When I woke up, my face became bigger, my legs became thicker, and I struggled to clench my fists. Was it because I drank too much water before going to bed that caused swelling? In fact, edema can be divided into two types: physiological and pathological, which may not necessarily be caused by excessive drinking of water. Distinguish the reasons in order to "prescribe the right medicine"!
Legs, face, and abdomen are the most prone to swelling
When it comes to swelling, the first thing to talk about is how it comes about. Edema, medically known as edema, often refers to visible edema on the body surface, and it can be seen that the main cause of edema is "water". Traditional Chinese medicine says "water is said to run down", and the word "run" explains the flow form of "water" in the human body. The skin, muscles, organs, etc. of the human body all need water (blood, lymph, tissue fluid) in the body to supply oxygen and nutrients, so the flow of water in the human body is like a river "infiltrating" the land, from a large river to a small tributary, and constantly "infiltrating" into the surrounding soil (our tissues and organs) during the river's journey; The word "down" explains the movement trend of "water" in the human body. As water moves towards the lower parts, the water in the human body can easily move to the lower parts of the whole or part under the action of gravity. However, transporting it back to the higher parts requires tremendous effort from the heart, the "pump".
The more loose and slow the surrounding soil, the more water seeps into the soil. Similarly, the slower the blood flow rate, and the more prone the surrounding tissue is to edema. Therefore, the common puffiness in our daily lives often occurs in the lower limbs, abdomen, cheeks, and eyelids, which are located in areas with overall or local sagging and/or loose skin and tissues, and there are tissue gaps. Water in blood vessels seeps into these spaces, just like "water bags" hanging on the face, abdomen, and legs. When observed from the surface of the body, it becomes puffiness.
Six common reasons, are you swollen
There are many reasons for facial eyelid swelling in the morning, which can be pathological or physiological. There are several common causes of physiological swelling:
Drinking too much water can indeed lead to swelling in the morning. The body's urine output at night is relatively reduced, and the water that is not excreted through urine is more "infiltrated" through the blood circulation to areas that are prone to hanging "water bags", resulting in swelling.
Drinking alcohol can also lead to edema. When alcohol enters the human body, it will expand blood vessels, increase Vascular permeability, and make the water in blood vessels easier to "infiltrate" into the outside of blood vessels, increasing the possibility of edema. At the same time, the human body has allergic reactions to alcohol due to different physiques, which can also be manifested as edema.
The reasons for staying up late, insomnia, fatigue, and changes in women's menstrual period lead to abnormal water metabolism and changes in Vascular permeability, which are also possible reasons for edema.
Swelling may also be a manifestation of these diseases
Pathological edema is commonly seen in medicine in these diseases: heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, vascular disease, endocrine disease, etc.
Simply put, significant changes in various aspects of the human body's blood circulation can lead to edema. The large water pump (heart) is not working properly, the drainage port (kidney) is malfunctioning, water quality changes, pipeline deformation, water leakage (liver and kidney, endocrine, vascular reasons), one or more of the above reasons will cause more water in the blood vessels to "infiltrate" outside the blood vessels, ultimately becoming a "water bag" hanging on the surface or inside the body.
In short, when you notice significant swelling in your body that persists despite improving the physiological reasons mentioned earlier, please seek medical attention as soon as possible to determine if there is a rational cause and seek timely diagnosis and treatment to avoid delaying the condition.
Edema is mostly a disease of the internal medicine system, and priority can be given to seeking medical treatment in a comprehensive internal medicine department. After thorough examination, if necessary, it can be referred to a specialist in heart, kidney, liver, gallbladder, and endocrine. Partial asymmetric edema, especially limb edema, may indicate vascular disease, and can be treated by vascular surgery under the guidance of the first doctor.
Can you still drink plenty of water before going to bed?
What should I do to avoid swelling? Whether physiological or pathological edema, prevention is nothing more than reducing the causes of its occurrence. In principle, it is not necessary to drink an appropriate amount of water before bedtime, but if it is found that mild swelling may occur after drinking before bedtime, the amount of water consumed can be reduced in moderation, or the drinking time can be advanced. Reducing alcohol intake before bedtime, avoiding fatigue and staying up late, and paying attention to rest during menstrual changes can all reduce physiological bloating.
If it is pathological edema, attention should be paid to reducing the occurrence of "three highs" and actively controlling chronic and primary diseases. If it is found that improvement cannot be achieved through physiological regulation, seek medical attention as soon as possible. It is important to face pathological edema, which is only a manifestation. The primary cause of edema and other complications may pose greater harm to the human body and should not be underestimated.
