid balance in the body too.

  • Food Intolerances

    Overloading the stomach, drinking alcohol, taking medications and antibiotics, consuming too much sugar, not getting enough dietary fibre – all these modern-day habits can affect your digestive ability. Undigested particles can get into your blood system and stimulate your immune cells to produce histamine.

  • Lack of exercise

    If you’ve been on a long flight, you may know how easy it is to suffer with fluid retention in your legs and feet. The muscle contractions help move the fluid around the body.

  • Low Calorie Diets

    Following a low calorie diet can make your water retention worse, especially if you eat less than 1,200 Calories a day for months or years. This is because you may not have enough protein in your blood to draw excess water out of your tissues. This type of water retention can cause generalised puffiness but if severe can give you a swollen tummy.

  • Lack of Fruit and Vegetables

    Certain fruits and vegetables contain special ingredients which help to prevent your blood vessels from leaking fluid into your tissue spaces. To treat or prevent water retention, it is vital to include them in your diet. A deficiency of fruit and vegetable nutrients is one of the commonest causes of water retention.

  • Sunburn

    A slight sunburn may be bothersome, but a severe sunburn that blisters and peels can lead to water retention. This is due to the toxins the body secretes and the high rate at which they are secreted. When this occurs, your kidneys become overloaded as they attempt to process and excrete these toxins from your body. The result is water being stored in various areas of your body.

  • Wastes and Toxins

    Cellulite is a form of fat complexed with retained water, which mostly affects women’s thighs and sometimes it holds so much water that it is swollen and painful to the touch. Metabolic wastes and toxins such as pesticides which the body cannot easily release tend to be stored in this fat. It is thought the causes of the water retention in cellulite are either irritation and swelling due to these toxins, or results from the body’s attempt to dilute them.

  • Menopause

    Fluctuating hormone levels, hormonal imbalances, and a loss of progesterone can attribute to water retention in menopausal women. Unless the weight gain is excessive, it should not be a cause of concern and can be self-managed.

  • Hormones and Medicines

    High levels of certain hormones can also make your body hold on to water and these include insulin, which is needed to process sugar; cortisone, which is produced when you are under stress; and the female hormones oestrogen (estrogen) and progesterone. Certain prescribed medicines such as the contraceptive pill and some painkillers can affect levels of these hormones.

How to Manage Water Retention

1. Dietary Adjustments:
- Reduce Salt Intake: Avoid high-sodium foods like processed foods, canned soups, and salty snacks.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water. This may seem counterintuitive, but staying hydrated helps your kidneys function properly and prevents fluid buildup.
- Eat Potassium-Rich Foods: Foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, and avocados can help balance sodium levels and reduce water retention.
- Limit Refined Carbs: Cut back on foods like white bread, pasta, and sugary foods, as they can increase water retention.

2. Exercise and Movement:
- Regular Physical Activity: Exercise helps promote circulation, which can prevent fluid from pooling in your lower extremities.
- Leg Elevation: If you have swelling in your legs or feet, try elevating them periodically to encourage fluid drainage.
- Compression Socks: These can help reduce swelling in the legs and ankles, especially for people with venous insufficiency or those who stand for long periods.

3. Diuretics:
- Water Retention Tablets: These can be helpful to reduce bloating or swelling.

4. Manage Underlying Health Conditions:
- If water retention is caused by conditions like heart disease, kidney problems, or liver disease, managing those conditions through medication, lifestyle changes, or surgery (in more severe cases) is essential.

5. Natural Remedies:
- Dandelion Tea: Known for its mild diuretic properties, dandelion may help the body shed excess water.
- Magnesium Supplements: Magnesium helps regulate fluid balance in the body and may alleviate water retention.
- Herbal Teas: Green tea and ginger tea are both mild diuretics that may help reduce bloating and water retention.

water retention tablets

Water Retention Tablets

Water retention tablets work by stimulating the kidneys to excrete more sodium and water. This process reduces the amount of fluid in the body, which helps decrease bloating or swelling in the legs, ankles, or other parts of the body.

Water Retention Tablets Directions for use:
Take 2 capsules (1 serving), 1 to 3 times per day before meals or as advised.

1 bottle contains 90 capsules.

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