{"id":20728,"date":"2021-04-28T14:12:18","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T14:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=20728"},"modified":"2021-11-05T15:23:28","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T15:23:28","slug":"14-frequent-signs-of-lipedema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-frequent-signs-of-lipedema\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Frequent Signs of Lipedema"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Lipedema is a condition that causes fat to accumulate abnormally in specific areas throughout the body. The fat that accumulates also has fluid swelling as well as other changes that can culminate in the development of lip-lymphedema. People who suffer from lipedema are often told that they are just overweight. At times lipedema patients are diagnosed with having a different condition called lymphedema. Lipedema is a distinct condition and not a trivial one. The condition is chronic and progressive and comes with health implications. To ease discomfort and to prevent the progression of the disease into more advanced stages, ongoing symptom management is essential. Lipedema is very common, but not very commonly known. There are some distinct signs that you might be suffering from lipedema and diagnosis is important.  Here are 14 frequent signs that sufferers of lipedema often have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Women Most Affected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lipedema <\/a>is often misdiagnosed because it shares similar symptoms to other diseases that cause a person to become overweight. If you are female, you are more likely to develop this disease. Lipedema may affect up to eleven percent of women. It is unknown why this disease occurs or what the main cause of the disease might be. Doctors think that hormones play a role in the development of this disease. Since it affects women at a much higher rate than men, it is thought that women\u2019s hormones might be one of the causes of the disease. Female hormones change as they age and this could cause issues within the body. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms on this list, it could be a sign that you have a hormone imbalance that could be the underlying cause. Make sure that you are familiar with the symptoms of lipedema so that a proper diagnosis can be made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Legs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most common symptom of lipedema is the legs that are large. In fact, many people who suffer from lipedema will have legs that are larger than the rest of the body. The legs might appear to be column-like. A woman may have a rather small upper half and then legs that appear large and fat<\/a>. If you notice that your legs are becoming quite large and the rest of your body is remaining the same, it could be a symptom of lipedema. It is important to discuss this issue with your doctor. There is a good chance that your doctor might state that you are overweight or that you have another condition. It is important to make sure that you are tested for lipedema as treatment early is important. If left untreated or improperly treated lipedema can cause many other health issues over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Arms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When lipedema starts to progress, the legs can become even larger. Your legs might start to feel very heavy and walking can become difficult as you struggle to move your legs. The lipidomic fat<\/a> can then move to other areas of the body. You might start to notice that your arms are becoming larger over time. This occurs as the disease spreads throughout the body. Once again it is important to make sure that you get the proper diagnosis from your doctor. You will want to make sure that you are checked for this disease as it can cause many more health problems as it continues to progress. Your doctor should be able to come up with a treatment plan if it is found that you are suffering from lipedema. If it starts to spread into your arms, you may also notice other symptoms occurring. Medical attention is important during this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Ankles and Feet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a person develops lipedema, the feet and ankles <\/a>are not affected by the disease. The fat will not accumulate near the ankles or the feet. While the legs will become bigger, the ankles and the feet will typically remain the same size. It is important to note that the feet or ankles might become swollen as a secondary symptom. In people who have lipedema, there is often a column of fat that is noticeable just above the ankles. This is a tell-tale sign that a person is suffering from this ailment. It is important to note that not all people will have the same symptoms and signs of lipedema. In fact, getting diagnosed with lipedema can be difficult as most of the time a doctor will consider other health issues instead of this disease. This is why you need to be familiar with the signs of this disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Symmetrical Fat Accumulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lipedema causes fat accumulation that typically is in the legs. This fat accumulation in the legs will be symmetrical. Both legs and sides of the body are going to be affected by this disease. This is just like normal fat accumulation. There is no pattern to the accumulation of fat. The legs may appear to look like columns in some people that are affected by this disease. Other people might have fat accumulation that causes their legs to appear lumpy. Deposits of fat can appear below the knees<\/a>. The disease can look different in everyone who is affected by it. The main thing to note is that the fat accumulation will typically start in the legs and might move to the arms. Having fatter legs is one of the most notable symptoms of this disease. The fat will typically look different, it may appear harder or be lumpy in appearance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Painful and Abnormal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fat accumulation that is caused by lipedema is different than normal fat accumulation. People who simply gain weight because of poor eating habits and poor health choices will not typically experience any type of pain from the fat that starts to accumulate as a result. A person suffering from lipedema will typically notice that the areas where fat has accumulated are tender to the touch and if you apply pressure bruises <\/a>will typically appear quite easily. The fat deposits can also be painful for no real reason. In addition, the skin surrounding the fat will often become less stretchy and not have as much of an elastic feeling as your normal skin does. If you are starting to gain weight and notice that when you touch certain areas where the fat is accumulating and have pain or tenderness, it could be a sign that you have lipedema and you need to discuss this with your doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Progressive Condition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lipedema is a condition that is progressive and not static. This means that you will not notice it one day and it goes away. In fact, most of the time it can be very hard to differentiate lipedema from average weight gain<\/a>, especially if the individual is overall healthy. A person will easily think that they are just starting to gain weight for one reason or another. However, as the disease progresses, subtle changes can occur. The fat accumulation will be specific and as mentioned, there might be pain in certain areas where the fat is being deposited. The weight gain will typically only occur in the legs, which is another sign that it is not your typical weight gain associated with age or eating poorly. This disease is somewhat tricky to diagnose because of this, but it is important to catch it as early as possible so that treatment can begin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Start of Symptoms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Often, the symptoms of lipedema will start at the beginning of puberty. This means that young girls are often affected by this condition. However, it might also start during pregnancy or when a woman enters menopause<\/a>. The condition might also appear during another life event that starts significant changes in your hormones. For this reason, it is thought that there is a correlation between the condition and hormonal changes. This is not surprising when you consider the role that the female hormones estrogen and progesterone play when it comes to fat deposition. Fat cells all have estrogen receptors that will bind the estrogen to them and then the estrogen will direct the behavior of the cell. Women who have thyroid issues might be more at risk to develop this condition as well. This is because the thyroid is responsible for many hormones, and if there is something wrong with the thyroid it can change the way the body reacts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Blood Flow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the ways that the condition progresses is through weight gain. Fat is made of cells that need a lot of blood flow. Fat cells will synthesize, store, and finally metabolize fat. When weight is gained, the cells do not multiply, but rather grow in size. Fat cells play an important role in maintaining the balance of carbohydrates and fats found in the blood. There are many blood capillaries that feed them. There are more blood capillaries<\/a> that feed fat cells than those that feed muscles. For this reason, there is a large amount of fluid that occurs through fat. When blood flow is restricted or slowed down, it affects these cells. As the disease progresses and the fat cells become larger, it can slow down the flow of blood. This can cause many other health issues as a result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, fat cells need fluid. The fat cells need to maintain fluid balance. When this does not occur, swelling <\/a>can occur. As fluid is entering the fat cells it has to be removed through the veins and through the lymphatic system. All of these systems work together in order to remove the fluid that accumulates. When there is a breakdown in the system, it can cause fluid to accumulate in different areas of the body. When fluid accumulates in the body it can cause a person to experience swelling. This swelling might be in the hands, feet, face, or abdominal area. Swelling in the body can cause damage to the lymphatic system as well as other organs in the body. A person that is suffering from lipedema might also end up with lymphatic damage resulting in lymphedema. This can cause a number of health issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Fluid Circulation <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients with lipedema typically have abnormal fluid circulation, which causes swelling. Blood vessels<\/a> in people with this condition appear to be leaky and fragile. This points to fat tissue in patients with lipedema being more prone to fluid accumulation. Additionally, people suffering from this condition will often have less elasticity in their skin. This is a result of extra tension in the skin that would put more pressure on the tissue underneath. This pressure can cause more issues with fluid retention. Essentially, the condition causes a vicious cycle where the fat cells are trying to get rid of fluid, but they cannot function in the way that they are supposed to. As they cannot rid the body of the fluids, they still are growing and becoming more inefficient as time goes on. This can become quite problematic over time. If the fluid builds up in the abdomen or near the other organs, it can cause many health issues and difficulties.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Stemmer\u2019s Sign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stemmer’s sign is a test that can be done to see if you might be suffering from lipedema. During stage one of lipedema, swelling as well as fibrotic tissue<\/a> is not found in the feet. To perform the test you will simply pinch and lift the skin located on the top of your toes. The skin is close to the toes attached to the foot. If you can move this skin, you are likely still in stage one of the condition if you have some of the other symptoms. If the skin feels hard and cannot be separated, it is often a sign of the progression of the disease and is also a sign that a person might be suffering from lymphedema that is affecting the feet. This is something that your doctor might look for if you are having some of the symptoms of lipedema. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Fatty Nodes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person who has progressed to stage two of lipedema may start to notice fatty nodes in their body. In the area that is affected, there are often lumps <\/a>of fat that are the size of your fist. Instead of fast appearing and feeling smooth, the nodules are now easy to feel. The skin will appear uneven. In fact, your skin might look like it is textured. Often, the skin will also become discolored during this stage of the condition. A person who is in the second stage of the illness will also have all of the symptoms of the first stage. Swelling might become more prominent as there is more damage being done to the body during this stage. The condition will continue to progress if proper diagnoses and treatment are not started as soon as possible. Seeking medical help during this time is extremely important.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Stage Three Symptoms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Advanced stages of lipedema can take many years to develop. One estimate suggests that it can take up to seventeen years for stage three to occur. During this stage of the condition, a person will have skin <\/a>that is thick and hardened. The legs will not be symmetrical any longer as there will be large lumps of fat that are deformed. This can impede movement as walking becomes difficult because of the shapes the legs take on. During this stage, lymphedema will be present. The Stemmer\u2019s sign test will be positive as the feet and ankles are typically swollen. This indicates that fluid has gathered as a result of lymphatic insufficiency. If the disease gets to this point a person will likely experience a lot of pain and will typically have several other health issues as a result of the condition as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Diagnosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, even though lipedema affects nearly eleven percent of women, it is not often diagnosed correctly. The reason for this is because an understanding of the disease is still very limited. Often, lipedema is diagnosed as simply obesity<\/a>. It is also often confused with primary lymphedema. . The fact that there are no standard diagnostic tests or protocols to help diagnose this condition does not help either. The best thing that you can do is understand the symptoms of the disease and if you think that you are suffering from the condition, discuss it with your primary care physician. Your doctor should be able to conduct a physical test to determine whether or not you are suffering from lipedema. Self-diagnosis can be helpful and you will want to keep track of your symptoms and get a family history to see if anyone else suffers from the condition. This can help ensure that you get a correct diagnosis if this is what you are suffering from.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lipedema is a condition that causes fat to accumulate abnormally in specific areas throughout the body. The fat that accumulates also has fluid swelling as well as other changes that can culminate in the development of lip-lymphedema. People who suffer from lipedema are often told that they are just overweight. At times lipedema patients are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n14 Frequent Signs of Lipedema<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-frequent-signs-of-lipedema\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-frequent-signs-of-lipedema\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"14 Frequent Signs of Lipedema\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lipedema is a condition that causes fat to accumulate abnormally in specific areas throughout the body. 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