Ever notice your shoes feel tighter than usual? Your laces not long enough to tie, or your toes having nowhere to wiggle? Unless your feet have had a growth spurt, it’s possible that you’ve been experiencing an episode of water retention, sometimes called fluid retention or oedema.
Puffy legs, swollen ankles and ballooning feet are all common symptoms of water retention, sometimes accompanied by tight, shiny, stretched red skin. But it’s not just your feet and lower limbs that can feel the swell. Perhaps you’ve noticed your fingers and hands looking a little puffy, or your rings feeling tighter than usual. Or maybe you’ve had some unexpected weight gain. Water retention can be an uncomfortable nuisance, but there are ways to treat it.
What causes fluid retention? Water retention is caused by a build-up of fluid, which can be caused by a number of factors. Yes, there’s a whole host of potential contenders for the cause of your puffy parts. Causes of water retention:
- Regular hormonal fluctuations. Women can thank progesterone and oestrogen and the menstrual cycle for that monthly gift from nature
- Standing or sitting in the same position for too long. That’s why you sometimes get ‘tight shoes’ on a long-haul flight
- Eating too much processed and salty food
- Being pregnant
- Taking certain medicines
- Experiencing an acute injury such as a strain or sprain or an insect bite or sting
- An underlying medical condition
read more
