Also called as oedema, hydropsy, and dropsy, an edema is a fluid buildup in the tissues of your body, leading to swelling. Despite having the ability to occur in any body part, the edema usually negatively affects to your ankles, hands, feet, and legs. It is estimated that there are about 4.4 million of human in the United Sates suffering from edema. In fact, edema itself does not harm your health; however, as it may be an early sign of underlying problems such as kidney disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, cirrhosis, thyroid disease, an allergic reaction, arthritis, venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis, you have to see your doctor to get checked and get the exact treatment on how to treat edema. Also, you can simply change your lifestyle and follow some natural home remedies for edema to help you deal with this condition.
You can easily notice that you experience this condition if you have some common symptoms such as puffiness, swelling, dimpling of your skin after you press it for several seconds, and shiny or stretched skin. If you sit or stay in one position for several hours, suffer from a surgical procedure or malnutrition, are bitten by an insect, are during pregnancy or premenstrual syndrome, and take a high amount of salt, you are prone to suffer from mild cases of edema. Sometimes, this condition is a side effect when you taking some certain medications such as high nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, steroid drugs, and estrogens medications. There are several certain factors, increasing the risk of developing edema, such as kidney disease, hypertension, smoking, excessive drinking, past surgeries linked to the lymph node removal, and a sedentary lifestyle. This new writing in VKool page will show 10 natural ways on how to treat edema in hands, feet, and ankles. You can apply any of them to deal with this condition and you do not need to worry about their side effects because they are very safe for your health. Now, let read this and find out the best way for you!
Top 10 Ways On How To Treat Edema Naturally In Hands And Legs
1. Epsom Salt Bath
Taking a bath with the Epsom salt water can be able to help you get rid of pain, inflammation, and swelling caused by edema. This bath water will aid you in removing toxins and excess fluids from the body.
How to apply:
- All you need to do is to dissolve two cups of Epsom salt with the warm bathwater filled in the bathtub.
- Then you soak yourself in this salt water and relax for 12 to 15 minutes.
- You can repeat this process up to 3 times weekly.
See more: How To Use Epsom Salt For Acne Treatment
2. Massage Therapy
Another effective way on how to treat edema is to apply massage therapy. Regularly massaging your affected body part is able to ease swelling along with pain caused by this problem. Actually, applying massage therapy combined with gentle strokes will make pressure directly on your affected skin as well as muscle areas. This, in turn, assists you in activating your lymphatic system and thus flushing the fluid out of your body naturally.
How to apply:
- At first, you heat a bit of coconut oil or mustard oil or olive oil.
- After the oil becomes warm, you dab it gently on your affected skin area.
- Use your hand palms to massage it and reapply this process several times daily.
Note: If you suffer from edema due to pregnancy, you should apply this massage therapy with the help of a therapist who specializes in prenatal massage.
Learn more: 25 Benefits Of Massage Therapy With Essential Oils
3. How To Treat Edema With Dandelion
Dandelion is a natural herb acting as a diuretic in nature and thereby encouraging the fluid draining. In addition, it is also comprised of potassium, which will aid you in balancing out sodium in your body. This process, in turn, reduces the symptoms such as inflammation and swelling caused by edema.
How to apply:
- You simply prepare 1 teaspoon of dandelion leaves (fresh or dried) and a cup of boiling water.
- Next, you put the dandelion leaves in this hot water, cover and steep this for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Now, you strain the dandelion tea and consume 2 or 3 cups of this tea on a daily basis.
Note: Do not use dandelion if you are suffering from gallbladder problems.
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4. Flaxseeds
People have used flax seeds as an effective treatment on how to treat edema for many years. Thanks to the anti-inflammatory property content in them, flaxseeds will help you ease swelling.
Besides, these seeds can also aid in detoxification well, which means that they are capable of removing harmful toxins.
How to apply:
- All you have to prepare are half a teaspoon of ground flax seeds and 1 cup of lukewarm water.
- You mix them together and consume it twice daily.
- If you do not have flaxseeds available in your kitchen, you can opt for another option which is to massage your body with flaxseed oil. With this way, you just take a bit of flaxseed oil and massage on the affected body part for several times per day.
Read more: List Of Health & Beauty Benefits Of Flaxseeds
To find out more natural ways on how to treat edema in legs, stay with us for our next post!
5. Reduce The Intake Of Salt
If you have a high intake of salt, you can put yourself at a higher risk of edema. In fact, a large amount of sodium will contribute to causing the retention of water in your tissues.
- Hence, it is recommended by health experts that you should eat only about 1 teaspoon of salt (2,300 mg of sodium) or less every day. Nevertheless, you have to meet your doctor to get the specific amount of sodium which you should take daily.
- Besides, do not forget to limit taking salty foods such as fast food and prepackaged snacks.
- You should prepare your meal by yourself at home instead of going out for it. This will aid you in controlling the amount of salt you take daily.
- Additionally, remember to consume fresh vegetables and fruits and avoid taking canned versions because they often have added salt to preserve freshness and color.
- Last but not least, try the best to use herbs for enhancing the taste of food instead of salt.
See more: Eliminate Restless Leg Syndrome Book Review
6. Physical Activities And Exercises
If you are finding a simple way on how to treat edema without preparing any ingredients, you can do some physical activities and exercises. People leading a sedentary lifestyle are prone to have edema, compared with others. And doing exercise or physical activities can assist you in preventing the appearance of edema as well as ease the symptoms when this condition occurs. Here are some tips for you to apply every day:
- You should move your muscles the body part which is affected as much as possible. By doing this, the fluid will be dissipated out of your tissues.
- Plus, remember to enjoy brisk walking or jogging for half an hour per day.
- You can also practice some yoga poses daily to help you stimulate your circulation as well as keep edema at bay.
- Besides, going swimming 3 times weekly will be able to decrease edema symptoms.
- If you do not know how to start to do exercises for reducing swelling, you can see your doctor to get some helpful advice.
See more: Shocking & Interesting Facts About Exercise
7. How To Treat Edema With Coriander Seeds
You may also try using coriander seeds as a useful treatment how to treat edema. These natural seeds contain anti-inflammatory property, which is famous for the ability to relieve pain and swelling. Besides, coriander seeds are capable of encouraging good blood circulation.
How to apply:
- First of all, you have to prepare coriander seeds (3 tablespoons) and water (1 cup).
- Next, you boil this mixture and simmer it until you see that the water decreases by half.
- Now, you simply strain the water and sip it 2 times per day as soon as it cools.
8. How To Treat Edema With Parsley
If you are wondering how to treat edema naturally, using the parsley is a good idea for you to reduce the symptoms of edema such as swelling and pain. This vegetable will help your body to flush out excess fluids. A study in 2002 indicated that parsley possesses diuretic effects. Moreover, it also has the ability to block the re-absorption of potassium and sodium.
How to apply:
- The first option is to add the dried parsley (1 teaspoon) to the water (2 cups). Then you boil this for 7 to 10 minutes and strain the parsley water. You drink this parsley water once per day in the morning before you have your breakfast.
- Another choice is to crush a few parsley leaves until they form a fine paste. Then you apply this crushed parsley on your affected body parts. Keep it in place for 27 to 30 minutes and use lukewarm water to rinse off. You should apply this 2 times on a daily basis.
- Last but not least, remember to add more parsley in your sandwiches, salads, soups, and other dishes.
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9. How To Treat Edema With Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil can be used to help you deal with edema or inflammation which is caused when you are bitten or stung by insects. With the help of analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in it, tea tree oil will be a natural effective way on how to treat edema along with its symptoms. Besides, a 2002 study highlighted that tea tree oil is loaded with 2 components alpha-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol, which will aid you in regulating edema.
- In order to treat edema caused by insect stings or bites, you simply put some tea tree oil drops directly on a clean cotton swab and then dab it on your edema area. Keep waiting for a while and use warm water to clean it off. You can repeat this simple way whenever you need.
- To deal with mild edema cases, you mix the tea tree oil together with any type of carrier oils and then use this oil mixture to gently massage your affected body part using outward strokes. You have to apply this way 2 times daily during several days till the pain and swelling disappear completely.
Learn more: How To Use Tea Tree Oil For Nail Fungus
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
The last of top 10 ways on how to treat edema I want to introduce to you in this writing is to use apple cider vinegar (ACV). This vinegar, in fact, is a well-known treatment for edema symptoms. It has a high source of potassium, which is responsible for replenishing the potassium level in your body as well as reversing fluid retention. In addition, the anti-inflammatory property content in it also has the ability to get rid of swelling and pain.
How to apply:
- Now, you prepare raw and unfiltered ACV (1 or 2 teaspoons) and water (a cup). You dilute apple cider vinegar with water and drink this twice daily.
- Besides, you can mix the apple cider vinegar with warm water at an equal ratio and then soak a soft towel in it. Next, you wrap this towel on your affected body part for several minutes. Do not forget to reapply this 3 or 4 times on a daily basis.
Read more: 21 Health & Beauty Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar Consumption
How To Treat Edema – Additional Tips
To apply any of natural ways on how to treat edema more effectively, you should keep some additional tips below in mind:
- If you suffer from swelling in your lower limbs, you can prepare a small tub filled with warm water and soak your feet in this for about 3 to 5 minutes. After that, you continue to soak them in the cold water for about half a minute. Do not forget to reapply this process thrice daily to get the expected results.
- Using a cold compress can also aid you in alleviating swelling on your feet, which is caused by pregnancy.
- In case you experience edema in your arms or hands, you just rest your arms above your heart level for about half an hour, thrice per day.
- To deal with leg edema, you simply raise your legs by using pillows above your heart level for 25 to 30 minutes, several times daily.
- Avoid smoking and drinking too much to keep edema at bay.
- Use gloves, sleeves, and compression stockings to make pressure on your limbs as well as prevent the buildup of fluid in your tissues.
- Do not forget to have the intake of 50 mg of vitamin B6 supplement twice a day but only after you consult the doctor’s advice.
- The deficiency of magnesium may contribute to causing edema. Hence, having an intake of magnesium supplement will assist you in reducing its symptoms. Remember to consult the doctor’s advice for the proper dosage.
- You should also consume much more foods loaded with a high source of potassium, such as raisins, bananas, tomato juice and paste, kidney beans, white beans, and soybeans because potassium has the ability to remove the excess fluid from your body.
- Besides, try the best to drink enough water daily to fight against edema more quickly. Apart from water, you can consume more vegetables and fruits rich in water content.
- Plus, consuming warm drinks like herbal teas for several times daily is also very helpful.
- Always keep your affected body parts free from injury, clean, and moisturized.
- Stop drinking carbonated and caffeinated beverages.
- Sudden changes in temperature may make your condition worse. Hence, avoid temperature changes as soon as possible.
- Do not prolonged standing and sitting because it stimulates the fluid pooling in your feet.
All above are 10 effective ways on how to treat edema in hands and legs. You can apply any of them to help you deal with edema without worrying about their side effects because they are natural and safe for your health. Freely leaving your comment below if you have any question related to how to treat edema. Also, you can find out numerous ways on how to deal with other health and beauty conditions by visiting our main How to page.
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