Several strategies can reduce edema, and the right combination depends on what’s causing the swelling. Elevating the affected limb, wearing compression garments, cutting back on sodium, and staying active are the most effective starting points for most people. Some cases also require prescription diuretics to help the body shed excess fluid. Here’s what works, why it works, and how to do it properly.
Elevate Your Legs Above Your Heart
Gravity is the simplest tool for moving trapped fluid out of swollen tissue. The key detail most people miss: your legs need to be positioned above the level of your heart, not just propped on a footstool. Lying on your back with your legs resting on a stack of pillows or against a wall works well. Aim for about 15 minutes at a time, three to four times per day. This is especially useful for swelling in the lower legs, ankles, and feet, where fluid naturally pools after hours of sitting or standing.
How Compression Garments Work
Compression stockings apply graduated pressure to the legs, squeezing fluid back toward the heart and preventing it from settling in the tissues. They come in different pressure levels measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), and more pressure isn’t always better.
For everyday swelling caused by prolonged sitting or standing, stockings in the 10 to 15 mmHg range are effective at preventing and reducing fluid buildup. A study published in the International Journal of Vascular Medicine found that stockings in the 15 to 20 mmHg range produced significant reductions in leg volume, and 20 to 30 mmHg stockings performed even better, particularly for people who sit for long periods. If you’re dealing with more persistent swelling from venous insufficiency, your provider may recommend the higher range.
One practical tip: put compression stockings on first thing in the morning, before swelling has a chance to develop. They’re much harder to pull on over an already swollen leg, and they work best as prevention rather than treatment of existing swelling.
Move Your Calf Muscles
Your calf muscles act as a pump for the veins in your lower legs. Every time they contract, they squeeze blood and fluid upward against gravity. When you sit or stand still for hours, that pump essentially shuts off, and fluid accumulates.
Research on women with lower-leg edema found that stimulating the calf muscle pump reversed fluid pooling entirely, reducing calf volume by about 2.7 mL per hour. The swelling in these participants appeared to be driven primarily by inadequate calf muscle activity, meaning that simply activating those muscles was enough to halt and reverse it. You don’t need a full workout. Ankle circles, calf raises, flexing and pointing your feet, or walking for a few minutes every hour all engage the pump. If your job keeps you seated, setting a timer to stand and move briefly can make a noticeable difference.
Cut Back on Sodium
Sodium causes your body to hold onto water. Reducing your intake is one of the most impactful dietary changes you can make for fluid retention. The American Heart Association recommends less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day for the general population. For people with heart failure, guidelines from the Heart Failure Society of America suggest staying under 2,000 mg daily, especially in moderate to severe cases.
Most of the sodium in a typical diet comes from processed and packaged foods, restaurant meals, and condiments rather than from the salt shaker. Reading nutrition labels, choosing lower-sodium versions of canned soups and sauces, and cooking more meals at home are the most practical ways to reduce intake. Even modest reductions can improve swelling over the course of a few days as your body releases stored water.
Fluid Intake and Edema
It sounds counterintuitive, but drinking less water isn’t always the right move. For most types of mild edema, normal fluid intake is fine. However, for people with heart failure or severe fluid overload, limiting total fluid intake to about 50 ounces (roughly 1.5 liters) per day, alongside sodium restriction, has been shown to improve outcomes. This is a specific recommendation for a specific condition, so restricting fluids without guidance from a provider can do more harm than good, particularly if your kidneys are otherwise healthy.
Diuretics for Persistent Swelling
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, diuretics (often called “water pills”) help the kidneys flush out excess sodium and water. There are several types, and they work on different parts of the kidney. The most commonly used for significant edema are loop diuretics, which block sodium and chloride reabsorption in the kidney’s filtration system and produce a strong increase in urine output. Thiazide diuretics are milder and often used for less severe fluid retention. A third category, potassium-sparing diuretics, helps the body shed fluid without losing too much potassium, which is important because low potassium can cause muscle cramps and heart rhythm problems.
Diuretics require monitoring because they shift your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. You’ll likely need periodic blood tests to check kidney function and potassium levels, and your dose may be adjusted based on how your body responds.
Why the Cause Matters
Edema isn’t a single condition. It’s a symptom, and the treatment that works depends heavily on what’s driving it. Swelling that affects both legs symmetrically often points to a systemic cause: heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, or a medication side effect. In heart failure, the heart can’t pump efficiently, so pressure builds in the veins and forces fluid into the tissues. In kidney disease, the body loses a protein called albumin that normally keeps fluid inside blood vessels. Without enough albumin, fluid leaks into surrounding tissue.
Swelling that affects only one leg is a different story. Common local causes include chronic venous insufficiency (where damaged valves in the leg veins allow blood to pool), lymphedema (where the lymphatic drainage system is blocked or damaged), and deep vein thrombosis. When swelling appears suddenly in one leg, especially with pain, warmth, or redness, it warrants prompt evaluation. Acute one-sided leg swelling is the hallmark presentation of a blood clot, and clinical scoring systems estimate the probability of a clot at anywhere from 5% to 53% depending on accompanying risk factors.
Horse Chestnut for Venous Swelling
One natural supplement has genuine evidence behind it. Horse chestnut seed extract contains a compound called escin that strengthens vein walls and reduces fluid leakage. A Cochrane review of clinical trials found significant benefits for people with chronic venous insufficiency when they took doses standardized to 100 to 150 mg of escin per day. This isn’t a replacement for compression or elevation, but it can be a useful addition for people whose swelling is related to vein problems.
Protecting Your Skin
Chronic swelling stretches and weakens the skin, making it vulnerable to cracking, infection, and a condition called stasis dermatitis, where the skin becomes red, itchy, and inflamed. Daily skin care is an underappreciated part of edema management, especially for people who deal with persistent swelling in the legs.
Wash swollen areas daily with unscented soap, then apply a fragrance-free moisturizing cream to prevent drying and cracking. Creams are preferred over lotions for dry skin. If you wear compression stockings, avoid applying moisturizer right before putting them on, as emollients can break down the elastic fibers over time. Wear proper footwear to avoid cuts and blisters, and check regularly between your toes for fungal infections, which thrive in moist, swollen tissue. Any cut or scratch on swollen skin should be cleaned and treated with antiseptic promptly, because edematous tissue is significantly more prone to cellulitis and other infections.