What Is The Cause Of Fluid Retention?
Improving your eating habits and participating in physical activity can help reduce fluid retention. If this is not enough, it is better to consult a specialist, in order to obtain a proper diagnosis.
Fluid retention affects many people, for various reasons and at different ages . The abdomen and lower limbs (especially the ankles and feet) are among the areas most affected by this problem.
It is also about a very annoying disease capable of affecting the quality of life of individuals . Indeed, various problems begin to appear when water does not circulate and is deposited in the body. It is therefore important to know the causes of this disease in order to try to avoid it.
Causes of fluid retention
Water retention may occur due to various factors, very different from each other . Some people regularly suffer from this disease. However, they do not know the reasons for it or simply do not take the necessary precautions to avoid it.
Depending on the cause, the doctor will need to prescribe some type of treatment or another. In this sense, it is important to remember that it It is essential to avoid self-medication and modification of habits without first consulting the professional.
External factors
- Excess heat causes fluid to escape from the blood vessels without the tissues being able to absorb the necessary quantity.
- Jobs in which you must spend too many hours in the same position , as well as on long trips.
Bad lifestyle
- Excessive use of salt promotes the appearance of very bothersome symptoms, such as fluid retention.
- Sedentary lifestyle, alcoholism and smoking are among the leading causes of fluid retention. Together they constitute a combination of high risks to the health of the person.
Hormonal activity
- It is possible that water retention occurs during menstruation due to hormones. This situation is usually temporary, so there is no need to worry.
- During the pregnancy , women often suffer from fluid retention in because of the hormonal changes that their body is going through. In these cases, the face, hands and feet are often inflamed.
Diseases
Chronic liver damage (cirrhosis) is one of the Possible causes of water retention. The parts of the body most affected in these cases are usually the abdomen and lower limbs.
In view of all of the above, it should be borne in mind that the main players in the regulation of bodily fluids are the kidneys and any disturbance in their function can lead to retention as well as other discomforts.
Kidney and heart failure cause a edema in some areas because fluids cannot flow freely. As we explained above, the kidney is the one that governs the elimination of fluids through urine. If this process is disturbed, the fluids will stagnate in an intermediate zone, thus causing various problems.
Certain drugs
Consumption of certain medicines containing corticosteroids, certain anti-inflammatory drugs and certain drugs to treat diabetes may have fluid retention as a side effect. Therefore, it is essential to avoid self-medication and always consult the professional.
How to fight against water retention?
In the event that fluid retention is a consequence of taking a drug, your doctor may prescribe a diuretic specific, or a diet based on foods rich in water and diuretic properties.
In addition, in general, it is better to adopt or improve lifestyle . P amid the changes that we can find ourselves: abandoning a sedentary lifestyle, exercising daily for at least 30-40 minutes, and, also, changing position every 15 minutes (especially when we have to stay in the same position several hours in a row a day).
Your doctor may, in some cases, recommend wearing compression stockings or socks to minimize discomfort resulting from fluid retention.
Finally, we must always keep in mind that beyond the changes that we can make to our habits, the first thing to do should always be to see the doctor . You can also review what the Spanish Heart Foundation says here.
