Fluid retention affects both men and women, and can be an indicator of more serious illnesses, particularly later in life.
You may have edema, or fluid retention, if your face is puffy, while your hands, fingers, ankles, feet and stomach appear bloated.
Fluid retention is usually associated with hormonal imbalance, emotional stress and excessive physical activity. It may also be an indication of poor spleen and kidney function, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Spleen and Kidney function
The role of your spleen and kidney is to transform, transport and excrete water for your body. Oftentimes, factors such as hormonal imbalance, a diet high in sodium or low fluid intake may affect proper kidney function, causing fluid to remain and accumulate in the spaces between the skin and muscles. The affected areas may appear swollen and sometimes painful to the touch.
You may also experience backache, headache, fatigue, loose bowel movement, heavy menstrual flow, sudden weight gain or a feeling of coldness. Women who are overweight, who have recently given birth or who have undergone an operation run a high risk of fluid retention.
If your health professional suspects that you have this type of edema, you will be asked to take a series of tests so that he may see how your internal organs are functioning. In addition, an examination of your medical history and lifestyle will be made to determine whether you have nutritional deficiencies that could aggravate fluid retention.
It is important for your health professional to know your complete health profile for him to design an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Emotional stress
Fluid retention may also be caused by negative feelings such as anger, frustration, resentment and depression. Chinese medicine believes that emotional stress not only affects your mood but also your liver. When you are feeling down, your liver may also become sluggish and unable to transform fluids that are found all over your body. If you have this kind of edema, you may experience breast tenderness and your fingers, feet and belly may look swollen.
Unlike in the edema relating to the kidney, your skin may spring right back when it is pressed using your thumb. TCM recommends acupuncture and herbal treatment to restore liver energy.
Treatment plan
An effective treatment plan for fluid retention must involve adjustments in your diet and lifestyle. If you follow your health plan strictly, you may begin to see results in as early as two weeks.
Diet: As excessive sodium intake may worsen water retention, you should avoid soft drinks, salty and processed food. Reduce your consumption of dairy products, alcohol, sweets as well as cold food and drinks. Eat more fruits and vegetables that are high in potassium and magnesium such as bananas, oranges, kiwis and leafy greens which promote fluid balance.
Lifestyle: Since emotional stress is a factor in fluid retention, you should learn and practice relaxation techniques such as breathing, stretching and meditation exercises. Moderate physical activity like walking and swimming also promotes proper liver function. It also helps to have a positive outlook as obstacles and challenges are normal occurrences in life. To help ease the discomfort of swelling, try taking hot and cold showers and raising your legs while lying down.
