How to remove excess fluid from the body

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Warming up and dietary changes can help.

How to understand if there is excess fluid in the body

The most noticeable sign of fluid retention is swelling. The face becomes puffy, the legs in the ankle area become heavy and increase in volume, the rings dig into the fingers. But excess water can occur much earlier, even before the onset of edema.

Harvard Medical School experts suggest weight-based guidance. If you have not changed your lifestyle, and the scales suddenly began to show plus 1–2 kg or more, most likely the reason is fluid retention.

Eldrin Lewis MD, Cardiovascular Specialist.

Most people gain 3 to 7 kg of excess fluid before they first notice swelling in their legs or abdomen.

Why does the body accumulate excess fluid

There are various reasons for water retention. Including natural and relatively harmless ones. For example:

• premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy in women;
• the habit of eating very salty food;
• lingering immobility - for example, fluid accumulates in the lower limbs when you have to sit for many hours on an airplane or bus.

Also, swelling can be a side effect of certain medications. In particular, drugs that are prescribed for hypertension and diabetes, hormonal drugs based on estrogen, steroids. Even ibuprofen and other NSAIDs sometimes lead to fluid retention.

But puffiness also makes itself felt in serious conditions, such as:

• chronic heart failure;
• kidney disease;
• cirrhosis;
• chronic venous insufficiency;
• problems with the lymphatic system;
• prolonged protein deficiency.

Do I need to remove excess fluid

For healthy people, fluid retention is more of an aesthetic problem. Puffiness, provoked by hormonal changes during PMS or a herring eaten at night, usually goes away on its own within a maximum of a couple of days. Whether to speed up this process or “it will do well” is up to you.

But if the swelling becomes regular, constant, or appears against the background of existing diseases - for example, cardiovascular disorders, you need to get rid of excess fluid. Otherwise, excess water will put additional stress on the heart, kidneys, veins and worsen your condition.

When to see a doctor

Experts at the Mayo Clinic, one of the largest research and medical centers in the world, list the warning signs. If you notice them, try to get help as soon as possible.

• The sudden onset of swelling is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, and confused shallow breathing. This could be a sign of pulmonary edema or anaphylactic shock. With such symptoms, you need to act immediately. Dial 103 or 112.
• The skin over the swollen area is stretched to such an extent that it shines. Or, after pressing on the swollen area, a dimple remains there for a long time. With such signs, you need to consult with a therapist and undergo the examinations prescribed by him.
• After spending a lot of time sitting, the leg is swollen and sore, and this condition persists for a long time. This is how deep vein thrombosis can manifest itself. See a general practitioner, phlebologist, or vascular surgeon.

It is worth seeing the attending physician even if there are no dangerous signs, but fluid retention occurs against the background of some kind of chronic disease. The doctor will conduct an examination, ask you about your well-being and recommend ways to get rid of the puffiness.

How to remove excess fluid from the body

These methods are suitable for healthy people. But doctors often recommend them to patients with chronic diseases (be sure to consult a doctor before starting!).

1. Warm up

Fluid retention is often associated with circulatory problems. When the blood stagnates in one area or another, the pressure rises and moisture begins to squeeze out through the walls of the vessels into the intercellular space. Here she lingers.

To get rid of stagnant fluid, a gentle warm-up is enough. It will improve blood circulation and help the body flush out excess moisture through the kidneys. Ask your therapist which exercise will be most effective and safest for you.

2. Give a light massage

Using gentle pressure, stroke the swollen areas towards the heart. This massage will help remove excess fluid from the tissues, and then it will enter the bloodstream and be filtered by the kidneys.

3. Lie down with your legs raised

Excess fluid often accumulates in the tissues of the legs - simply due to gravity, which complicates blood flow in the veins of the lower extremities.

When you lie down and lift your legs above the level of your heart (for example, placing your ankles on a rolled up thick towel or a roller pillow), the universal gravitation begins to work for you. The blood flows towards the heart, the pressure on the walls of the vessels decreases, the fluid from the tissues of the lower extremities returns to the bloodstream.

4. Go to a workout

Your task is to move so actively that you sweat. Studies show that, on average, people lose 0.5 to 2 liters of fluid per hour of exercise. The difference is related to the individual characteristics of the body, the degree of stress, the ambient temperature and the chosen clothing.

In addition, during exercise, the muscles require more water and it comes to them from the surrounding tissues. So exercising can also get rid of the visible puffiness.

5. Put on compression socks or stockings

This is another way to improve blood circulation in your legs and get rid of fluid retention.

6. Take an over-the-counter diuretic

These products boost kidney activity and help the body flush out excess water.

Be aware that diuretics have side effects. Therefore, it is worth taking them only after consulting a therapist.

7. Give up salty

Salty foods cause the body to retain fluid. This is a physiological process.

The key element in table salt is sodium. In the fluids of the human body, approximately the same amount is always present. The concentration of dissolved sodium (and other electrolytes) is called osmolarity. For a person to remain healthy, it must be within certain, rather narrow limits.

Therefore, when a lot of salt is ingested, our body begins to store water in order to dilute the excess sodium.

In order not to provoke fluid retention, WHO experts recommend consuming no more than 5 g of salt per day.

8. Eat foods high in potassium

The mineral tends to reduce sodium concentration. This will help the body get rid of excess water. We described in detail how the process takes place.

The American Heart Association lists foods rich in potassium:

• greens, including leafy greens such as spinach;
• peas;
• potato;
• mushrooms;
• bananas;
• avocado;
• tomatoes and tomato juice;
• citrus fruits such as oranges and their juices;
• plums, apricots, other stone fruits and their juice;
• raisins and dates;
• milk with a fat content of up to 1%;
• low fat yogurt;
• tuna and halibut.

9. Eat foods rich in magnesium

Retention of fluid in the tissues and accompanying edema can be signs of magnesium deficiency. Therefore, sometimes a diet rich in this mineral helps to cope with excess water.

Experts from the American Clinic of Cleveland suggest eating the following food:

• nuts and seeds;
• legumes;
• Whole grains rich in fiber
• low-fat dairy products;
• leafy greens;
• black chocolate.