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Click on one of the following links:Lymphedema • Treatment • Preventative Measures
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An estimated 2.5 million people in the United States suffer from lymphedema, a condition caused by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the body that causes swelling in the arms or legs. Lymph, a clear fluid that develops in tissue spaces throughout the body, is part of the circulatory system of veins and arteries and accumulates as a result of trauma to the lymph nodes.
Edema, or swelling, occurs when venous and/or lymphatic vessels become restricted and fluid cannot flow freely through them. Lymphedema most often causes a feeling of heaviness, slight discomfort, cosmetic deformity and repeated episodes of infection, such as cellulitis.
If left untreated, lymphedema can lead to the hardening of underlying soft tissue (fibrosis) and overall bulkiness in the arms or legs. It also reduces the level of oxygen flowing to the tissue which interferes with wound healing.
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There are two different types of lymphedema: primary and secondary.
Primary Lymphedema may occur:- without any obvious cause
- in newborn babies, known as lymphedema Praecox
- later in life, after age 35, known as lymphedema Tarda
Secondary Lymphedema may occur:- as a result of injury, scarring or excision of lymph nodes
- as a result of radiation and/or surgery on the lymph nodes
- either immediately following surgery or several years later
- after a traumatic injury to a person who has undergone cancer treatment
- in breast, gynecological, testicular, bladder, colon, prostate or skin cancer survivors
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