Ankles swelling

[BridgeMates]

I've had this problem many times in the past. Usually put the life jacket under my feet when I go to bed which helps. My doctor said to drink lots more water to flush out excess salt. Since I started drinking more water while I'm on a cruise, I've had less of a problem.

[chengkp75]

I think the causes are many, and varied, as different people react to things differently.

 

The only source of swelling from the water would be any municipal water loaded for the trip, as distilled water made onboard has a sodium content of 1ppm or less, RO water has a sodium content of 20ppm or less, while municipal waters like Miami/Dade (30-50ppm) and NYC (30-60ppm) are much higher.

 

The chlorine in the water can be a culprit, this is filtered out for the ice makers and the water dispensers at the various dining venues.

 

Increased activity, like walking and stairs, which most feel they do while cruising, can lead to retention.

 

Alcohol consumption can also cause retention.

 

I believe that those who drink bottled water are drinking more water than they would from the tap, because they are conscious of having the bottle around, so this increased consumption reduces retention.

 

And I will also say that here you are eating three meals a day of "mass produced" food, which I will say tends to be higher in salt than home cooking.

 

Remedies include drinking more water, elevating the feet while sleeping, standing in the pool for a time (this does not decrease retention, it just moves the excess water elsewhere on you because of the increased pressure of your feet at the bottom of the pool), and the massages and rubs.

[SadieN]

I've had this problem many times in the past. Usually put the life jacket under my feet when I go to bed which helps. My doctor said to drink lots more water to flush out excess salt. Since I started drinking more water while I'm on a cruise, I've had less of a problem.

 

 

At times we've put the life jacket under the mattress, to elevate the end of the bed. No worries about balancing on a life jacket that way.

[SuiteTraveler]

For me, it only happens on cruises in the Med. Truth be told, during the day I am not consuming much water because we are touring and bathrooms are often not always available or we may not be near a restroom for several hours. The salty food plus all the walking plus not being able to drink much water during the day leads to the swelling.