- Fluid retention treatments
- 1. Take diuretic teas
- 2. Doing exercises
- 3. General guidelines for stripping
- 4. Perform lymphatic drainage
- 5. Taking diuretic remedies
- How to deal with fluid retention in pregnancy
- Causes of fluid retention
Fluid retention is common in women and contributes to swollen belly and cellulite, however it can also be more severe and cause swollen legs and feet. Hormonal changes, physical inactivity, salt consumption and excess industrialized products are among the most common causes.
Treatment to combat excess fluids can be done naturally by drinking more water, diuretic teas and exercising can be sufficient. Taking diuretic medications and resorting to lymphatic drainage are also good strategies to complement the treatment, but when the retention is severe it may be necessary to take medications when it is caused by kidney or heart disease, for example.
The accumulation of fluids in the body causes swelling, which can be easily noticed, by increasing the abdominal volume, of the face, and especially in the legs, ankles and feet. Pressing the thumb near the ankles for 30 seconds and then observing whether the region has been marked is an easy way to discover that it is holding liquids. The ankle sock mark or the tight clothing mark on the waist also serve as a parameter to assess whether the person has fluid retention.
Fluid retention treatments
To combat water retention it is recommended to take teas, exercise, take care of food, take some care, and as a last resort, the doctor may recommend the use of diuretic remedies. Learn more about each option.
1. Take diuretic teas
Diuretic teas are an excellent supplement to lose weight faster, and the best options are:
- Horsetail, Hibiscus; Cinnamon with ginger; Green Tea; Ginkgo biloba; Parsley; Asian spark; Horse chestnut.
Any tea already has a diuretic effect, because basically the more water a person drinks, the more urine they will produce. This urine will be full of toxins and will also carry excess fluids from the body. However, certain plants increase this diuretic effect of teas, as with green tea, mackerel, hibiscus, ginger and parsley. See other examples and how to prepare the best diuretic tea recipes.
2. Doing exercises
Exercising is also an excellent natural way to deflate the body with a quick effect, contributing to weight loss. Contraction of large muscle groups such as arms, legs and buttocks forces excess fluids to be eliminated through the urine. So it is common to feel like urinating after 1 hour of exercise at the gym.
Some exercises that can be indicated are brisk walking, running, cycling with a heavy gait for greater effort on the legs and jumping rope, for example. Localized exercises are not as beneficial as these, but they can be an option, after about 20 minutes of aerobic activity, for example.
3. General guidelines for stripping
Important precautions to eliminate fluid retention are:
- Drink water, about 2 liters a day, or tea, such as horsetail tea, Substitute salt to prepare or season food with aromatic herbs, such as parsley or oregano, for example. Decreasing the amount of salt per day is also essential, so know the amount of salt to consume per day; Increase the consumption of diuretic foods, such as watermelon, cucumber or tomatoes; Avoid foods such as canned, sausages or others having too much salt; avoid standing for a long time, sitting or with legs crossed; eating foods rich in water, such as radish, turnip, cauliflower, watermelon, strawberry, melon, pineapple, apple or carrot; do lymphatic drainage, which is a specific massage to reduce excess fluid in the body; eat foods like cooked beet leaves, avocado, low-fat yogurt, orange or banana juice because they are foods rich in potassium, which helps to lower the body's salt; put your legs to the top at the end of the day.
Squeezing 1 lemon in 1 liter of water and taking it throughout the day, without sugar, is also an excellent strategy to deflate faster, which decreases abdominal volume quickly.
4. Perform lymphatic drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a great strategy to eliminate excess fluids from the body, it can be done manually, as a type of gentle massage with well-marked movements, so that they have the expected effect, but it can also be performed with equipment electronic devices for mechanical lymphatic drainage, called pressotherapy.
These treatments can be performed in specialized aesthetic clinics, with sessions ranging from 3 to 5 times a week, depending on the needs of each person. Each session lasts about 45 to 60 minutes and immediately afterwards the person must feel the need to urinate, which indicates that the treatment had the expected effect. Lymphatic drainage is a good complement to treatment against cellulite, being indicated after treatments such as radiofrequency and lipocavitation, for example. See how Manual Lymphatic Drainage can be done.
5. Taking diuretic remedies
In the treatment for retention, diuretic medications, such as Furosemide, Hydrochlorothiazide or Aldactone, can also be used, which should only be used when prescribed by the doctor. This is important because there are different types of diuretic remedies that are more or less indicated according to the cause of the retention. Some are indicated for the heart, and can only be used by people with heart problems. Check out other examples of diuretic remedies that your doctor may recommend.
See more tips to deflate in this video:
How to deal with fluid retention in pregnancy
Swelling is normal during pregnancy due to hormonal changes that happen at this stage, it can happen at any stage, but it occurs mainly in the 2nd and end of the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, which is when the woman feels more tired and is less willing to walking or exercising.
What to do: Wearing elastic stockings on the legs and feet is an excellent strategy, but it should be put on before getting out of bed. The pregnant woman must also reduce the intake of salt and industrialized products, rich in sodium, and drink plenty of water and teas approved by the obstetrician, which also fight the urinary infection, common in pregnancy. Walk 30 minutes to 1 hour every day and exercise regularly. See the best exercises for pregnant women.
Causes of fluid retention
The causes of water retention can be:
- Diet rich in salt and sodium; Little intake of water or clear liquids, such as teas; Pregnancy; Long standing in the same position, sitting or standing; Heart problems, such as heart failure or cardiomyopathy; Use of certain medications, such as birth control pill, heart or pressure medications; Lack of physical activity; Kidney disease; Liver cirrhosis; Changes in thyroid function.
Water retention happens when the blood reaches the legs but has difficulty returning to the heart, the result is a large outflow of liquid from the blood to the interstitial medium, which is the space between the cells, generating the edema.
Medical help should be sought if your weight is 2 kg or more in 4 days.
