Does drinking lots of water cause edema?

 How does edema occur? Can it be prevented?

     Many people have probably experienced swelling after waking up in the morning. You can notice a swollen face, swollen hands and feet, swollen bags under the eyes, or a bloated stomach, even though previously you ate normally. Never had symptoms like this before But after 2-3 days the swelling went away on its own. Soon it will come back again. What causes these symptoms and how can they be separated from obesity?

What is Edema?

Edema is a condition in which the body is dehydrated. This causes the cells in the body to store more water under the skin than normal. Edema occurs naturally and can disappear on its own because the body will always adapt to return to normal.

What causes edema?

The main cause of edema comes from abnormalities in the body at the cellular level that is unable to maintain water balance in the body or is in a state where the body is dehydrated. Therefore, more water is stored than usual.

The root causes of the problem include:

-Eat foods that contain too much sodium. Sodium is mostly found in snacks, instant noodles, certain beverages such as alcohol, salty foods, processed foods, frozen foods, fermented foods, or even in bread. The property of sodium is that when it enters the bloodstream, it causes the blood to become unbalanced. Therefore, the body must try to suck water into the cells to dilute the sodium. This is the reason why eating salty foods often makes one feel thirsty and the body takes a long time to expel all the water. It causes edema.

-Staying in the same posture for a long time, such as sitting, lying down, or standing for too long, the body does not move. Therefore causing water retention. Most often there is swelling in both legs and feet.

-The levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body change. It is found mostly in women during menstruation and during pregnancy. This is because the aforementioned hormonal imbalance causes the body to accumulate more water in the tissue layers. There is higher water retention than normal. This may result in an increase in body weight of about half a kilogram to 2 kilograms, as well as a swollen body and swollen abdomen until it is clearly noticeable. When the menstrual cycle has passed or after giving birth. The body will adjust hormone levels back to normal, causing edema to decrease. Body weight returned to normal.

-Drinking too little water or not getting enough water per day causes the body to try to retain water and keeps sodium in the blood from being excreted.

-Little sleep or lack of sleep causes the systems in the body to Both excretion and maintaining balance are not functioning properly.

-Kidney disease, heart disease and blood vessels or diseases in the lymphatic system. This organ has an important role in maintaining the body's fluid balance. Controls water and minerals in the blood

-Taking medicines that contain female hormones, such as birth control pills, blood pressure medicines such as calcium antagonists, medicines that contain steroids, and certain types of medicines can also induce edema.

How to know that Fat or just bloated?

You can tell if you have edema or obesity using the following principles.

Edema appears and decreases suddenly. while eating normally like every day

Obesity: Weight will increase gradually and will be more difficult to lose than edema because obesity is caused by excess fat. It takes time to burn.

If you are unsure, you can test for swelling by pressing your finger on the swollen area (Pitting edema) and holding it for about 10-15 seconds. If you press and the flesh dimples into a finger mark, it means there is edema. If you press it and it feels tight, it is obesity.

Misconceptions about edema

Many people may understand that drinking a lot of water causes swelling or have tried to drink less water to avoid swelling. This is considered a misunderstanding because the body already has a system that helps maintain water balance at a normal level.

In addition, drinking clean water helps stimulate bowel movements even more. Keeps the body hydrated and also reduces sodium in the body. which is mostly Approximately 90% of sodium is excreted with urine.

How can I prevent edema?

You can prevent edema by doing the following:

-Avoid eating salty or spicy foods by reducing the amount of seasonings such as MSG, soup cubes, powders, or various seasoning sauces.

-Try to read the nutritional label before eating to check the nutrients before your body consumes them. In addition to helping control sugar or calories, Sodium levels are also important. The World Health Organization's recommended amount of sodium per day is 2,000 milligrams. Practice reading nutrition labels first every time. It will help reduce the risk of edema. Moreover, it also helps reduce many diseases caused by eating habits.

-Choose to eat foods rich in magnesium such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, dried beans because research reports have found that magnesium helps maintain the balance of water and minerals in the body. Thus helping to reduce edema. This causes swelling, but if you drink more water, your body will excrete water normally and will not retain more water than necessary. Therefore, it is one of the best ways to reduce edema. It is recommended to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, or more if you are thirsty. You should sip it slowly every hour. This helps the body dilute the sodium concentration and excrete it better.

-Eat more vegetables and fruits because they have a lot of water and high fiber content. Therefore, it helps to expel waste and excess sodium very well. It also helps to keep your stomach full for a long time, low in calories, good for people who are often hungry.

-Reduce the intake of ready-made food, processed food such as sausages, Chinese sausages, alcoholic beverages, baked goods (because even though they are not salty, they still contain hidden sodium), including fast food or junk food. This is because these foods often have a high sodium content. If the body receives more sodium than necessary, it can easily result in edema. Risk of serious diseases such as kidney failure, coronary artery disease, and coronary artery disease.

-Exercise makes the body move. Helps the circulation system improve and allows the body to expel waste in the form of sweat through the skin. Gently massage the swollen area to allow the fluid under the skin to spread to other areas. It can reduce edema as well.

-Get enough rest. It is recommended to sleep with your feet higher than your head or your legs higher than your heart level. Causes circulation and expels various fluids. in the body better

It can be seen that the above method is a simple method and can be done every day. It not only prevents edema but also helps to maintain overall health.

Resources

https://hdmall.co.th/