Limfedema

Limfedema – morbid condition at which there is an increase of hypostasis of soft tissues of the lower extremities or other struck areas. Development of hypostasis at a limfedema happens because of disturbance of outflow of liquid on absorbent vessels.

Allocate primary and secondary limfedema. Primary limfedema develops because of inborn pathology of absorbent vessels and is generally shown at children's age (80% of patients – children by age up to 18 years). In 94% of cases the inborn aplasia and a hypoplasia of absorbent vessels is the reasons of a limfedema of this type. In 6% of cases hereditary diseases are the reasons of a limfedema. Quite often transferring of severe injuries and childbirth are the reasons of a limfedema.

The secondary limfedema meets more often primary and is a consequence of infections, injuries, surgical intervention because of removal or injury of lymph nodes and burns. The secondary limfedema is expressed most brightly at a combination of difficulty of outflow of a lymph to disturbance of venous outflow.

Limfedema symptoms

The most common symptoms of a limfedema are weakness, feeling of pain and weight in the struck place and limitation of mobility of joints. Skin in the struck area becomes reinforced and pale color.

At an inborn limfedema of extremities defeat begins with distal departments (feet or brushes), then fingers begin to swell without serious consequences. In process of spread of a disease puffiness passes to feet, ankle joints, shins and hips (if upper extremities – on hands and radiocarpal joints are affected). Skin by the form begins to remind an orange-peel, and extremities become similar to columns.

The acquired limfedema of extremities initially strikes proximal departments of hands or legs one level lower from the injured lymph nodes (on hips or shoulders). Then puffiness extends also to distal departments of extremities.

Diagnosis of a limfedema

Diagnosing of a disease begins with external survey of the patient by the phlebologist, verification of data of the anamnesis and measurement of volume of the affected extremities. Then by means of a limfangiografiya assessment of a condition of small absorbent vessels which helps to define the nature of course of a disease is carried out, and by means of a limfostsintigrafiya dynamics of a disease is studied. The collateral, main and diffusion lymph drainage helps to reveal a full lymphostasis and to estimate a distributional pattern of isotopes. In addition to a limfangiografiya to carry out assessment of a lymph drainage and it is possible to define a condition of lymphatic system also by means of a computer tomography, duplex scanning and a magnetic and resonant tomography.

Treatment of a limfedema

Lack of organic changes of soft tissues allows to carry out treatment of a limfedema by means of conservative therapy which includes purpose of a course of physiotherapy exercises, a diet, physiotherapeutic and balneological procedures. For the purpose of reduction of volume hit extremities to patients appoint a variable hardware pneumocompression, lymphatic drainage massage and carrying a bandage.

At heavy course of a disease there is necessary a creation of bypass ways for a lymph drainage and reduction of volume of the affected limfedemy extremity, achievement of what requires surgical intervention. Surgical treatment of a limfedema can take place by means of carrying out operation on creation of a limfonodulovenozny anastomosis or direct limfovenozny anastomosis, and also partial or full excision of a fascia, hypodermic cellulose and skin with the subsequent carrying out plastics the split perforated skin rag.

Treatment of a limfedema folk remedies

It is possible to treat symptoms of a limfedema not only by methods of traditional medicine, but also folk remedies which need to be combined with a complex of physiotherapy exercises. Treatment of a limfedema folk remedies is performed by means of the following procedures:

• Wrapping clay the affected extremity. It is necessary for implementation of the procedure in the ratio one to two for the night to fill in clay with water, to remove impurity and lumps, to allow to infuse till the morning, and then to merge water. Before putting clay on an affected area it is necessary to rub mint oil in skin then a fabric napkin to wrap an extremity, to record a bandage bandage and to leave for 2-3 hours periodically moistening clay with a wet sponge;
• Use of potato, cucumber, beet or tomato compresses. The crushed crude potatoes (a cucumber, beet or tomato) need to be laid out on a gauze, to wrap it the affected extremity and to leave for one hour;
• Use of compresses from kefir and rye flour. In the ratio one to one needs to be filled in with boiled water rye flour and to allow to infuse for 20 min. Then the inflated flour needs to be mixed with fresh kefir, and to lay out the received weight on gauze napkins which are imposed on affected areas and are left for two hours.

Recipes of treatment of a limfedema folk remedies are:

• Dry or fresh hips need to be crushed to juice, to fill in with a glass of boiled water, and then in densely closed capacity to infuse broth two hours. To accept the received liquid on 10 times a day in number of 100-150 ml for two months;
• Two glasses of the crushed birch leaves need to be filled in with three liters of water and to boil half an hour. Ready broth needs to be filtered and added to it three more liters of cold water then to merge in a bucket to which the extremity will fall. Duration of acceptance of a medical bathtub should not exceed 40 minutes;
• One tablespoon of the crushed roots of dandelions needs to be filled in with boiled water halfliter, to cook five minutes on silent fire, for 15 minutes to insist, and then to filter. To accept ready liquid on 100 ml twice a day and to do half-hour compresses by means of a gauze bandage of it.