How to Relieve Ascites

Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, usually from advanced liver disease but sometimes from cancer, kidney disease or heart failure. The abdomen often becomes grossly distended, and you experience rapid weight gain. As your abdomen enlarges, you may have increasing discomfort and shortness of breath because the fluid presses against your lungs.

Things You'll Need

• Weight scales
• Measuring tape
• Graph paper
• Low-sodium diet guide
• Prescribed medications

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Instructions

Relieving Ascites

• 1

  Monitor your weight and abdominal girth daily to determine if you are retaining more fluid in your abdomen. Measure your abdomen with a measuring tape around the largest area; and then, using graph paper, plot your measurements on the graph so you can easily see increases or decreases.

• 2

  Stay on a low sodium (salt) diet because, according to S.C. Smeltzer, B. Bare, J.L. Hinkle, and K.H. Cheever in "Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing," sodium makes you retain more fluid. Limit sodium to two grams daily unless your physician advises even more restriction. Avoid table salt, salty foods (such as sardines, pickles, bacon, ham and pretzels), salted butter and margarine and most canned and frozen foods that don't specifically indicate "low sodium" on the labels. Check sodium content of food with a nutrition guide.

• 3

  Take medications exactly as prescribed. This will usually be a combination of different types of diuretics (water pills) to help increase urination and reduce fluid accumulation. Diuretic therapy is the primary method of controlling ascites. Merck Manuals notes that, if the fluid in your abdomen becomes infected, you must also take antibiotics.

• 4

  Stay in bed if your ascites increases. Standing upright puts pressure on your sympathetic nervous system and interferes with your kidney function. Bed rest can help your body to eliminate excess fluid more efficiently.