What Is Lymphedema?

At this moment, I am 33 years old. I have had primary lymphedema in my lower half since the age of 12 and only diagnosed at the age of 29. It is one of those diseases that doctors are unfamiliar with. Unfortunately for some, they will never be diagnosed correctly and this disease can and will progress if not taken care of correctly.

I have the definition of lymphedema below, but to sum it up in my own words:

Lymphedema is a lymphatic system disorder. In my case, I was born with it. Not enough lymph nodes to circulate the fluid through my legs. My legs, ankles, feet, and toes will swell, causing me pain and difficulty walking. At times, my legs feel so heavy I get exhausted just by walking a few feet. The pain, at times, is so unbearable it makes it difficult to think. There is no cure. I can only try to manage this disease so it progresses no further. I wear compression garments (Mediven PLUS 40-50mmHg Open Toe Thigh Highs w/ Silicone Top Band) every day and do manual lymph drainage (MLD), which I will explain further in another post. 

Here are my legs after treatment with my garments on:

In this photo, even with compression garments on you can see my left leg has more swelling than my right.

The Disease

Lymphedema is the swelling of soft tissues as a result of the accumulation of protein rich fluid in the extra cellular spaces. It occurs most frequently in an extremity but can be seen in the head, neck, abdomen, and genitalia.

Types of Lymphedema


There are two types of lymphedema. 

Primary lymphedema occurs without any known precipitating cause, and is due to inadequate or non-functional lymphatic vessels. Primary lymphedema present at birth is called congenital lymphedema. Lymphedema praecox evolves in adolescence or mid-life. Lymphedema tarda evolves late in life.

Secondary lymphedema is precipitated by an event causing blockage or interruption of the lymphatic vessels. In the United States the most common causes are surgery involving the lymph nodes, radiation therapy, trauma, and cancer. It is most often seen following surgery for cancer of the breast, pelvic area, and resections for lymphomas and melanomas.

Symptoms of Lymphedema

As lymphedema progresses, the involved areas swell more and more. Mobility can be severely impaired as the affected areas increase in girth. Joint movement is restricted and painful, and the skin over the involved areas becomes taut and dry. The subcutaneous tissues can become hard and fibrotic which impairs the flow of blood and oxygen to the area. This unhealthy state often leads to recurrent infections because the high protein lymph fluid is a good growth media for bacteria and fungi. These infections can be life threatening and may require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotic therapy.

Each subsequent infection can further damage the already impaired lymphatic system.

Taken from www.lymphedema-therapy.com