TCM Treatment for Ascites
Dandelion
The common dandelion that grows in your yard is also a powerful herb with many medicinal properties. It is considered a bitter herb, and the entire plant is used in foods and for other herbal preparations. It aids the digestion and stimulates the production of digestive juices in the pancreas and liver. Dandelion reduces inflammation in the liver from cirrhosis and is useful in the treatment of hepatitis and gallbladder disease.

Licorice Root
Two of the main causes of cirrhosis of the liver are alcoholism and hepatitis C. The active ingredient in licorice root may help reduce the incidence of cirrhosis. Ascites is a concomitant symptom developing when the liver is inflamed. Licorice root possesses diuretic properties that may alleviate the fluid buildup and swelling in the abdomen. Licorice root can raise the blood pressure and thin the blood. It may also interact with steroids and pharmaceutical diuretics. 

Burdock Root
Burdock root is still widely employed by herbalists for liver and kidney problems, to remove excess fluids from tissues and to treat arthritis, tumors and a host of other diseases. Burdock can be consumed cooked like carrots or raw on salads. Additionally, the root can be dried and made into tea by boiling about 1 tsp. in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes. Strain, cool and drink 2 to 3 cups daily to reduce swelling and fluids from the abdomen. Burdock root acts as an anti-inflammatory and may reduce swelling and pain due to inflammation or fluid retention.

Treatment in Western Medicine:
The treatment of ascites depends on its cause. If portal hypertension is the cause of ascites, medical management using diuretics and salt restriction is often effective in portal hypertensive patients. Most patients who have ascites as a result of cirrhosis respond to dietary sodium restriction and diuretics. Diuretics can increase the amount of urine excreted, thus decreasing the amount of retained fluid. Diuretics and their usage must be prescribed by a physician.

If diuretics and salt restriction are not effective, in some cases, doctors may perform paracentesis to draw off the fluid from the abdomen. A few liters of fluid can be removed at a time. In other cases where the paracentesis procedure is repeatedly required to prevent the re-accumulation of fluid, the physician may resort to other means. A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) may be implanted to redirect the fluid and provide relief. This procedure is performed by a vascular radiologist.