Lipoedema is a disease that causes fat to accumulate in the lower part of the body; usually, only women suffer from it, although in some cases men also suffer from it. Those affected by it cannot practically lose adipose tissue from the lower limbs, even if they can lose weight in the trunk; the legs are also more prone to bruising and are painful to touch.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting a Diagnosis
Step 1. Contact your doctor
The only way to diagnose the disease is to have an examination. If your family doctor is not knowledgeable enough in this area, you can go to a specialist who examines the situation to determine if you actually suffer from this disorder or if it is some other disease involving adipose tissue.
Some people feel uncomfortable discussing their symptoms with their doctor; instead you must remember that you have no reason to feel embarrassed and if it is really lipedema, the sooner it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat it
Step 2. Know the stages of the disease
Like many other pathologies or disorders, lipedema is also treated more easily if it is detected early; the disease has four stages.
- During the first one, the skin is still smooth and can swell during the day, but it returns to its natural state when you rest; at this stage the disease responds well to treatments.
- In the second stage, indentations and fatty lumps (lipomas) may develop on the skin; you may have eczema or skin infections, known as erysipelas. The swelling is still present during the day, but it hardly disappears completely, even when you rest or lift your legs; even in this phase of the disease the body reacts well to the treatments.
- During the third stage, you may notice a hardening of the connective tissue. It is very difficult for the swelling to go away, regardless of whether you are resting or have your legs raised; you may also notice some dangling skin. It is still possible to treat the disease, but the results may be less satisfactory.
- In the fourth and final stage you notice an aggravation of the symptoms of the third stage. When the disease reaches this level it is defined by experts as lipo-lymphedema; just like in the third phase, it is always worth trying a therapeutic approach, but the body does not always respond positively to some treatments.
Step 3. Know what your doctor is looking for
The best way to diagnose the disease is through a visual inspection of the affected area. The doctor can touch the skin in search of the nodules that characterize this pathology; it may also ask you whether or not you are in pain and when the swelling increases or decreases.
To date, there are still no blood tests to diagnose lipedema
Part 2 of 3: Know the Symptoms
Step 1. Pay attention to swelling in the legs
This is the most common and most obvious symptom; generally, it affects both lower limbs and can also affect the thighs and buttocks. This may be gradual swelling or you may have a really noticeable difference between the upper and lower halves of the body.
For example, some people with lipoedema are very thin from the waist up and are disproportionately large in the lower area
Step 2. Note that the feet are often the "normal" size
The swelling can be isolated in the legs and stop at the ankles, making them similar to columns.
Keep in mind that the symptoms are not always exactly the same; an entire leg may not be swollen at all, or you may experience swelling from the ankles to the hips. Some people only have a small pocket of fat just above their ankles
Step 3. Be aware that the upper arms can also be damaged
Although most patients only experience symptoms in the lower body area, it is sometimes possible to have signs of the disease in the upper limbs as well; in this case, the fat is similar to that which develops in the lower limbs, meaning that you can have an equal accumulation of fatty tissue in both arms.
Fat can give the arms a columnar appearance that stops abruptly at the elbows or wrists
Step 4. Check if the skin is cold to the touch
People with lipedema report that the affected areas are cold and soft, similar to bread dough.
They may also be painful to the touch, and you may find that the skin is very susceptible to swelling
Part 3 of 3: Knowing the Causes
Step 1. Be aware that the causes of the disease are not yet fully known
Although there are some suspicions, doctors still do not know for sure what the origin of lipoedema is; Unfortunately, however, without a certain etiology it becomes difficult to find the right treatments.
Provide your doctor with as much information as possible about your health and family history to help him determine the possible causes and, consequently, treatments
Step 2. Learn about possible hereditary factors
In many cases, the disease appears to be due to genetic components; this is because a person affected by lipoedema sometimes has other family members who suffer from the same problem.
For example, if you have been diagnosed with this condition, it is quite likely that one of your parents has the same disorder
Step 3. Evaluate hormonal changes
Many doctors believe that this could be a possible cause, especially since it is a disease that affects women most often and develops very often during the phases of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause.
