Why Am I Retaining Water? Causes and Fluid Retention Tips

Your body is mostly water. It's in your blood, muscles, organs, and even your bones. You need it, but sometimes your body holds on to too much of it. This is called water retention. You may be retaining water for many reasons, including causes that you can control, such as eating salty foods. Other causes include hormones, medications, and different medical conditions.

Could It Be Your Diet?

Another term you may hear is edema, which is the swelling you see when that water leaks into your tissues. Water retention is the hidden cause, and edema is the visible result.

One reason you might be retaining water is salt (sodium). We all need it. It plays an important part in regulating blood pressure and fluid levels. But if you take in too much salt, your body holds on to water. Table salt is just one source of sodium. The bigger sources are processed foods, such as lunch meats, crackers, chips, canned vegetables and soups, fast food, and even soft drinks.

Check the sodium levels of food and drinks before you buy them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, you should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. If you exercise regularly or lead an athletic lifestyle, you may need to eat more. You may need to eat less than the limit if you have underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or if your doctor recommends it.

To reduce sodium naturally, try to limit processed foods, and eat a balanced diet consisting of:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Low-fat dairy
• Lean meats such as skinless poultry and fish
• Plant proteins such as nuts and beans

These foods also help prevent water retention by keeping your kidneys healthy and making sure that you get key nutrients such as protein and potassium, which help balance your body's fluids.

Some examples of diets you can follow that are naturally balanced include the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. You can substitute table salt with other seasonings such as black pepper. But always ask your doctor first before making any changes to your diet.

Could It Be Your Lifestyle?

Gravity keeps blood lower in your body. That increases the pressure inside the blood vessels in your legs and feet, causing fluid to leak into those tissues.

This means that sitting or standing for too long can cause your tissues to retain water. If your job keeps you on your feet, you may notice swelling in your legs and ankles at the end of the day. It's also common after long airplane flights.

The key is to move often so you keep your blood circulating. If you stand or sit all day, it's important to take time to move around. When you do sit or lie down, make sure to raise your legs above your chest many times a day. It may also help if you:

• Massage your legs
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Use compression socks

That said, get immediate medical help if you also experience:

• Trouble breathing
• Chest pain
• Dizziness, confusion, or fainting
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Swelling in only one leg
• Redness or warmth around the swelling

These can be signs of a dangerous blood clot called deep vein thrombosis, which can happen after sitting for a long time.

Could It Be Hormones?

It's normal to feel puffy or bloated in the days leading up to your period. This is related to changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone throughout the menstrual cycle. Similarly, shifts in the hormones can lead to water retention when you're:

• Going through menopause
• Taking birth control
• Taking hormone replacement therapy

This usually goes away after a few days. It's also normal to have swelling in your feet and legs toward the end of pregnancy. But swelling in your hands and face could be a sign of a dangerous blood pressure problem called preeclampsia. Call your doctor if you have swelling along with headaches, blurred vision, or abdominal pain.

Could It Be Your Medication?

Many medicines have water retention as a side effect. They include:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Antidepressants
• Chemotherapy drugs
• High blood pressure medication
• Insulin
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen
• Steroids

Ask your doctor if your meds may be the problem. If so, there may be something else you can take instead.

Could It Be a Medical Condition?

In more serious cases, water retention or edema can be related to a medical condition. Conditions that can cause it include:

• Heart, kidney, lung, or liver disease
• Venous insufficiency
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Not enough protein in your blood
• Damage to the lymphatic system (lymphedema)
• Cancers, including kidney, liver, and ovarian cancers

Along with thrombosis, heart failure can be an emergency cause of edema. It can lead to a dangerous buildup of fluid in the lungs , called pulmonary edema. Get emergency treatment if you experience:

• Shortness of breath
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Coughing

What Can You Do About It?

Call your doctor immediately if swelling comes along with serious symptoms. Outside of this, when the cause is hormonal, it should go away on its own. If the cause is a medication, your doctor may suggest a different medicine. If the cause is a medical condition, your treatment will depend on the specific cause.

You can usually find relief for mild edema by changing your lifestyle or diet. Your doctor might recommend eating less salt or taking a diuretic (water pills) to help flush out extra fluid and sodium. A doctor may also prescribe a diuretic if the cause is a medical condition such as heart failure.

How Do You Reduce Water Retention Fast?

The following chart shows some ways you may be able to lower water retention fast when you have mild edema that's not caused by a medical problem.

Method Time to Help How It Works Risks and Limits Lower your sodium (salt) levels 36 hours Makes water pills work better and helps you retain less water Can cause overly low sodium if reduced too much Raise your legs A few hours Moves water out of legs Temporary Use compression socks Hours Stops water from pooling in legs May be uncomfortable to wear Use water pills 30-60 minutes Removes extra water fast Could cause dehydration or electrolyte imbalance

Takeaways

Water retention happens when your body holds on to extra fluid, which can cause swelling called edema. Common causes include eating too much salt, sitting or standing for long periods, hormone changes, and some medications.

Mild swelling can often improve by eating less processed food, moving around more, elevating your legs, and staying healthy overall. But there can be medical causes. If swelling comes with symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, or swelling in only one leg, get medical help right away.

Water Retention FAQs

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about water retention.

Can water retention go away on its own?

Water retention may go away on its own if the cause is temporary, such as hormones, medications, or eating too much salt. But this depends on how bad it is. Other causes of water retention may need more treatment.

What organ controls water retention?

The lymphatic system helps remove extra fluid from the body. It also helps your body absorb fats from food and fight infection.

How to tell if it is belly fat or water retention?

Water weight changes quickly and can make you feel puffy or bloated, often in your stomach, hands, or feet. Body fat changes slowly and builds up over time in places such as your stomach, hips, and thighs. If your weight changes after eating salty food or around your period, it's likely water weight. If it increases slowly over time, it's more likely body fat.