Bloating may be common in your life, but it is unhealthy. Discover the most common causes of bloating and what you can do to get rid of it once and for all.
Bloating is a very common nuisance in women’s lives. Sometimes, you look in the mirror and notice that some part of your body, especially your belly, is bigger than normal. It’s the famous swelling.
Most of the time, the cause of swelling is fluid retention. This problem can be defined as excess water that ends up accumulating between cells. The main time of year where this occurs is summer. This is because one of the main aggravating factors is excessive heat.
It is notable that the forms of swelling vary from one person to another, and circumstances, of course. While some people suffer from swelling all over their body, others experience the problem in just a few isolated parts of the body.
It occurs as an edema in the lower limbs, which can cause a feeling of pain and tiredness in the legs, and in some cases manifest itself in more serious ways. Visually, the swelling is noticeable and can change the appearance of the skin.
Causes of swelling
Ana Priscila Soggia, endocrinologist at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in an interview with Abril’s Saúde website, stated that there are different causes for fluid retention.
“There are many causes of water retention, such as hormonal problems related to the thyroid, problems with organs such as the kidney and heart, problems related to the type of diet…”, she explains, adding: “another very common cause is water retention that occurs during the premenstrual phase.”
Diagnosis
As a consequence of the female menstrual phase, which ends with hormonal variation, swelling tends to affect women more than men. The most affected age group are women aged 25 to 30.
To diagnose the problem, hormonal, cardiological and vein tests will be carried out, the latter only if the retention is in the legs. All exams will be carried out by the doctor.
If the test results are negative, the doctor must carry out a deeper investigation. The discomfort, in this case, may be related to a diet high in sodium or even the menstrual period.
Treatment for swelling
Treatment will directly depend on the cause. For example, if fluid retention is a consequence of diet or hormones, the treatment will be dietary re-education.
Other causes will require more intense treatment. In milder cases, herbal remedies can be used. In other problems, diuretics are even prescribed. But if you want to reduce swelling immediately, reducing the use of salt and sodium is a good and effective start.
Cutting out salty foods can even prevent bloating. Additionally, exercising gets your blood pumping and helps prevent fluid retention.
And, speaking of fluid retention, this other article can help a lot, if you also suffer from the problem: How to do lymphatic drainage at home and get rid of fluid retention.
Source: Health
