Causes of Water Retention in the Body

Water retention is uncomfortable and painful and a sign of trouble brewing in a person's circulatory system. Edema, as it is commonly known, can be quite common in a number of different settings.

Types

• Causes of edema are numerous. Some is from excess sodium intake, a side effect of pregnancy, heart failure, heat stress, aging, disease, obesity, kidney failure, blocked lymphatic glands and hormonal swings, to name a few. Each case is treated differently and is usually reversible or, if not, then controlled through various means, including medication, physical manipulation, exercise and sometimes surgery.

Prevention/Solution

• The treatments of the different kinds of edema are different depending on the underlying cause. For instance, if you are pregnant and your ankles are swollen, the simple treatment is to elevate your feet. If excess sodium is your problem, then your doctor may prescribe a salt-restricted diet. Other, more serious causes like heart failure or kidney failure will require more drastic and serious measures, including surgery.

Significance

• Understanding why you are experiencing edema is very important for treatment. For most people, simple obesity is the cause for edema. The extra mass pressures the ankles and feet, and the heart has a hard time keeping circulation going in the extremities. In severely obese people, the lymph glands can be blocked, and instead of carrying the proteins and dead cells out of the body, fluids accumulate and disease sets in. Skeletal movement is very important for our circulatory system, both in the cardiovascular system and in the lymphatic system.

Features

• The look of edema is pretty typical. The tissue is puffy, and when pressed there is no quick response of color. Sometimes it is in the wrists and fingers, as in the case of heat stress, or in the face and neck. Edema can be anywhere on the body when an allergic reaction occurs in response to an insect bite. The area appears raised and puffy, sometimes redder than the surrounding area. Feet and ankles swell with obesity edema, causing shoes to fit tightly and walking to become uncomfortable. Gravity is almost always a temporary help to the heart when the person is encouraged to lay flat, decreasing the workload of the circulatory system.

Considerations

• Anyone with edema should seek medical advice to rule out serious complications. It can be a sign that systems are failing, and although it can be relatively painless; it should still be taken seriously.