Venous Insufficiency and Veno-Lipo-Lymphedema: The symptoms of Lipedema and venous insufficiency are similar. They both cause heaviness, tenderness, fatigue, and swelling. They often both have discoloration in the shins, easy bruising, and prominent veins.
Check if you have lipoedema
In early-stage lipoedema, you may have heavy legs, a narrow waist and a much smaller upper body. You may have a large bottom, thighs and lower legs, but your feet will usually be unaffected. Sometimes lipoedema can affect the arms too, but the hands are not usually affected.
Fatigue and swelling were common in both groups. Easy bruising was more common in the Lipedema Group, whereas abdominal pain, shortness of breath, fibromyalgia, migraines and lipomas were more prevalent in the DD Group.
The primary difference between lipedema vs lymphedema is that the former is characterized by an accumulation of fatty tissue in the affected areas, whereas lymphoedema is caused by an accumulation of lymph fluid in these tissues.
Lipedema requires a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there is no standardized test such as bloodwork or imaging that can confirm the presence of Lipedema.
A simple pinch test can often tell you whether you have lipedema. To do this, pinch the skin lightly in the areas of the body that may be affected. If you experience disproportionate pain, you may suspect lipedema.
Symptoms of lipedema include: Fat build-up in buttocks, thighs, calves, and sometimes the upper arms. Diuretics, elevating your legs and support stockings do not help the affected areas. There is typically no swelling in feet, or hands unless the patient has chronic venous insufficiency or lymphedema.
A Venous Doppler Ultrasound is a very useful test for the diagnosis of Lipedema. Lipedema has many similarities to venous insufficiency (as explained above), so this can help rule out or confirm venous insufficiency.
Lipedema is a painful fat disorder which predominantly affects women and develops during times of hormonal fluctuation including, but not limited to, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause [1,6].
Pressure on the legs can cause significant pain making it uncomfortable for lipedema patients to get massages of the legs or wear compression stockings. Hormonal fluctuations, like menstrual cycles, can worsen symptoms. Some people with lipedema also have vein disease which can complicate their condition and treatment.
Dercum's disease is a rare disorder that causes painful growths of fatty tissue called lipomas. It's also referred to as adiposis dolorosa.
Definition and clinical picture
The associated symptoms in Dercum's disease include fatty deposits, easy bruisability, sleep disturbances, impaired memory, depression, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, diabetes, bloating, constipation, fatigue, weakness and joint aches.
Computed tomography and MRI images in patients with lipedema, on the other hand, typically demonstrate diffuse fatty hypertrophy throughout the bilateral lower extremities without skin abnormalities (Figure 4).
The tissue tenderness that is characteristic of lipedema can be checked with the pinch test, which is often felt as very unpleasant in the affected areas but causes no pain elsewhere.
The main symptom of lipedema is a buildup of fat in the arms and legs. Other symptoms include pain, swelling, loose skin, and easy bruising. The texture of fat beneath the skin can feel like peas, rice, or walnuts. Symptoms often begin at times of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
The high prevalence of hypothyroidism in lipedema patients could be related to the frequently observed lipedema-associated obesity. The low prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension appears to be a specific characteristic distinguishing lipedema from lifestyle-induced obesity.
Lipedema is a severe chronic adipose tissue disorder that affects women worldwide. Although the pathophysiology of the disease has not been fully elucidated, several lines of evidence have suggested estrogen dysfunction may be central to the development of lipedema.
It is recommended that lipedema patient who are deficient in Vitamin D take up to 4 times the Recommended Daily Allowance, or RDA. Selenium: A supplement that can aid with your daily metabolism is Selenium. It has been known to help reduce swelling that is often painful and continuous for those with lipedema.
Lipoedema (Painful Fat Syndrome) is a progressive condition that affects many women. Lipoedema is a genetic fat disorder that affects 11% of Australian women with various presentations. There is no simple blood test or scan to diagnose Lipoedema, so the diagnosis is made by history and physical examination.
Your general practitioner (GP) or an experienced nurse is likely to be your first contact person when you notice any signs or symptoms of lipoedema. Your HCP will carry out a medical examination of your body, including your skin and soft tissues, and the function of the arteries and veins.
Lymphatic massage is proven to help lymphedema and lipedema with secondary lymphedema. There are many different deep tissue massage techniques, but they rely on greater pressure focused on tissues below the superficial lymphatics.
Liposuction is the only treatment available to lipedema patients that eliminates the troublesome fat deposits from the legs, hips, buttocks, stomach, and/or arms. Liposuction enables doctors to improve the look of the legs and restore better mobility for the long-term.
There is currently no cure for lipedema. However, patients can slow down its progression with surgical treatments like liposuction to remove painful subcutaneous fat buildup, as well as nonsurgical options like massage therapy, compression garments, healthy dietary choices, and remaining active.
If left undiagnosed, it leads to more risk of health concerns and in most cases, emotional issues. Although Lipedema starts off as a cosmetic concern for women, if left untreated, it can have life-threatening consequences. Affecting up to 11% of women, Lipedema becomes a painful and, in some cases, crippling disorder.