Under pressure

HEALTH

Water retention could be a sign of trouble.

How many times have you had to take to water and soap to remove the ring that so smoothly slipped onto your finger just a day ago? And remember the day you had to literally stuff your feet into a pair of shoes that usually fit you like Cinderella's glass slippers?

Now, common sense will tell you that people do not get fat in a day, at least not enough to require a new wardrobe. However, swelling or puffiness of the skin is a common phenomenon, especially among women. In some cases it's simply a part of the biological cycle, but in others, it may be a warning sign for a storm in the waiting.

Water retention, or edema, occurs when the fluid component of the blood moves out of blood vessels due to the increasing pressure inside the vessel. This extra fluid outside the vessels is what surfaces as puffiness or swelling of the skin. Even though any swelling caused by retention of water by the body needs to be investigated, not all cases require treatment. Some cases, especially in women, occur due to hormonal changes and pre-menstrual syndrome, and can even be a side-effect of contraceptive pills that make the face and fingers puffy.

Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, head of internal medicine, Max Hospital, adds that though fluid retention is more common among women due to the effect of the hormone estrogen, it is now being seen even in men due to increasing cardiovascular, renal and liver diseases. In some instances, such as swelling of legs, edema can be a symptom of anaemia and hypothyroidism, but in more serious cases, it could be a glaring symptom of heart failure and also a sign of advanced liver or kidney disease.

Water retention is frequently seen in people who lead generally inactive lives and are overweight. They tend to under-utilise their calf muscles, which are responsible for pumping the impure blood in the legs back to the heart. Explains Budhiraja, "If these muscles don't get the required exercise, they stop moving properly and thus aren't able to pump blood with the same rigour. This leads to pressure in the veins, resulting in the leaking of fluid and swelling of legs." The most common form of treatment of this kind of edema is to wear stockings.

However, if you suffer from water retention, the first step is to identify the underlying cause of the problem and determine through necessary tests whether it involves any of the organs. Treatment is then given accordingly. As a preventive method doctors do advise that, owing to the high salt content in Indian food, which is also a leading cause of water retention, one should restrict salt intake, especially those with heart diseases.