n0jaa
05-05-2007, 05:54 PM
Lymphedema is a relatively little-known disease. #Yet it affects more than 2 million people in the US alone, and as many as 10 million worldwide. #In addition, there are many more people who have Lymphedema and don't know it, because it is one of the most mis-diagnosed diseases around.
This is the disease I have to deal with on a daily basis.
There are two basic types of Lymphedema: #Primary and Secondary. #Primary is usually heriditary or caused by some other unknown cause. #The exact causes for Primary Lymphedema have not yet been determined. #Some cases of Primary Lymphedema have been linked to the use of Tamoxifen, although this has not yet been conclusively proven.
Secondary Lymphedema is usually caused by surgery in which lymph nodes are removed. #This is most common in women, who usually develop Lymphedema in an arm following radiation or surgery for breast cancer where lymph nodes and/or channels are damaged or removed.
In both Primary and Secondary Lymphedema, air travel tends to aggravate the swelling due to the lower air pressure inside a pressurized aircraft.
Lymphedema can develop in any part of the body but is most common in the arms and legs (I have it in both legs). #This disease can also cause a significant amount of pain, and if stretched enough, the skin can become broken, allowing seepage of lymph fluid and bacterial infections (this happened to me, and I have to take MS Contin four times a day to control the pain).
Lymphedema is also one of the most mis-diagnosed diseases today, as many doctors do not know how to recognize the symptoms. #Many doctors diagnose it as a general edema or swelling due to deep-vein thrombosis, and other patients are simply diagnosed as being obese when they are actually swollen. #In my case, I had to visit five doctors over a three-year period before the Lymphedema was correctly diagnosed.
Although Lymphedema can be controlled through compression wraps, manual decongestive massage therapy and diet, to date no cure has been found for the disease.
For more information on Lymphedema, you can visit these sites: #
National Lymphedema Network (http://www.lymphnet.org) #(the primary organization for research and patient support in the US)
Lymphedema Article on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphedema) (I wrote about half of this article myself)
There are many other good organizations that deal with Lymphedema (google it).
We are always looking for people to support research into this disease. #I hope researchers can find a cure for this soon; I sure don't want to go through the rest of my life having to wear compression garments.
I'd be happy to discuss this disease further with anyone wishing to learn about it. #Please feel free to send me a Private Message.
This is the disease I have to deal with on a daily basis.
There are two basic types of Lymphedema: #Primary and Secondary. #Primary is usually heriditary or caused by some other unknown cause. #The exact causes for Primary Lymphedema have not yet been determined. #Some cases of Primary Lymphedema have been linked to the use of Tamoxifen, although this has not yet been conclusively proven.
Secondary Lymphedema is usually caused by surgery in which lymph nodes are removed. #This is most common in women, who usually develop Lymphedema in an arm following radiation or surgery for breast cancer where lymph nodes and/or channels are damaged or removed.
In both Primary and Secondary Lymphedema, air travel tends to aggravate the swelling due to the lower air pressure inside a pressurized aircraft.
Lymphedema can develop in any part of the body but is most common in the arms and legs (I have it in both legs). #This disease can also cause a significant amount of pain, and if stretched enough, the skin can become broken, allowing seepage of lymph fluid and bacterial infections (this happened to me, and I have to take MS Contin four times a day to control the pain).
Lymphedema is also one of the most mis-diagnosed diseases today, as many doctors do not know how to recognize the symptoms. #Many doctors diagnose it as a general edema or swelling due to deep-vein thrombosis, and other patients are simply diagnosed as being obese when they are actually swollen. #In my case, I had to visit five doctors over a three-year period before the Lymphedema was correctly diagnosed.
Although Lymphedema can be controlled through compression wraps, manual decongestive massage therapy and diet, to date no cure has been found for the disease.
For more information on Lymphedema, you can visit these sites: #
National Lymphedema Network (http://www.lymphnet.org) #(the primary organization for research and patient support in the US)
Lymphedema Article on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphedema) (I wrote about half of this article myself)
There are many other good organizations that deal with Lymphedema (google it).
We are always looking for people to support research into this disease. #I hope researchers can find a cure for this soon; I sure don't want to go through the rest of my life having to wear compression garments.
I'd be happy to discuss this disease further with anyone wishing to learn about it. #Please feel free to send me a Private Message.