Water retention

Water retention means that the body accumulates too much water in the interstitial spaces and cannot be excreted by urination. Excessive water can cause swelling in some parts of the body. Generally, the area below the heart swells more severely. The most obvious feature of water retention is edema of the lower limbs, especially the feet and ankles. When you get up in the morning, lower limb edema may not be obvious, but it will gradually appear after a few hours of getting up and it will worsen over time. If you press your ankle hard with your fingers, a dimple will appear on the skin immediately, and it will take a long time to return to normal. This phenomenon is medically called pitting edema, and if edema occurs in multiple parts of the body, it is called general edema.