Fluid retention: how to identify and when to seek medical attention

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Swollen legs at the end of the day, with sock marks or shoes on the skin. It is not uncommon for people to experience this characteristic symptom of fluid retention. However, what many people do not know is what the causes are, nor that retention may be associated with more serious health problems such as hypothyroidism, heart failure, kidney influence and circulatory problems.

Find out below exactly what fluid retention is, in what situations it may appear, what its signs are, and when you need to seek medical attention.

Content Index:

• What is fluid retention
• How to identify
• How to eliminate swelling
• When to see a doctor

What is fluid retention?

Larissa Garcia Gomes, director of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Regional Metabolism Sao Paulo (SBEM-SP), CRM SP-102980, explains that fluid retention is increased reabsorption of water and salt by the kidneys, leading to increased blood volume. circulating, which can leak into body tissues causing swelling. There are several causes: from poor diet to heart failure or circulatory problems.

Fluid retention in pregnancy is also a common complaint. Estradiol, a hormone that greatly increases during pregnancy, leads to adaptive hormonal changes that culminate in increased salt and water retention. From the physiological point of view, this increase in circulating blood volume is important to nourish the placenta and the fetus, but can give symptoms of swelling, explains Larissa.

Also read: 6 foods that bloat your belly and you don't even realize

Postpartum fluid retention may still occur. • During pregnancy, the woman increases the circulating blood volume and this volume may be gradually and variablely lost in the postpartum period. Postpartum fluid retention is more common in patients undergoing cesarean delivery, where saline is administered. That's because serum has a sodium concentration that can promote fluid retention, but is this retention temporary ?, explains the endocrinologist.

Retention of oral contraceptive fluid (OAC), Larissa points out, was more common in older formulations that had high doses of ethinyl estradiol, the synthetic estrogen present in most preparations. "The current low doses of ethinyl estradiol or estradiol, and the use of progesterone with features that prevent fluid retention, have considerably diminished this finding in clinical practice," he explains.

Fluid retention with medication may also occur and depends greatly on the medication you are using. But overall, the ultimate mechanism is increased fluid retention by the kidneys. The main drugs associated with retention are antihypertensive drugs (amlodipine), glucocorticoids (cortisol derivatives), estrogens.

How to identify fluid retention?

Some signs are very characteristic of fluid retention in the body:

• Presence of edema or swelling of the tissues under the skin, especially in arms and legs;
• Socks and / or shoes marks on the skin especially at the end of the day;
• Squeezing the area of ​​suspected edema forms a depression;
• Thin and shiny skin in the swollen / swollen region;
• Continuously tightening the lower ankle region shows a "sinking" it takes time to return to normal (edema);
• Swollen eyelids and / or face;
• Weight gain unrelated to increased caloric intake and / or reduced physical activity.

In some cases, the swelling may also come with a feeling of breathlessness or fatigue.

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How to eliminate swelling from fluid retention?

Larissa points out that it is essential to identify the cause of the swelling to properly treat each case. But some general tips are:

1. Raise the lower limbs

Larissa guides raising the lower limbs during the day to improve blood return. This will help to prevent fluid retention in the legs. Do this on short breaks at work, if possible, or at the end of the day when you get home.

2. Avoid processed foods

The endocrinologist points out that if retention is abusive, it is important to decrease foods rich in sodium. And that means reducing mainly the consumption of processed foods, such as crackers and sodas, canned foods, sausages, soy sauce, ready-made foods, among others.

3. Reduce Salt

Decreasing the salt used in food preparation can also help to prevent fluid retention in the body. Good tips for this are: use more natural seasonings, always have a specific salt measure in food preparation to avoid the famous? Salt to the eye? and do not add salt to dishes that already carry cheeses, olives (ingredients that are usually already salted).

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4. Bet on lymphatic drainage

Larissa points out that performing lymphatic drainage helps to reduce limb edema. It works specific and smooth movements that stimulate the lymphatic system to work faster, thus moving fluids through the body more effectively.

5. Consume water

Always give preference to water to hydrate. If you do not usually take it throughout the day, make a habit of having a small bottle by your side. This goes for the desk, when you're at home and even in the car.

6. Practice physical activity

Avoid physical inactivity by practicing physical activity regularly. Choose a physical activity that gives you pleasure, as this is the key to staying motivated with the practice. Can it be walking, running, dancing, bodybuilding? The important thing is to see the activity as something pleasurable, which gives you more health and well-being.

7. Eat healthy

In addition to avoiding processed and embedded products, it is important to regularly consume whole cereals (which are sources of fiber), fruits (especially watermelon and pineapple), vegetables (arugula, cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, chayote).

8. Bet on teas

Although water should not be replaced, teas can also be allied when avoiding liquid retention as most have a diuretic effect. Good suggestions are hibiscus, horsetail and green tea. But remember that teas should be consumed without sweetening. Otherwise, they may lead to weight gain and even increase retention.

These measures are simple and important, but should not inhibit the search for a doctor when signs of fluid retention are persistent.

When to see a doctor to treat fluid retention?

According to the expert, fluid retention may be a clinical sign of some underlying disease, such as heart failure, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, venous insufficiency or protein malnutrition. This reinforces the importance of being alert and not hesitating to seek medical help when you notice one or more of these signs:

• Recent onset edema: you had never had the problem but now swelling / edema has become common.
• Persistent edema: When the swelling recurs, your feet are swelling a lot or daily, to the point where your shoes and socks get tight at the end of the day.
• Severe edema: when it is possible to notice swelling of important extremities, to the point where other people comment with you, for example.
• Swollen face: if you notice that you have been dawning with your eyelids or swollen face.
• Specific swollen body part: when only one of your legs or only one arm, for example, is swollen.
• Unexplained Weight Gain: if you noticed that you gained weight on the scale without making major changes in diet and / or physical activity.
• Tiredness: when, besides the swelling, you feel great tiredness, feeling short of breath, among other annoyances.

In many cases, liquid retention is avoided with simple measures such as reducing industrialized ones. In others, however, it deserves a more thorough investigation.

However, as fluid retention may be associated with some serious health problem, if you notice signs of bloating associated or not with other symptoms, do not hesitate to seek your reliable doctor.

Water and Sodium Balance, Hypernatremia and Hyponatremia, Animation (April 2024)