He lipedema is a progressive disease of fatty tissue which practically affects exclusively for women and which is characterized by an accumulation of pathological fat predominantly in the legs, especially in the area between the hips and knees, but also in the lower part. In some cases, When lipedema is in a more advanced degree, it also affects the patient's arms.
Although there is more and more talk about this disease, lipedema It is a very unknown pathology in Spain and in many other countries since, being an accumulation of fat, it has been confused with obesity in many patients and treated as such. But, without a doubt, the main mistake of this disease is to treat it as a about fat accumulation due to overweight, since lipedema cannot be solved with diet, physical activity or any other procedure to treat obesity in people.
Furthermore, another very common error in the treatment of this pathology is the fact of thinking that it only corresponds to an aesthetic problem, when it is not so. It is a disease that affects the health and quality of life of the patient who suffers from it, although many doctors are still unknown about the side effects of this problem.
What degrees does lipedema present?
As we mentioned, lipedema is not just an aesthetic problem, since it can even cause pain in patients who suffer from it, as well as difficulty when moving or bending the joints of the affected limbs. Furthermore, it not only constitutes problems on a physical level, but also psychologically The progression of this pathology can affect our self-esteem and security.
This disease occurs in different degrees depending on the areas of the body it is affecting.
- Grade I: In this first stage of the disease, lipedema occurs in the buttocks and thighs, although in most cases, it continues to advance towards other areas. During the first degree, the skin in these areas of the body is still still feels healthy to the touch and is usually related to weight gain, rather than lipedema.
- Grade II: When you have advanced to a second degree, lipedema occurs in the same areas as in the first degree but also affects the knees. To the touch, the skin of the diseased areas begins to become hard, and may present some indentations.
- Grade III: In this third degree, the disease has already spread throughout the patient's legs and lipedema progresses from the hips to the ankles. In any case, this pathology will never extend further below the ankles, that is, it will never affect the feet. In this state, The skin already presents clear indentations and irregularities.
- Grade IV: In this phrase, lipedema is in the most advanced state possible. In these cases, in addition to affecting all the areas mentioned above to other degrees, The problem has reached the arms. When this is the case, our lipedema skin will look visibly sick and it is likely that, at this point, the lymph nodes have been affected by fat accumulation.
How does this pathology affect our health?
As we have been able to read, depending on the state of the disease and how it progresses or passes from one degree to another, the symptoms will be different. However, there are symptoms that are common in all degrees, such as:
- Feeling of swelling and swelling in the areas that are beginning to be affected.
- Increased sensitivity to external stimuli such as heat, cold or physical contact.
- When we gently pinch the affected area, We feel a dull, sharp pain.
- Symptoms worsen when the woman is going through menstruation or when doing some physical activities that involve leg work, such as swimming.
- A disproportion begins to become visible in the affected areas with the rest of the body. When lipedema is very advanced, The body imbalance will be very evident.
- To the touch, the skin has indentations and imperfections in addition to feeling the hard lymphatic tissue. In some women it can be confused with cellulite, especially when it is in grade I.
In general, lipedema is a pathology that will progress and progressively affecting the state of women's health more and more. Therefore, it is important to detect and diagnose this problem in time. Currently, this disease It can be corrected with surgery and it will be important to detect it in time to avoid the slightest damage to the rest of our body health.
From Weigand Clinic We are specialized in the treatment of this disease. If you have questions or want to know more information about it, don't hesitate to put yourself in contact with us.
Tell us what you thought of this article, Rate (1 TO 5 STARS)
