Water retention can cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. People retain water in their tissues primarily when they eat too much salt. Other causes of water retention include kidney dysfunction and bladder obstruction. If your doctor has ruled out these possible causes and believes the problem is too much salt, you can take some simple steps to reduce your salt-related water retention.
Step 1
Reduce your salt intake. Most Americans eat too much salt. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should consume no more than 2,300 mg---about 1 teaspoon---of salt a day, less if you are particularly sensitive to it. Nutrition labels on food packaging display how many milligrams of salt---listed as sodium---are in each serving.
Step 2
Take a common diuretic. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, meaning that they stimulate your body to produce more urine and thus rid your body of extra water. Take care, however, not to overdo the diuretic. You can lose vital electrolytes and become dehydrated. Balance your consumption of diuretics by consuming sport drinks that contain electrolytes.
Step 3
Take an herbal diuretic if you're sensitive to caffeine or cannot drink alcohol. Celery seed is a natural diuretic that you can purchase in raw, tablet or extract form.
