How to treat water retention is not easy if you don't know the cause of the problem. Drug interaction, diuretics, salt and health conditions can all be factors. Knowing the cause of the water retention is half the battle and knowing your options for treatment.

Do you ever feel like a puffed up beach ball? Does your skin feel stretched and your feet, ankles and legs look swollen? You may be suffering with a common aliment called water retention. How do you get rid of water retention you ask? Great news, it doesn't always take a prescribed medication or even a harsh diuretic to end water retention.

First you need to know what makes your body retain water. Is it medications you may be taking for a health issue or is it something as simple as salt intake? If you are taking certain medications they can cause your body to retain water. To get rid of water retention while on medication you should consult your doctor first. The result may include a change in your prescription to help your body rid itself of water retention while still couping with the medication condition.

Getting rid of water retention can be helped by changing or stopping your sodium intake, salt in other words. The body stores excess water in cells in the body when the sodium or salt levels in the body are high. Your body is trying to keep itself hydrated by storing the extra water when your sodium levels are high. Sodium is hidden in many products that we eat on average and never think about until the water retention becomes a problem. Sodium is found in processed food, junk food, lunch meats, frozen foods and even in what you drink. Did you know that a diet pepsi has zero calories but it has 35 mg of sodium? Cutting back on sodium can help with getting rid of water retention.

Did you know that getting rid of water retention can also be accomplished by cutting out caffeine. That's right, caffeine is a natural dehydrate. If you are drinking anything with caffeine in it you are dehydrating your own body causing your own cells to retain water to keep the body hydrated. When you think of caffeine you think the usual coffee, tea and soda. Caffeine is even found in that chocolate bar you crave or that cup of hot chocolate. You may have caused your own water retention by not consuming enough water!

In order to rid your body of water retention you need to drink more water! Thats right. Your body is retaining water because it thinks it is dehydrated. You should drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day and more if you are exercising. Cut out the salt and hidden sodium, stop the use of caffeine , drink eight glasses of water a day and exercise. When you exercise your body sweats and releases excess water that your body is storing. Try a sauna to help sweat off some water retention.

Changing your diet is also an excellent way to rid your body of water retention. Eating a high fiber low fat protein diet keeps the body moving, literally. In other words you need to stay hydrated in order to flush out excess fluids and best of all you can do this without medications or harsh diuretics. You can naturally detox your body using alfalfa, hawthorn berries or, horsetail that can be found at any health food store or you can simply drink lemon juice or cranberry juice to help draw out the water and salt. Lemon juice and cranberry juice flush the excess water retention out of your body through your urinary tract.