Q I'm a woman in my 20s who deliberately drinks less water because I hate swelling, but it seems to make me swell even more. Does drinking a lot of water cause swelling, or should I drink less to avoid it?
A Drinking too little water can actually make the body hold onto even more fluid, worsening swelling. For swelling control, drinking a moderate, regular amount of water is better than cutting it drastically. What you actually need to reduce is sodium, not water.
Detailed Answer
Deliberately drinking too little water makes the body try to prevent dehydration by storing even more fluid, which can actually make swelling worse. The real cause of swelling is often sodium and poor circulation, not water itself. So the right approach is to drink an appropriate daily amount of water spread throughout the day, while cutting back on salty food instead. However, this doesn't apply if you have kidney or heart conditions that require fluid restriction — in that case, follow your doctor's guidance.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
Dongjedang sees swelling as arising not from 'too much water' but from 'water that isn't flowing properly and pools instead.' Cutting water drastically only makes circulation more stagnant. Maintaining adequate hydration while clearing the stagnation and restoring circulation is the path to reducing both swelling and the puffiness that comes with it.
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