Health News Desk, Does it happen to you that when you wake up in the morning, your body feels very heavy and in the afternoon you realize that it is not so? Your weight is absolutely fine. Actually, our water weight is responsible for this change in body weight. 50-60 percent of our total body weight is water. Many times, when water and other fluids start accumulating abnormally in the body, the problem of weight gain occurs. Due to this, swelling may occur in the stomach, arms, legs, ankles and toes of hands and feet. Sometimes the face may also appear swollen. Women often have to face this problem during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. But, apart from these, if there is a problem of water weight, then take it seriously, because its cause can range from wrong eating habits to serious health problems.
What is water retention?
Water retention occurs when excess fluid begins to accumulate in the body instead of being removed from the body effectively. It is also called water weight or edema. This problem is more common in summer, because it becomes difficult for the body to remove fluids from the tissues in hot weather. The body signals this problem through some symptoms, among which the following are prominent:
weight gain or weight fluctuations
swelling in toes and ankles
swollen skin
stiffness of joints
Pain and stinging in the affected areas
Heaviness in breasts during menstrual cycle
Why does this problem occur?
Excessive intake of salt and carbohydrates
standing or sitting for long periods of time
Weakened immune system due to allergic reaction, infection, burn, injury, or blood clot
Deficiency of nutrients like protein or vitamin B1 in the body
Menstrual cycle and hormonal changes
Taking certain medications, including chemotherapy medications, pain killers, blood pressure medications, Parkinson’s medications, birth control pills, and steroids
Pregnancy, heart failure, kidney disease, arthritis, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, thyroid, liver cirrhosis and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can also cause a person to have water retention.
