EDEMA / WATER RETENTION
Edema also known as oedema means swelling of body parts due to fluid retention. It is the accumulation of excessive serous fluids in cells or cavities of the body. It mainly affects lower body parts, mostly foot and ankles. It can slow down the healing process, increase the chances of developing skin infection, affect blood circulation and can be painful. Edema is not a disease; it only indicates that something is wrong in the body. Edema is due to an underlying problem in the body.
Non-inflammatory swelling of body parts
The main and primary symptom of edema is non-inflammatory swelling of body parts, especially the foot and the ankles. When the lump is pressed it creates a hollow which takes some time to disappear.
Edema Causes
Following are some of the causes of edema. Heart Failure, Anemia, Kidney disease, Low protein level in the blood, Liver disease, Malnutrition, Starvation for longtime, Thyroid disease, Weak veins, Medications, Pregnancy, Menstrual cycles, Immobility. Sometimes even a healthy person can get edema but it gets cured automatically after some time. Heat and hot weather can also cause edema.
Use mustard oil
Mustard oil is an effective home remedy for edema. Take some warm mustard oil and rub it on the affected areas. Soak 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds in water and apply the solution to the affected areas. Apple cider vinegar helps to remove excess fluid in the body cells and cavities.
Eat low carbohydrate diet
Salt causes body to retain water, so avoid salty food. Eat food that has low carbohydrate in it, because carbohydrate has more water content. Eat protein and fat rich food. Avoid fruits and vegetables because they increase the fluid level in the body. Eat low-sodium diet because medicines will be ineffective if you eat high-sodium diet.
Other Suggestions for Edema
Exercise regularly by trying to keep your body engaged in physical activities. This will help you to get rid of excessive fluid in body cells and cavities. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. For swollen feet, stretch out your legs on a table and keep them slightly raised with the support of a pillow.
Get into deep water. As any skin diver knows, water pressure forces fluid out of tissues and, ultimately, into the bladder. You can get similar results by exercising in a swimming pool, according to Vern L. Katz, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina Medical School at Chapel Hill. Try a half-hour, three times a week, of gentle water exercise in a pool that's 80° to 90°F, or about skin temperature. "Avoid water above 100° if you're pregnant," Dr. Katz warns.
Avoid using diuretics. While they're very effective at removing excess body fluid for patients who have heart, kidney or liver disease, diuretics set up the potential for something called rebound edema, says Robert Schrier, M.D., a professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. If you're taking them steadily for minor fluid retention, the diuretics turn on a lot of salt- and water-retaining hormones, says Dr. Schrier. "When you stop taking them, the high levels of hormones cause a lot more sodium and water retention, and you get into a vicious cycle."
Shake the salt habit. Too much salt--from hot dogs, popcorn, olives, salted nuts, pickles or pepperoni pizza--makes your body retain fluid. That fluid stays with you until your kidneys have a chance to excrete the excess salt, which can take about 24 hours. So if you avoid salty foods, you are less likely to have noticeable fluid retention, Dr. Staub says.
While you're at it, shake a leg. Exercise can relieve the body of excess fluid and salt through sweating, increased respiration and, ultimately, increased urine flow, Dr. Staub says. Walking up and down the hallway, or climbing a flight of stairs every hour or so, will reduce the fluid retention you develop from sitting for long periods of time. If you must sit still, try this: Point your toes downward, then raise them up as high as you can. That pumps your calf and your foot muscles. Moving your arms around up over your head will help, too.
Drink plenty of water. Water moves through your kidneys and bladder, diluting the urine. And since urine has some fluid-retaining salt in it, the more it's diluted, the easier it is to remove salt and prevent or decrease edema.
"Plain water is definitely the best, because just about every other drink--juices, soda, milk--has salt in it," Dr. Staub says.
Sip an herbal tea. Several herbs have a mildly diuretic effect, according to William J. Keller, Ph.D., a professor and head of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutics at Northeast Louisiana University School of Pharmacy in Monroe. Parsley is the best known of these. Try two teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Drink up to three cups a day.
Lie down, put up your feet. Sometimes this is the simplest and best thing to do, Dr. Staub says. If you recline with your feet in a raised position, you allow fluid that has pooled in your legs to more easily make its way into the circulatory system and then to your kidneys, where it can be excreted.
When to See the Doctor
Occasionally fluid balance gets seriously thrown off. Heart and kidney problems, along with other serious diseases, can cause life-threatening fluid retention. Don't delay seeing your doctor if you have a sudden weight gain, swollen ankles or difficulty breathing.
If you find that an indentation remains when you press your skin, that's a sign of "pitting edema"--a type of fluid buildup that needs a doctor's attention.
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