How do I know if I have lymphedema?

I often hear from patients that they have experienced swelling for many months or even years before finding out it is lymphedema.

While lymphedema is considered a rare ailment, affecting about 1 in 1,000 Americans, it often goes undiagnosed because people think swelling is just a temporary condition.

However, with lymphedema, swelling becomes ongoing or chronic, meaning it never really goes away. Swelling can cause pain and can affect your daily life, so it is important to speak to your healthcare provider if you notice daily swelling.

What is lymphedema? Perhaps you have heard the term lymphatic system or lymphedema, but what really is this system, and how do people end up with lymphedema?

The lymphatic system is an intricate network of nodes and pathways that carry lymph fluid throughout the body. This fluid is a combination of water, salts, proteins and white blood cells. It serves as a critical component to healthy bodily processes. Normally, your lymphatic system can move 5-6 liters of fluid a day back into circulation.

Lymphedema occurs when there's an obstruction of the flow in the lymphatic vessels, resulting in swelling in areas such as arms, legs, neck, head and abdominal region. These obstructions can be hereditary or are usually caused by trauma to the lymphatic system. There are two types of lymphedema – primary and secondary.

Primary lymphedema is a genetic condition, which may show at birth or later in life, that prevents the lymphatic system from properly draining.

Secondary lymphedema is due to other factors that can cause damage to the lymphatic system; they can include surgery, lymph node removal, radiation, infection, injury or a tumor causing obstruction of lymphatic vessels, among others.

It's best to be aware of potential signs so appropriate action can begin if necessary. Early detection makes treatment more effective. Symptoms may include skin changes such as dry or thickening skin, or skin discoloration. Some patients will describe a feeling of heaviness or tightness in the affected extremity.

When something disrupts the normal flow of lymph fluid, lymphedema may result, causing accumulations of protein-rich fluid in various parts of the body. You might notice your ankles are swollen more regularly and think this might be because you ate too much salt. However, if the swelling persists, you should talk to your healthcare provider to see if the cause might be lymphedema. While lymphedema can be treated successfully in many cases, there is no cure for it.

Physical therapy can help. If you are diagnosed with lymphedema, it is important to work with a physical therapy team you trust to gain support and relief of your symptoms.

Aquacare’s expert physical therapy teams in 10 locations include several lymphedema specialists.

One of the ways the team can support your healing is with complete decongestive therapy. This involves skin care, manual lymphatic drainage, multilayer compression bandaging and decongestive exercises, and can also include vasopneumatic compression pumping.

Aquacare’s teams also work with patients to create a personalized exercise program consisting of all of these components, which can aid in the return of lymphatic fluid and allow the patient to control lymphedema after discharge from skilled PT.

Exercise is also an important aspect of overall health and weight management, both of which are important when treating lymphedema.

Aquacare lymphedema experts know and work with exceptional companies to help connect patients with resources, including compression garments and at-home compression pumping equipment.

For Cape Region clients, specialized lymphedema treatment is available in the Aquacare East Lewes office on King Street Row. To schedule an appointment or evaluation, call 844-547-7432 or go to aquacarephysicaltherapy.com.

If you are a physical therapist looking for a great place to work, Aquacare is hiring. To learn more, go to aquacarephysicaltherapy.com/careers.