Moisture retention: the main causes and tips!

Your body consists largely of moisture. This fulfills all kinds of functions, such as the removal of waste products and the stimulation of digestion. However, the fluid balance in your body can sometimes become unbalanced, especially if you retain excess fluid. And that can be quite annoying!
Your body consists largely of moisture. This fulfills all kinds of functions, such as the removal of waste products and stimulating digestion. However, the fluid balance in your body can sometimes become unbalanced, especially if you retain excess fluid. And that can be quite annoying!

Fluid retention leads to thicker limbs and fingers, a bloated face and deep bags. You can also get a heavy feeling in the legs and varicose veins. Rather not, so - but how can you reduce moisture retention? We give you some useful tips!

Fluid retention symptoms

The main symptom of edema, as fluid retention is also officially called, is a swollen body. Your ankles, legs and fingers are particularly sensitive to this. You can often notice that your rings suddenly no longer fit, or that your clothes are tighter than usual.

As mentioned, varicose veins can also be a symptom of excessive fluid retention. Because the cells contain more fluid, the pressure on the veins is higher and it often happens that the blood can no longer flow properly. As a result, there is an accumulation, resulting in a varicose vein.

Salt retains moisture. So if you eat a lot of it, your body will store more water, resulting in swelling. Incidentally, too much salt also leads to high blood pressure, so there are more reasons to avoid this problem!

The â € ˜femaleâ € ™ hormones estrogen and progesterone have a major influence on the fluid balance. When you create a surplus of it, you quickly retain too much moisture. This often happens at certain points in the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and menopause.
The â € ˜feminineâ € ™ hormones estrogen and progesterone have a major influence on the fluid balance. When you create a surplus of it, you quickly retain too much moisture. This often happens at certain points in the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and menopause.

Exercise is important to keep the blood and fluid circulation going. If you spend large parts of your day sitting down, it can quickly lead to fluid retention! Incidentally, this effect can occur quite quickly: sometimes you retain more moisture after, for example, a long flight.

Can none of this play a role, and are you still retaining moisture? Then it is wise to pay a visit to the doctor. Fluid retention can also be caused by disorders of, for example, the heart or kidneys. In that case, it is important to find out as soon as possible.

Do you suffer from edema and do you want to restore your fluid balance to its normal state? Fortunately, there are a lot of home, garden and kitchen remedies that can help you with that. We list the most important tips.

First of all, it is very important to eat as little salt as possible. Sodium increases blood pressure, and it is precisely this high blood pressure that is a known cause of water retention.

Note: it is not only about the salt that you sprinkle on your food! Many ready-to-use products also contain a lot of salt. It is best to cook yourself as much as possible from fresh ingredients, and to replace salt as much as possible with herbs, for example.
Note: it is not only about the salt that you sprinkle on your food! Many ready-to-use products also contain a lot of salt. It is best to cook yourself as much as possible from fresh ingredients, and to replace salt as much as possible with spices, for example.

When you retain moisture, this advice may sound counterintuitive to you. Yet it is really important that you drink enough! Your body goes into a kind of energy-saving mode when you don't get enough water. As a result, it only retains that little bit of moisture harder.
When you retain moisture, this advice may sound counterintuitive to you. Still, it is really important that you drink enough! Your body goes into a kind of saving mode when you don't get enough water. As a result, it only retains that little moisture harder.

If you drink at least two liters of water a day, the moisture will be washed away more easily. Make sure that you only choose water or herbal tea, not coffee or soft drinks full of sugar: they also further intensify the edema!

There are also several vegetables and herbs that may help to wick away moisture, such as rose hip, juniper, garlic, carrot, cucumber, onion and asparagus. The effect of these products has never been scientifically proven, but many people still benefit from them. And they contain a lot of moisture anyway, so that makes it easier to get enough water!
Furthermore, there are several vegetables and herbs that may help to wick away moisture, such as rose hip, juniper, garlic, carrot, cucumber, onion and asparagus. The effect of these products has never been scientifically proven, but many people still benefit from them. And they contain a lot of moisture anyway, so that makes it easier to get enough water!

Regular exercise ensures that your blood circulation remains good, so that your body is better able to remove moisture. The same goes for an increase in muscle mass. And finally, exercise improves hormone balance! So it is a good idea to exercise regularly or at least to exercise.

That doesn't have to be fanatic at all. A walk around lunch, taking the bike more often and doing some stretching exercises now and then is a very good start. Extensive workouts are a bonus, but certainly not mandatory.

Fluid retention can, as we mentioned earlier, be related to poor circulation. In such a case, it can also help to take alternating baths, where you alternate hot and cold in quick succession. You can do that very easily in the shower, but you can of course also choose to go to the sauna for a day.

Massages are another way to stimulate blood circulation, especially in the arms and legs. Make sure you are not too heavy-handed, because you can actually damage tissue!