How to Treat Fluid Retention Fluid retention occurs when the body cannot get rid of excess water. Fluid retention can occur for a variety of reasons, but most commonly it is caused by premenstrual syndrome in women, too much salt in your diet or as a side effect from medication. As a result of fluid retention, there may be some swelling of the body especially in the legs, ankles, hands, feet and abdomen. There are many natural ways of treating fluid retention by expelling excess water from the body and hydrating properly. Here are a few steps on how to treat fluid retention. 1_Lessen your intake of salt And salty foods. Too much salt in the body can cause fluid retention to worsen. Many processed foods contain high values of sodium that should also be avoided, so check the nutritional information on products you eat to make sure that they do not contain high levels of sodium. Avoid adding additional table salt to your food, and stay away from salty snacks like chips, pean...