Is lymphedema life long?

0 votes
asked Nov 22, 2022 in Diseases Conditions by Katbabba (1,520 points)
Is lymphedema life long?

1 Answer

0 votes
answered Jan 15, 2023 by Markbob (8,170 points)
Lymphedema is life long although treatment is available to help prevent it from getting worse.

Most people who have lymphedema have a normal life expectancy.

Although lymphedema is a long long disease it is not in most cases life threatening as long as you treat it promptly.

The most common treatment for lymphedema is medication and manual compression as well as a healthy diet.

For advanced stage lymphedema the most common treatment for lymphedema is surgery.

Fruit that is good for lymph drainage are citrus fruits such as oranges which carry and have powerful enzymes and antioxidants which help to cleanse and protect your lymphatic system.

Citrus fruits also help aid in hydration.

Walking is good for lymphedema as walking and other physical activity gets the fluid to drain into the lymphatic system in the abdomen.

Walking, yoga, swimming, pilates and even Tai chi can all help to encourage your lymph to move and help with lymphedema.

The two main causes of lymphoedema or Lymphedema are cancer and radiation treatment for cancer.

Also surgery and parasites can cause lymphedema.

People who are most likely to get lymphedema are people of older age, people with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis or people who are obese or have excess weight.

Lymphedema does most often mean cancer as cancer and cancer treatments can cause lymphedema.

When you have lymphedema the lymphedema will hurt in the feet, legs, fingers and arms.

The warning signs of lymphedema are.

Swelling of part or all of the arm or leg, including fingers or toes.
A feeling of heaviness or tightness.
Restricted range of motion.
Recurring infections.
Hardening and thickening of the skin (fibrosis)

You should go to the ER for lymphedema as you can be at risk for serious infection and life threatening infections.

Lymphedema should be treated as an emergency.

You can be hospitalized for lymphedema if it gets worse and progresses to recurrent cellulitis.

The two types of lymphedema are primary and secondary lymphedema which have different causes.

Lymphedema can turn into lymphoma as lymphedema and lymphoma are linked.

The life expectancy from lymphedema is from 2 months to 2 years although some people live 5 years after lymphedema diagnosis.

The survival rate of lymphedema is 10 percent and 5 years with a survival rate of less than 10 percent with the average survival following diagnosis being 19 months.

A blood test can detect lymphedema by looking for a set of proteins that circulate in the blood and the levels of those protiens can trigger the presence of lymphedema.

A common test for lymphedema is a lymphoscintigram test where you're injected with a radioactive dye that can be tracked by a scanner; this shows how the dye moves through your lymphatic system and can check for any blockages. a MRI scan – a strong magnetic field and radio waves are used to produce detailed images of the inside of your body.

Lymphedema does sometimes come on suddenly although it may also come on and appear over time.

The causes of lymphedema to get worse are injuries, burns and skin infections.

Some ways you can get rid of lymphedema in your legs are to wear compression stockings, use compression bandages, massage the legs, walk, manual lymph drainage, exercises and sequential pneumatic compression.

You can massage away lymphedema by doing a lymphatic drainage massage which is safe treatment to relieve and treat lymphedema.

Things that can worsen lymphedema include injuries, burns and skin infections.

To stop lymphedema from progressing and getting worse you can do the following.

Protect your skin. One way to reduce your risk for lymphedema is to protect your skin.
Moisturize your skin. Keep your skin clean and moisturized to prevent chapping and chafing.
Avoid tight clothing.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Try manual lymphatic massage.

Lymphedema can be caused by stress as stress affects the lymphatic system.

And when you are stressed the cortisol which is a stress fighting hormone is released which leads to metabolic acidosis.

And the nature of cortisol's acidic nature causes a breakdown of the lymphoid tissue and impedes lymphatic flow.

The most common cause of lymphedema is cancer.

When cancer cells block the lymph vessels then lymphedema can result.

A tumor that grows near a lymph node or lymph vessel can enlarge enough in size and block the flow of lymph fluid leading to lymphedema.

The people who are most likely to get lymphedema include elderly people, people of advanced age, people who are overweight or obese and people who have Rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis.

Lymphedema is swelling due to build-up of lymph fluid in the body. Lymph nodes act like a drain in your sink.

If the drain is clogged, the fluid cannot drain.

The Lymphedema usually happens in the arms or legs, but can occur in other parts of the body.

Lymphedema occurs as a result of a blockage in the lymphatic system.

This is most often caused by a traumatic event, such as sports injuries or deep cuts and bruises, as an aftereffect of surgery or cancer treatment.

More rarely, lymphedema can occur as birth defect or symptom of infection.

There is no cure for lymphedema, but it is usually possible to control the main symptoms using techniques to minimize fluid build-up and stimulate the flow of fluid through the lymphatic system.

The warning signs of lymphedema include.

Feeling of tightness, heaviness or fullness.
Aching in the affected area.
Swelling that comes and goes or is more noticeable at the end of the day.
Clothing, shoes or jewellery feeling tighter than usual.
And not being able to fully move the affected limb.

Stage 1 is early edema, which improves with limb elevation.

Stage 2 represents pitting edema that does not resolve with elevation.

Stage 3 describes fibroadipose deposition and skin changes.

The severity of lymphedema is categorized as mild (<20% increase in extremity volume), moderate (20–40%), or severe (>40%).

There are three forms of hereditary lymphedema which are characterized by age of onset: type I (congenital or up to 2 years of age); type II (from 2 to 35 years of age) and lymphedema tarda (after 35 years of age).

98,443 questions

94,727 answers

1,269 comments

6,992,456 users

...