Table of contents:
- What is lipedema?
- What are the signs and symptoms of lipedema?
- What causes lipedema?
- Lipedema treatment options
- Manual lymphatic drainage
- Compression
- Skin and nail care
- Liposuction
If you feel your weight is still normal, but when you look in the mirror, you can see that there are some bulging parts of your body, you should consider seeing a doctor. This could be a symptom of lipedema. Lipedema generally occurs in women. In doctors, this condition is treated by wrapping the body with a special device to drain excess fluid in the body.
What is lipedema?
Lipedema is a disorder that causes most of the body's fat deposits to gather at one or two specific points, resulting in a disproportionately large area of the body.
This condition is usually caused by a buildup of fat cells in the tissue under the skin. As a result, fluid also collects in these fat cells. The skin of people who have this condition is usually very tender to touch and bruises easily. In some cases, cellulite is prone to appear on enlarged parts of the body.
Keep in mind, lipedema is different from obesity or a distended stomach.
What are the signs and symptoms of lipedema?
Lipedema often occurs on the buttocks, thighs, sometimes arms, or legs. It can also affect both sides of the foot, but generally the swelling is limited to the ankle area. Both legs or arms usually enlarge at the same time and at the same rate of speed.
The skin on the affected area of the body will appear pale, feel tender, and painful to the touch, but it does not bounce when pressed due to the accumulation of fat under the skin. Parts of the body that experience swelling also bruise easily.
A person with this condition can have fluid retention (lymphedema) in their legs. This type of swelling can occur drowning overnight, while the swelling of lipedema occurs constantly.
What causes lipedema?
The real cause of lipedema has not been found. However, heredity is often cited as the cause. Many women who have lipedema are born in families with a history of the condition.
The fluctuation of female hormones at puberty, during pregnancy, after uterine surgery, and around the time of menopause are also thought to play an important role in triggering this condition.
Lipedema treatment options
To date, no proper treatment has been found for this rare condition. Not even a strict diet or exercise can help you lose fat. Diet to lose weight and exercise may shrink the upper portions of your body, but they will not change the amount of fat under the skin that causes this swelling.
But it's still important to live both of these as part of a healthy lifestyle to help lose weight from non-lipidema fats and reduce inflammation. Several medical therapies can help you reduce symptoms, such as:
Manual lymphatic drainage
Manual lymphatic drainage is a series of gentle massages with rhythmic movements to stimulate lymph flow around the vessel area to divert it to the venous system. This helps reduce pain and prevent fibrosis.
Compression
Use of bandages, stockings, pants, or tight spandex shorts to increase the pressure on the tissue in the leg. In addition, it can reduce the chance that the fluid will re-build up.
Skin and nail care
Thorough skin and nail care helps reduce the risk of sores and infections associated with swelling.
Liposuction
Operation liposuction can remove fat under the skin. However, experts warn that losing leg fat carries a greater risk of death than losing belly fat.
