You don’t notice the swelling at first. It’s just that your shoes seem tighter, your leggings more snug. Or maybe your rings don’t come off your fingers easily anymore. It might come and go. But when it stays, that gland or that limb becomes swollen, heavy, and painful or difficult to move or touch. The skin looks thick and dry, and it might have leaking blisters.
Chances are, you have lymphedema. The bad news: there’s no cure.
The good news: it’s manageable with lymphedema treatment in North Port.
For diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema or vein disease, you need to be evaluated by a professional. Our compassionate care team at Florida Lakes Vein Center offers minimally invasive treatment options to address venous disease and manage lymphedema. Contact us to schedule a consultation, or call 941.777.7771.
What is lymphedema?
When your body’s lymphatic system is in some way damaged or blocked, it can’t drain properly. This can cause chronic swelling, which is lymphedema. This permanent condition will worsen over time if it’s not managed and treated properly.
Though considered a disease, lymphedema isn’t contagious and isn’t spread person-to-person like a cold or other communicable diseases.
What does the lymphatic system do?
Your lymphatic system is part of your immune system. It consists of a series of organs, tissues, glands, and vessels that move lymph back into your bloodstream.
Lymph Helps Clean Out Your Body’s Leftovers
Lymph consists of a watery fluid your cells exude. It contains water, proteins, white blood cells, and chyle (fats/proteins from your intestines).
This system also destroys old or abnormal cells that no longer serve a purpose in your body. By returning these leaked products and/or byproducts back to your bloodstream, it helps to send them to your kidneys for cleansing and elimination.
Lymphatic Function for Protection
Removing these extra materials that your cells “leak” keeps those byproducts from causing infection. Your lymphatic system also maintains normal fluid levels throughout your body while absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins to (re)introduce into your bloodstream.
Lymph Nodes Fight Infection
Your lymph nodes perform two functions:
- Produce White Blood Cells. White blood cells are the part of your immune system that fight infection, attacking foreign bodies wherever they are.
- Filter Lymph Fluid. Your lymph nodes work as a lymph filter, eliminating waste.
Metabolization of Fats
Your lymphatic system includes capillaries in the villi of the small intestine. They absorb dietary fats there and transport them to your circulatory system (bloodstream) for use by your body’s cells.
Causes of Lymphedema
Lymphedema can happen at birth (congenital lymphedema), and it can be hereditary. However, only 1.5 out of every 100,000 children born in the USA will incur this disease.
More commonly, lymphedema occurs as a response to disease, cancer treatment, and other factors.
Lymphedema From Cancer
Cancer that affects the lymphatic system, as well as chemo and radiation treatments, are the leading collective causes of lymphedema.
Weakened/Poorly Functioning Lymphatic System
If your lymph nodes aren’t doing their job of filtering lymph, or your lymphatic system has become blocked and unable to drain, the lymph fluid backs up and causes swelling.
Lymphedema Caused by Vein Disease
Symptoms of varicose veins can overlap with symptoms of lymphedema, as the blood doesn’t circulate properly.
Related topic: Getting to know the vein clinic near you in Wellen Park.
Signs of Lymphedema
When you come to Florida Lakes Vein Center for lymphedema treatment in North Port, your provider will first check for these lymphedema signs and symptoms. They include:
- Swelling of part or all of the arm or leg, including fingers or toes.
- Swelling around lymph nodes.
- A feeling of heaviness or tightness in the area of concern.
- Leg heaviness/fatigue.
- Restless legs.
- Leg pain, aching, cramping, or throbbing.
- Restricted range of motion caused by swelling.
- Recurring infections.
- Hardening and thickening of the skin (fibrosis).
- Itching/burning skin.
- Blisters on the skin that can leak.
- Skin discoloration or texture changes.
- Open wounds or sores.
These signs and symptoms can range from being mild and almost unnoticeable to causing severe and restrictive issues. Lymphedema caused by cancer treatment may not occur until months or years after treatment.
Additional Lymphedema Risk Factors
Though not necessarily causative factors, these characteristics can contribute to the likelihood of developing lymphedema. They include:
- Older age
- Obesity/excess weight
- Rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis
- Lymph node removal surgery
- Lymphatic system damage
- Congestive heart failure
- Kidney disease
- Blood vessel issues
- Vein disease
Areas of the Body Affected by Lymphedema
Lymphedema symptoms can show up almost anywhere on your body—including the oral cavity. However, the most common areas affected by lymphedema include:
- Legs
- Arms
- Face
- Neck
- Abdomen
- Genitals
Types of Lymphedema
There are 2 types of lymphedema that receive lymphedema treatment in North Port.
Primary Lymphedema
Primary lymphedema is a rare condition where the body’s lymphatic vessels are absent or the lymphatic system is impaired, causing lymphatic fluid to build up. Genetics typically play a role in primary lymphedema.
Primary lymphedema can be further subdivided into 3 categories:
- Congenital lymphedema. Present at birth or arises by 2 years of age.
- Lymphedema praecox. Appears at puberty or the beginning of their 30s.
- Lymphedema tarda. Occurs after 35 years of age.
Primary lymphedema in total affects 1.5 out of 100,000 individuals, making it fairly rare.
Secondary Lymphedema
Though it’s called “secondary,” this is the most common form of lymphedema and receives lymphedema treatment most regularly. Secondary lymphedema can show up immediately or within years after a physical or medical injury or obstruction to your lymphatic system.
The most common cause of lymphedema worldwide is filariasis, caused by a parasitic infection of Wuchereria bancrofti. This nematode arrives through mosquito bites, usually in undeveloped countries.
In developed countries, most secondary lymphedema stems from a malignancy or treatments/therapies related to the malignancy. This includes cancer treatments, surgery to treat/remove lymph nodes, local radiation treatment, or other medical treatments/therapies.
Of the cancer-related causes of lymphedema, breast cancer is most commonly associated with secondary lymphedema. Secondary lymphedema is the most common cause of the disease and affects approximately 1 in 1000 Americans, including many who see us for lymphedema treatment in North Port.
Florida Lakes Vein Center Helps You Manage Lymphedema
Lymphedema doesn’t have a cure. Once it happens, it’s for life.
However, the condition can be managed with the help of a professional. Our care team can offer minimally invasive treatment options to address the swelling and skin issues, and also help your lymphatic system drain more readily.
Because the symptoms of lymphedema often overlap with those of vein disease, it’s important to get screened by a vein specialist. Request a free vein screening, followed by a personal consultation, so that we can create a customized plan to get you back to living your best life.
When you seek lymphedema treatment in North Port, our team goes to work immediately with you and for you.
Related topic: Meet your vein doctor in North Port.
Our Lymphedema Treatment Process
There are 3 steps to your treatment process at Florida Lakes Vein Center.
Step 1: Let’s Talk About the Issues
We begin your lymphedema treatment by getting to know you. Your vein specialist will sit down with you to thoroughly discuss your symptoms and your health history. It helps us better understand the background behind the potential causes of your lymphedema.
You’ll be asked relevant questions about whether or not you’ve ever had spider or varicose veins and what kind of symptoms you’ve experienced. We will also do a visual exam of the areas of concern, inspecting for prevailing symptoms.
Because lymphedema can be passed down through genetics, we’ll ask about your family history of venous insufficiency in addition to other risk-factor questions, like whether or not you sit or stand for long periods of time, smoke cigarettes, or engage in other behaviors that impact your likelihood of developing venous and/or lymphatic issues.
Based upon these findings, we can suggest further investigation and begin to map out your personalized management plan for lymphedema treatment in North Port.
Step 2: Taking a Deeper Look
After discussing the problems that brought you in, your provider will use ultrasound technology to view the soft tissue and blood vessels in your affected area. This advanced technology allows us to have a clear look at the problem area for a fast and accurate diagnosis, all without the need for invasive X-rays or other methods.
Now that we’ve got all the information available to us, recommendations will be made for management of the disease. As always, we’ll listen to you closely, paying attention to your needs and concerns, and working with you to achieve a solution that works best for your treatment and your lifestyle.
Step 3: Treatment and Follow-Up
Everyone’s lymphedema treatment in North Port will look different. Often, we’re able to move directly from your diagnosis into treatment, thanks to our minimally invasive and convenient treatment options.
Your Florida Lakes Vein Center provider will make sure you have a complete understanding of what to expect from your treatment. This includes the steps you need to take at home to promote effective management of this disease.
In-Center Treatments
Some of the treatments we do in-center include:
- Lymphatic Massage. This light-pressure massage stimulates contractions of your lymphatic vessels to help them drain the excess fluid.
- Wound Care. When lymphedema presents blisters, sores, or ulcers, our comprehensive wound care encourages faster, better healing.
- Education. You’ll need to learn about lifestyle changes and activities at home that will improve your lymphatic system’s drainage capabilities while reducing causative factors.
- Surgical Alternatives. Though this is our last choice, surgery may be recommended in more severe cases of lymphedema. Your Florida Lakes Vein Center provider will explain all the details, should this be considered a possible treatment.
At-Home Management
What you do at home greatly affects the success of the management of your lymphedema. Without making supportive efforts at home, your lymphedema will likely worsen rather than get better.
Any at-home regimen we recommend will be based on your needs and lifestyle. We will do everything in our power to supply instruction that causes the least disruption to your life. However, healthy and therapeutic choices will need to be made, including but not limited to:
- Exercise. We will help you design an exercise program that works for your abilities. Exercise and movement improve drainage.
- Diet. Your provider will help you look over your diet, target improvement areas, and make sure you understand what you need to address your lymphedema and improve your health.
- Clothing. Certain styles of clothing or other garments/gear can cause lymphedema to continue or worsen. We’ll help you weed out the possible issues.
- Compression devices. If a compression device is necessary, we’ll help you understand which ones will work and which ones won’t.
Because every patient is different, there may be more or less at-home action to be taken for your lymphedema treatment in North Port. As your partner in managing this disease, we’ll help you understand what to do so that you can get back to enjoying life.
Contact Us for Expert Lymphedema Treatment
In North Port, Wellen Park, and across the Lakes region, Florida Lakes Vein Center is renowned for excellence in vein care, including lymphedema treatment. Our experienced vein specialists have helped more than 10,000 patients. Contact us for an appointment, or call 941.777.7771, so that we can put our entire team to work for you.
About Florida Lakes Vein Center
As leaders in the field, we know how debilitating vein disease can be. It’s time your care came from physicians and specialists dedicated to ensuring your highest quality of life.
Visit Florida Lakes Vein Center in Wellen Park—”It’s a No Veiner!”
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