If you’ve ever experienced a situation where you found that your feet and ankles were swollen you most likely had a condition known as edema. Edema is swelling that occurs in the body when there is a fluid build up within the body’s tissues. Edema can affect any part of the body but it happens to be more noticeable in the legs, feet, ankles, arms and hands. The symptoms of edema will have your legs and feet feeling tight and uncomfortable. The skin of the affected area will appear to be shiny or stretched. It’s almost hard to believe that the skin is so shiny that if you put an object next to that affected area you can almost see the reflection of that object within the skin.

There could be a number of reasons for having edema which include kidney or liver problems, certain medications or even pregnancy but one of the most common causes of it is going overboard with your consumption of sodium. Consuming too much salt in your diet can be a main factor in getting edema because high amounts of sodium causes water retention and if you’re eating a great deal of it, you’re going to definitely swell up. Obviously you should seek medical attention if this occurs but until you see a doctor you can keep the swelling down by elevating your legs and feet when you are sitting. Be sure to limit the amount of sodium you are consuming. Eat foods that are low in sodium. Be aware and knowledgeable of how much sodium is in the food you are eating by reading the back of food labels.

The good news is that edema can be treated. Diuretics, compression or support stockings and exercise are your heroic knights in shining armor and defenders when it comes to treating this condition. Diuretics rid the body of excessive fluid. There are a number of diuretics that are prescribed by doctors and there are natural ones that you can acquire on your own. An example of a good natural diuretic believe it or not is dandelion. Tests have shown that dandelion increases the frequency of the urination process. Dandelion is now available as a supplement or as a tea. Compression or support stockings can help to reduce swelling by increasing circulation and promoting better blood flow to the legs. Exercise and physical activity also help in fighting edema because the swelling in the tissues of the body from this condition results from water retention. Exercising the body will cause you to sweat which releases fluid from the body hopefully decreasing the inflammation.