Eleanor Roosevelt:

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Fluid Retention

Dr Milne is in the house...

i had a comment about fluid retention so i do a lil research and found the following. I hope you find it uselful

Fluid retention

Fluid regularly leaks into body tissues from the blood. The lymphatic system is a network of tubes throughout the body that drains this fluid (called lymph) from tissues and empties it back into the bloodstream.

Fluid retention (oedema) occurs when the fluid isn’t removed from the tissues. The two broad categories of fluid retention include generalised oedema, when swelling occurs throughout the body, and localised oedema when particular parts of the body are affected. The wide range of causes includes the body’s reaction to hot weather, a high salt intake, and the hormones associated with the menstrual cycle.

However, it’s recommended that you see your doctor rather than self-treat, because oedema can be symptomatic of serious medical conditions such as heart, kidney or liver disease. SymptomsSymptoms of fluid retention can include:

Swelling of affected body parts
Feet, ankles and hands are commonly affected
The affected body parts may ache
The joints may feel stiff
Rapid weight gain over a few days or weeks
Unexplained weight fluctuations
When pressed, the skin may hold the indent for a few seconds (pitting oedema)
In other cases, the skin may not indent when pressed (non-pitting oedema).A wide range of common causes


A wide range of common causesSome of the many common causes of fluid retention include:
Gravity - standing up for long periods of time allows fluid to ‘pool’ in the tissues of the lower leg.
Hot weather - the body tends to be less efficient at removing fluid from tissues during the summer months.

Burns - including sunburn. The skin retains fluid and swells in response to burn injuries.
Menstrual cycle - some women experience oedema in the two weeks prior to menstruation.
Pregnancy - hormones encourage the body to hold onto excess fluid.
The Pill - oral contraceptives that include oestrogen can trigger fluid retention.
Dietary deficiency - such as insufficient protein or vitamin B1 (thiamine) in the diet.
Medications - certain drugs, including high blood pressure medication (antihypertensives), corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known to cause fluid retention.
Chronic venous insufficiency - weakened valves in the veins of the legs fail to efficiently return blood to the heart. The pooling of blood can result in varicose veins.

Treatment optionsDepending on the cause, treatment may include:

A low salt diet
Diuretics (water pills)
Treatment for the underlying medical condition: for example, hormone replacement (thyroxine) in the case of hypothyroidism
Lifestyle changes in response to the underlying medical condition: for example, avoidance of alcohol if liver disease is the cause
Changes to medication or dosage, if drugs are the cause
Dietary adjustments, if malnutrition is the cause
Ongoing medical supervision
Aids such as support stockings.

Self-care options

Mild fluid retention can be helped in the following ways:

Reduce the amount of salt in your diet; for instance, don’t add salt during the cooking process and stop salting your meals at the table. Avoid foods like potato chips and salted peanuts. Be wary of processed foods such as manufactured meats, which tend to contain ‘hidden’ salt.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is thought to help in cases of mild fluid retention. Good sources of vitamin B6 include brown rice and red meat.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), calcium and vitamin D help the body to excrete excess fluids.

Include fresh fruits and low fat dairy foods in your daily diet.

Supplements may help in the case of fluid retention caused by the menstrual cycle: for example calcium, magnesium, manganese, evening primrose oil and chaste tree.

Herbal diuretics include dandelion leaf, corn silk and horsetail.

Make sure to discuss the use of supplements with your doctor or health care professional, particularly if you are on any type of medication.

Drink plenty of water. It may sound contradictory, but a well-hydrated body is less likely to retain fluid.

Cut back on dehydrating drinks such as tea, coffee and alcohol.

Cranberry juice has a mild diuretic action.

Lie down with your legs higher than your head, when possible.

Exercise regularly.

Wear support stockings.

1 comment:

Chris H said...

WOW, you did the homework eh? !! Very interesting info....I get oedema all over my body, but particularly in my lower legs, fingers and face. This is more noticable pre-menstrally. I take virtually no salt, do not add it to anything I cook and havn't done this in about 20 years. I hardly ever drink alcohol, and take no medications except diuretics.
I get "pitting oedema" in my legs and the 'dents' can last for quite a while, quite a party trick ! he hee.
I take 2 Piddle pills every morning, if I don't, I simply don't piddle! When I think about it, this has been a problem for about 15 years now, and when I see the Doctor on Friday I am going to bring this up, cos I have to wonder why I have this problem? It has never been investigated at all, I was just given pills to make me pee. Wonder if it's my thyroid or something sinister? I sometimes worry it's my kidneys packing up. Who knows? I sure don't.
I can't believe you read my whole blog! Surely you didn't go back to the beginning? It's months ago!
Thanks for caring enough to get this information up to read.