AF may be brief, with symptoms that come and go and end on their own. Or, the condition may be ongoing and require treatment. Sometimes AF is permanent, and medicines or other treatments can't restore a normal heart rhythm. The animation below shows atrial fibrillation. Click the start button to play the animation.
The hormones progesterone and estrogen play a significant role in fluid retention. When estrogen levels are elevated, women tend to retain more water than usual. This is why bloating is common in the days leading up to a woman's menstrual cycle - more estrogen means more water retention. During menopause, estrogen levels erratically fluctuate and bloating becomes more chronic.
Identifying the Cause(s) of Water Retention. 1  1. Look at a calendar if you are a woman who gets a monthly period. Water retention is a classic symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). 2  2. See your doctor if you notice signs of water retention that you know are not hormone related. Your doctor may run various types of tests, such as blood or urine tests, depending on your other symptoms. These will check the health of your heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory, lymphatic, and thyroid systems.