How to Use Bloating Remedies to Eliminate Water Retention

Bloating remedies can eliminate water retention and edema due to menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), pregnancy or lifestyle habits. Eye puffiness, swollen feet, legs or ankles, and even puffy hands and fingers can all be signs that the fluid balance in your body has gotten out of kilter.

Menopause bloating can be caused by hormonal fluctuations, as can PMS bloating or the swelling related to pregnancy.

For serious edema or swelling, contact your doctor. But, if you swelling is mild, there are bloating remedies you can try at home to reduce water retention.

Instructions

1. Cut back on salt. Avoid salty foods such as chips, processed meats like hot dogs or cold cuts, olives and pickles. All of these are bloating foods that will cause your body to retain water. It can take your kidneys about 24 hours to eliminate all that extra salt. So, if you are having problems with bloating, stay away from these salty bloating foods.

2. 

   Avoid taking diuretics, which can cause rebound edema. Diuretics can cause your body to lose too much water. This can cause your body to grab more water in the future to avoid this kind of depletion. The end result is that you are more bloated than you were to start with!

3. 

   Drink more water. It seems counter-intuitive, but it is true that increasing water intake is the way to eliminate extra fluids from the body. As water makes its way through the body, it carries away salt. Be sure that you are drinking plain water. Sodas, juices and milk all contain salt which will not be helpful to reduce bloating.

4. 

   Exercise will help eliminate excess water through perspiration, increasing respiration and increasing urine output. If you sit for long hours on your job, take a walk through the hallways or up and down the stairs very hour or two.

5. 

   Drink an herbal tea with a mild diuretic effect, such as parsley tea.

6. Exercise in a swimming pool. The water pressure will push the water out of your swollen tissues and into your bladder for elimination. Water aerobics is a great exercise for women experiencing menopause bloating.

7. Lie down and put your feet up. Raising your feet above the rest of your body will allow the fluid that has settled in your legs, feet and ankles to circulate through the blood stream where it can be eliminated by the kidneys.

Tips & Warnings

• See the doctor if you experience swollen ankles, sudden weight gain or difficulty in breathing. Kidney and heart disease can cause serious and life-threatening water retention.

• Notify your doctor if you experience "pitting edema", or swelling that leavs an indentation after pressing the skin.