“Can a low salt diet help in treating edema?”
My mother is dealing with water retention in her body. Do you think a low salt diet can help her deal better with this problem?
3 Answers
FamilyPractitionerEdema
Yes there is no question, high salt diet with increase the edema and put you at high blood pressure risk. However if you follow the low salt diet and still experience edema, you need to see your doctor to evaluate any systemic causes of pedal edema. Certain conditions like a low thyroid function, heart disease and kidney diseases can cause edema.
Complex question. There are many possible causes for edema. Restricting salt intake can be helpful for maintenance (to keep it from coming back) but oftentimes the fluid moves out of circulation and into the tissues, so reducing salt is unlikely to help with water retention happening right now.
The most common reasons for edema are (broadly speaking) heart problems, liver problems, kidney problems and malnutrition. Assuming it's not the last one, you need specialized medications and regular checkups for heart problems. For liver and kidney issues you need very careful monitoring and strict avoidance of anything that irritates or damages the affected system.
In short - while a low salt diet may play a role, there's too many possible reasons why your mother might be retaining water to say for sure.
The most common reasons for edema are (broadly speaking) heart problems, liver problems, kidney problems and malnutrition. Assuming it's not the last one, you need specialized medications and regular checkups for heart problems. For liver and kidney issues you need very careful monitoring and strict avoidance of anything that irritates or damages the affected system.
In short - while a low salt diet may play a role, there's too many possible reasons why your mother might be retaining water to say for sure.
Yes, a low-sodium or no-added-salt diet can help with leg swelling. She can also try elevating her legs during the day. There may be underlying medical problems causing the swelling, so please discuss it with her physician.
Be well!
Be well!
