How To Tell If You Have Water Retention
Water retention is not always easy to detect. How will you know if your fluid balance has gone wrong? It can be hard to tell if your excess weight is mostly water, since water is everywhere in the body. Even your doctor can sometimes have difficulty confirming whether you are retaining fluid.
Doctors can tell if you have the severe form of water retention known as oedema by pressing a fingertip into your shinbone. If it leaves a dent, you are definitely retaining a great deal of water. Swollen feet or ankles can also be a sign, since excess fluid often collects in the lower half of the body.
Sometimes the tummy will be tight and swollen (as in premenstrual water retention) or the face puffy. However, you can have water retention without exhibiting any of these signs.
One little-known sign of hidden water retention is rapid weight fluctuations, where you notice from time to time that you suddenly weigh several pounds more (or less) than you did twenty-four hours ago. This is a sure sign of water retention since only water can cause such a rapid change in your weight.
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Comments
Comment from Linda Lazarides
Time November 18, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Long-term swelling is common after injuries. Movement and massage are essential. There is a section on how to help this problem in the Waterfall Diet book (paperback version). Good luck with this.
Comment from ann
Time August 19, 2010 at 4:23 pm
If you have water retention in your tummy does it feel tight under your ribs and uncomfortable sitting bent over
Comment from Linda Lazarides
Time August 20, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Pressure inside the abdomen could be due to a number of possible different causes.
Comment from Georgia
Time November 2, 2010 at 12:00 am
I manage to gain kilos/lose kilos in hours without doing anything. The other day, I had no car so I spent at least 4 hours walking all over town, with barely anything to eat. The next morning, I had gained 3 kilos in weight! That same night was halloween, and I pigged out with my friend, the next morning I was still the same weight, and I honestly should have gained a lot more. I do drink a lot of water, and I only urinate at least 2/3 times a day. My periods are random, and I get bladder infections a lot. I think I might be retaining fluid.
Comment from dave
Time November 4, 2011 at 10:53 pm
I’m a 63 yr male, 6’2″. In the morning i’m 169 lbs, I can gain 5-7 lbs by the end of the day and the veins in my feet don’t protrude. I’m on bld Pressure meds, not diabetic, ride a bicycle, just did a cross country tour. I don’t get pitting. I have BPH and the urine dip sticks and BUN and Creatinen are normal. I’ve been told I have a fibrotic bladder. Once a month I pass some cloudy urine once or twice. Years ago I had erythromalegia. I’m over the painful stage but I still get vasodilation in the evening.
Comment from jacki
Time November 8, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I started to take dyromine about 5 weeks ago and in the first week I put on 3.8kg by the end of the 4th week I have put on 5kg. I have now stop the diet pills and thought that maybe Im having a problem with fluid retention. I went to my Doctor but he just told me that some diet pills dont agree with everyone. this has caused me great distress. do you think that I have fluid retention? Also my son is 3 years old and some people think that I am having another one alot of the time its mistaken as my somach looks like I am 4 months pregant.. I suffered with this since my late teens.
Comment from Barbara Baker
Time November 12, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I broke 3 metartarsall bones in my foot in August. I was in plaster for 6 weeks and have been out of plaster now for 5 weeks but my leg and foor are still swollen and discouloured. I was not given any physio but obviously commonsense told me to move my foot as much as possible i.e.excersising the ankle and walking as much as possible due to the pain. Do you know if this swelling is normal. I have tried the press test and my skin does not stay indented afterwards. The doctor said I may have pain,swelling and discomfort for a “few months”. Do you have any suggestions? Many thanks, Barbara.