|  | Family Health | Womens Health

How to Stop Bloating & Water Retention

Bloating and water retention are the bane of women who experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) each month and for those women navigating the process of peri-menopause and menopause. Hormonal changes, as well as the foods that you eat, can have a great bearing on bloating and excess body fluid. Here are ways to battle these issues.

Things You'll Need

  • PMS medications
  • Dandelion leaf tea
  • Vitamin B6
  • Ice pack
  • Potassium-rich foods
Show More

Instructions

  1. What to Avoid

    • 1

      Avoid putting salt on your food. Salt contributes to water retention and will cause bloating. Sodium, which is found in canned vegetables, deli meats, soups and soy sauce, also causes water retention, according to the Mayo Clinic.

      Skip the booze and caffeine and eat fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds and whole grains, particularly right before your menstrual period when women tend to experience water retention and bloating.

    • 2

      Consider taking an over-the-counter medication that treats PMS and its symptoms, including bloating and water retention. These pills typically contain a mild diuretic.

    • 3

      Apply an ice pack to the area that is swollen. Ice does an excellent job of reducing swelling caused by fluid retention, notes Mothernature.com. Ice constricts blood vessels, which minimizes the flow of fluid from capillaries into body tissue.

    • 4

      Consider drinking several cups of dandelion leaf tea each day to reduce bloating. Dandelion leaf also comes in capsule form. Dandelion leaf is a natural potassium-sparking diuretic. In other words, it does not deplete the body of potassium, as do some diuretics. When an individual, particularly women, are not getting enough potassium, combined with too much sodium, the body gets out of balance and fluid retention results. In addition, when there is too much sodium and not even potassium, your blood pressure will increase. Eat potassium-rich fruits and vegetables.

    • 5

      Realize that the hormones estrogen and progesterone play a vital role in why or when a woman retains fluid. Vitamin B6 also plays an integral role in helping the liver break down and metabolize these hormones. Vitamin B6 helps relieve the water retention, headaches and breast tenderness that often occur when a woman is pre-menstrual. Take 50 milligrams of vitamin B6 four times a day during the five days preceding your period and this should help eliminate some of the PMS symptoms, notes MotherNature.com.

Womens Health - Related Articles