No virus directly causes lymphedema although some infections such as Lymphatic filariasis and cellulitis can cause lymphedema and even physical trauma and other health conditions such as obesity, heart disease and cancer treatments and cancer can sometimes result in lymphedema .
Lymphatic filariasis is caused by parasitic worms which are transmitted by mosquitoes and is a major global cause of lymphedema.
The worms with lymphatic filariasis can obstruct lymph flow and result in swelling called lymphedema as they live in the lymphatic system.
Even breast cancer is a common cause of secondary lymphedema, especially in developed countries.
The autoimmune diseases that cause lymphedema are Rheumatoid arthritis, Scleroderma, Lupus, Psoriatic arthritis, ALPS or Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative syndrome and Crohn's disease as well as ulcerative colitis.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases that can damage your lymphatic system and result in lymphedema in your legs or abdomen.
ALPS or autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which causes and overproduction of white blood cells, that can accumulate in your lymph nodes and cause lymphedema.
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritis that causes scaly skin lesions and joint inflammation and result in lymphedema and can affect the limbs and the trunk of the body.
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder which affects multiple organs, which includes your lymphatic system and can result in lymphedema that can occur in your legs, face or arms.
Scleroderma also known as systemic sclerosis is a disease that causes thickening and hardening of your skin and your connective tissues and can compress and obstruct your lymphatic vessels and contribute to lymphedema.
Rheumatoid arthritis is chronic inflammation in the joints can damage your lymphatic system and result in lymphedema.
The life expectancy of someone with lymphedema is a normal life expectancy in most cases as long as you manage the condition properly.
Although untreated or mismanaged lymphedema can also increase your risk of infections such as cellulitis, which can potentially shorten a persons lifespan.
Lymphedema is a lifelong condition in which lymph fluid builds up in your body tissues and causes swelling.
Lymphedema on it's own does not cause death and is not a fatal disease, although complications can occur with lymphedema if not managed properly and can result in infections such as cellulitis which can be very serious and even life threatening.
What you should not do with lymphedema in your legs are take hot baths, use saunas and steam rooms and don't do any excessive standing or sitting, or any heavy lifting or strenuous exercise.
And avoid tight clothing or tight jewelry.
Only do moderate exercise when you have lymphedema in your legs.
When you have lymphedema the lymphedema will hurt in the feet, legs, fingers and arms.
The warning signs of lymphedema are.
Swelling of part or all of the arm or leg, including fingers or toes.
A feeling of heaviness or tightness.
Restricted range of motion.
Recurring infections.
Hardening and thickening of the skin (fibrosis)
You should go to the ER for lymphedema as you can be at risk for serious infection and life threatening infections.
Lymphedema should be treated as an emergency.
You can be hospitalized for lymphedema if it gets worse and progresses to recurrent cellulitis.
The two types of lymphedema are primary and secondary lymphedema which have different causes.
Lymphedema can turn into lymphoma as lymphedema and lymphoma are linked.
The life expectancy from lymphedema is from 2 months to 2 years although some people live 5 years after lymphedema diagnosis.
The survival rate of lymphedema is 10 percent and 5 years with a survival rate of less than 10 percent with the average survival following diagnosis being 19 months.
A blood test can detect lymphedema by looking for a set of proteins that circulate in the blood and the levels of those protiens can trigger the presence of lymphedema.
A common test for lymphedema is a lymphoscintigram test where you're injected with a radioactive dye that can be tracked by a scanner; this shows how the dye moves through your lymphatic system and can check for any blockages. a MRI scan – a strong magnetic field and radio waves are used to produce detailed images of the inside of your body.
Lymphedema does sometimes come on suddenly although it may also come on and appear over time.
The causes of lymphedema to get worse are injuries, burns and skin infections.
Some ways you can get rid of lymphedema in your legs are to wear compression stockings, use compression bandages, massage the legs, walk, manual lymph drainage, exercises and sequential pneumatic compression.
You can massage away lymphedema by doing a lymphatic drainage massage which is safe treatment to relieve and treat lymphedema.
Things that can worsen lymphedema include injuries, burns and skin infections.
To stop lymphedema from progressing and getting worse you can do the following.
Protect your skin. One way to reduce your risk for lymphedema is to protect your skin.
Moisturize your skin. Keep your skin clean and moisturized to prevent chapping and chafing.
Avoid tight clothing.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Try manual lymphatic massage.
Lymphedema can be caused by stress as stress affects the lymphatic system.
And when you are stressed the cortisol which is a stress fighting hormone is released which leads to metabolic acidosis.
And the nature of cortisol's acidic nature causes a breakdown of the lymphoid tissue and impedes lymphatic flow.
The most common cause of lymphedema is cancer.
When cancer cells block the lymph vessels then lymphedema can result.
A tumor that grows near a lymph node or lymph vessel can enlarge enough in size and block the flow of lymph fluid leading to lymphedema.
The people who are most likely to get lymphedema include elderly people, people of advanced age, people who are overweight or obese and people who have Rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis.
Lymphedema is swelling due to build-up of lymph fluid in the body. Lymph nodes act like a drain in your sink.
If the drain is clogged, the fluid cannot drain.
The Lymphedema usually happens in the arms or legs, but can occur in other parts of the body.
Lymphedema occurs as a result of a blockage in the lymphatic system.
This is most often caused by a traumatic event, such as sports injuries or deep cuts and bruises, as an aftereffect of surgery or cancer treatment.
More rarely, lymphedema can occur as birth defect or symptom of infection.
There is no cure for lymphedema, but it is usually possible to control the main symptoms using techniques to minimize fluid build-up and stimulate the flow of fluid through the lymphatic system.
The warning signs of lymphedema include.
Feeling of tightness, heaviness or fullness.
Aching in the affected area.
Swelling that comes and goes or is more noticeable at the end of the day.
Clothing, shoes or jewellery feeling tighter than usual.
And not being able to fully move the affected limb.
Stage 1 is early edema, which improves with limb elevation.
Stage 2 represents pitting edema that does not resolve with elevation.
Stage 3 describes fibroadipose deposition and skin changes.
The severity of lymphedema is categorized as mild (<20% increase in extremity volume), moderate (20–40%), or severe (>40%).
There are three forms of hereditary lymphedema which are characterized by age of onset: type I (congenital or up to 2 years of age); type II (from 2 to 35 years of age) and lymphedema tarda (after 35 years of age).