How Can I Control My Lipedema Symptoms?
Lipedema symptoms can be very distressing for sufferers. Not only does lipedema cause discomfort and pain, but lipedema sufferers can feel embarrassment and self-consciousness also. Women with lipedema often have low self-esteem and worry about their disproportionate appearance. They are reluctant to sunbathe, exercise, wear clothing that shows their legs or arms, and even socialize in some cases. If you suffer from lipedema, you may have a very poor quality of life when compared to people who don’t suffer from lipedema. Finding ways to manage those distressing symptoms is vital. Here is more information on controlling the symptoms of lipedema.
What Causes Lipedema?
Lipedema is a fat-related condition that the public, as well as physicians, still don’t have enough information on. Doctors have known about lipedema as an illness since the 1940s, but many physicians misdiagnose lipedema in their patients as obesity. Doctors don’t fully understand the causes of lipedema, but experts now believe that there is a link to fluctuating female hormones. The role of hormones in lipedema explains why only women usually suffer from the condition. It also explains why it tends to begin or get worse at times of hormonal upheaval like puberty or pregnancy.
What Are The Symptoms Associated With Lipedema?
Lipedema is a progressive condition caused by abnormal fat distribution under the skin. Normally, fat appears evenly distributed around the body. However, fat appears in the buttocks and legs unevenly in patients with lipedema. Patients often have an area of fat on the outer side of their hips and inside of their knees.
Someone with lipedema has symmetrical swelling in the legs, but usually don’t have fat deposited in their feet. Their legs have a column-like appearance with swelling from ankle to hip. The lipidemic fat makes the areas feel cool, spongy, and soft and causes bruises in the areas affected. Sufferers often experience pain when someone touches the affected areas, and they may have spider veins. Pain and swelling in the legs worsens later in the day, in hot weather, or after activity.
Eventually, people who have lipedema struggle to participate in any physical activities. Even walking can be difficult due to how large and heavy the lower body becomes over time. Mobility restrictions cause poor self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, as well as a limited social life. Even purchasing clothing is difficult due to a disproportionate lower and upper body size.
Can The Symptoms Of Lipedema Be Treated?
Lipedema has no cure at present, but that doesn’t mean that there are no treatments. Patients can control their distressing symptoms in several ways.
Doctors often recommend conservative options first. These include lifestyle changes like eating healthily and exercising more. These changes can help reduce pain and slow down fatty deposit growth. Wearing compression garments also helps to control swelling and pain. Patients can also learn how to perform MLD therapy. MLD or manual lymphatic drainage is a type of skin massage that helps contain the fat and improves symptoms.
It’s important to note that treatments don’t resolve the condition of lipedema. If you maintain a healthy body weight, you will be able to reduce inflammation and non-lipedemic fat in the body. However, these methods by themselves won’t get rid of the lipidemic fat that already exists. Patients cannot decrease lipedemic fat by reducing calorie intake or exercising regularly. Taking frequent low- impact exercise like swimming improves circulation and improves mobility. However, it won’t help get rid of the lipidemic fat already there.
Liposuction Addresses The Causes Of Lipedema As Well As The Symptoms
The best way to control the symptoms of lipedema is to address their cause. Diseased fat is the cause of lipedema’s symptoms. Therefore, getting rid of that diseased fat is the best course of action. Liposuction can achieve this.
When a surgeon removes the diseased fat, the symptoms naturally decrease. Patients who undergo lipedema liposuction experience reduced pain and improved mobility. Patients also have a more proportionate body shape. Their lower half becomes more in line with the size of their upper body, which improves their self-confidence and helps them to feel less depressed and anxious. Patients can often socialize more easily. Patients who have the procedure can exercise easier, which means they can maintain a healthier weight. In short, liposuction improves their quality of life exponentially.
Liposuction is a long-term solution for lipedema. It doesn’t cure the condition, as doctors have not found a cure for lipedema. Liposuction offers long-term relief from those unwanted symptoms. A skilled and experienced surgeon can perform liposuction effectively on lipedema patients. They can achieve impressive results that can last for several years, which allows patients to live a more normal lifestyle for extended periods without excess discomfort.
Did you receive a diagnosis of lipedema? Are you experiencing unpleasant and distressing symptoms? If you are looking for a better way to control the symptoms of lipedema, contact the ArtLipo team now. We are specialists in the field and can help you to improve your quality of life significantly.
