Edema

Your tissue is retaining water that should be flowing. Ankles that become thick in the evening. Fingers swollen in the morning. Legs where the imprint of a sock remains visible for hours. A face that looks puffy without having cried. Hands that no longer fit a ring. The body grows heavy, movement sluggish, skin taut — as though it were carrying something that cannot be digested.

Medically, edema is an accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space. The body has taken in more water than it can release. The causes are many: venous insufficiency, lymphatic congestion, heart, kidneys, thyroid, medication, heat, prolonged sitting. All of that is real, and all of it should be investigated.