Symptoms of Lymphedema
Lymphedema symptoms mainly present themselves in the affected limbs (1). There are a multitude of signs and symptoms ranging from mild, not visually noticeable to severe, noticeable changes to limb appearances and extremely debilitating.
Symptoms (1,2)
1. Swelling in all or parts of affected arms, legs, fingers, toes
3. Restricted range of motion
5. Major mental impacts, decreased mental health
7. Suppressed immune system
2. Localized pain, aching and discomfort
4. Recurring infections
6. Fatigue
8. Skin Rash
Interactive Symptoms Figure
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Reduced range of motion in arms and legs specifically the elbows, shoulders, and knees occurs with lymphedema (1)
Lymphedema can cause mental health illnesses or mental health challenges to an individual (1)
Lymphedema causes major swelling in limbs, such as arms and legs (1)
Pain and discomfort in major limbs, such as arms and legs is a frequent symptom of lymphedema (1)
When to contact a doctor?
Contact your doctor if persistent swelling and discomfort is observed in arms and or legs and if any additional symptoms occur (2).
References
(1) Kayiran, O., De La Cruz, C., Tane, K., Soran, A. (2017). Lymphedema: from Diagnosis to Treatment: Turk J Surg, 33 (2): 51-57. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5508242/
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This article outlines the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options for lymphedema. This article highlights the differences between primary and secondary lymphedema. Various diagnostic methods regarding the staging of this condition have been explained in detail such as magnetic resonance lymphangiography. Other non-imaging and non-invasive diagnostic methods such as tape measurement, water displacement and skin evaluation were also explained.
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(2) Manrique, O. J., Bustos, S. S., Ciudad, P., Adabi, K., Chen, W. F., Forte, A. J., Cheville, A. L., Jakub, J. W., McLaughlin, S. A., & Chen, H. C. (2020). Overview of Lymphedema for Physicians and Other Clinicians: A Review of Fundamental Concepts. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 0(0): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.01.006
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This article outlines the four lymphedema stages and explains in detail the cause, symptoms, and treatments of each stage. Along with the stage symptoms this article outlines many other symptoms that occur in individuals living with lymphedema.