Description of the Symptoms of Water Retention

If you notice symptoms such as swelling in one part or various parts of your body including abdominal swelling, swollen feet, ankles, or legs, or general puffiness, you may be suffereing from water retention, also known as edema.

Simply put, water retention is caused by water that gets trapped in the tissues of the body, and water retention results in the swelling or puffiness of parts of the body. Usually, water retention occurs in the feet, ankles, and legs, but it can also affect the face and the hands. Depending on the type and cause of your water retention, it can be relieved by treating the causes of it.

Although pregnant women and older adults are the most common victims of water retention, it can happen to anyone. Some people's bodies seem to retain water for no apparent reason. The puffiness may come and go in cycles and may be related to hormone fluctuations. In women, it usually occurs in the week or so before menstruation. Other women simply experience a shift in the distribution in water with no weight gain.

If you think you have water retention, your doctor may push gently on the swollen area for about 15 seconds. If this leaves an indentation, this is referred to as pitting edema, and your doctor might want to administer tests to see what is causing the edema. In non-pitting edema, however, pressure that is applied to the skin does not result in a persistent indentation. Non-pitting edema can occur in certain disorders of the lymphatic system such as lymphedema or congenital lymphedema. Another cause of non-pitting edema of the legs is called pretibial myxedema, which is a swelling over the shins that occurs in some patients with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland). Non-pitting edema of the legs is difficult to treat. Diuretic medications are generally not effective, although elevation of the legs periodically during the day and compressive devices may reduce the swelling. In short, edema is complex, but it is treatable and neither contagious nor hereditary.

However, edema is a serious condition. If left untreated, water retention can lead to more serious medical conditions, so it is very important to treat your edema.

Therefore, if you're having symptoms of edema, follow recommendations of seeing your doctor to diagnose the type of edema you have and also the causes of your edema. Then, follow up by treating the causes of your edema, thereby relieving it.