Ways to Relieve Water Retention

Retaining water can be associated with eating the wrong foods, in the wrong amounts; or it can be fueled by an underlying medical condition or medication side effect. Regardless of why water is being retained, the swelling of limbs and general malaise associated with having too much fluid in your body should be addressed. Trying different ways to relieve water retention is best done after checking with your primary physician to make sure the symptom is not something that needs immediate attention.

Reduce Sodium Intake

• Salt or sodium are one of the primary culprits associated with water retention. Consuming too much salt tends to result in water retention. The body dehydrates when too much sodium is detected and because of this, eating excess sodium will cause your body to store all fluids as a precautionary measure. If you want to help with water retention, reduce sodium from your diet as much as possible.

Exercise

• Exercise has been shown to not only support overall good health, but it can also be used as a way to reduce water retention. Though you might feel sluggish while retaining water, simply getting up and moving can help ease symptoms. As you exercise your body will use stored water for hydration purposes and you will also get everything flowing in your body as your muscles work harder and your blood pumps more oxygen throughout.

Increase Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

• Maintaining a healthy diet is more of a preventative measure to combat water retention. By reducing and eliminating fatty, processed and fried foods from your diet, you will begin seeing a reduction in water retention bouts. Increasing your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is also another way to ease swelling associated with water retention. A balanced diet is the key to good health for many conditions.

Elevation

• For feet and legs that tend to swell when retaining water, one of the fastest and easiest ways to reduce swelling and pressure is to elevate the area. Sit or lie down with pillows or rolled blankets propped under your legs to lift the swollen areas. You must have the swollen areas raised up to a level that is as high or higher than your heart. Gravity will help pull the water back out of the swollen areas and thus relieve the discomfort.

Support Hosiery

• If you suffer from bouts of water retention with specific swelling in your legs, consider investing in a pair of support hosiery. Socks, stockings and even nylons built for compression are available. Most are labeled as diabetic hosiery and can be found readily at grocery, general and pharmacy stores. Wear these garments as needed to help push fluids out of the lower limbs and back up through the rest of the body.

Medication

• One way to quickly relieve water retention is through the use of water pills. These pills are diuretics geared towards helping the body expel stored water and fluids. Care must be used when taking diuretics because overuse might bring about dehydration. Water pills can be purchased either over the counter at a grocery or drugstore for occasional use or prescription strength options are available from a doctor. If your water retention is related to routine medications, ask for a version of the medicine that contains a diuretic. This is common with blood pressure medication as some have diuretics as part of the total compound.