High blood pressure as well as water retention goes hand in hand. This is because hypertension can be a result of too much fluid in normal blood vessels or due to normal fluid in too narrow blood vessels. Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels. In case it remains high over time, it is called hypertension. It is thus very important to manage the fluid levels, which can affect blood pressure.
Many people like to use diuretics in order to treat water retention. Whether it is natural or synthetic, these diuretics increase the amount of urine which excreted. These are usually prescribed for patients with having blood pressure, congestive heart failure, as well as liver disease. When the diuretics are stopped, hormone levels can tend to get out of balance.
In addition, prolonged use of diuretics may lead to dehydration. This can cause kidney damage as well as an imbalance in the normal levels of electrolytes, which are vital to heart, kidney as well as liver function. With electrolytes being out of balance, heart failure as well as sudden death can occur. Many people turn to diuretics even for weight loss. This only leads to temporary results as well as other health problems. Water retention has many causes. Thus it is important not to begin taking any water retention medication without any proper medical supervision.
The diagnosis of water retention is done by a physical examination, the symptoms presented and the medical history. Various tests like blood tests, urine tests, besides liver and kidney function tests, chest x-ray as well as an electrocardiogram may also be performed in order to determine the cause. In case water retention is a symptom of any serious underlying disorder, that disorder has to be treated first.