Is Lymphedema a Vascular Problem?

Your vascular system plays a key role in your health, but it is not the only system in your body that you should keep an eye on. The lymphatic system in your body acts as the waste disposal system between your cells and your vascular system. Changes to your lymphatic system can play a just as important role in your daily health without you realizing it.

What is Lymphedema?

Your lymphatic system filters out toxins, proteins, and excess fluid from the cells in your body to return it to your bloodstream. When your lymphatic system begins to lose its function, it can cause fluid to build up in different areas of your body and create swelling. This is a chronic condition known as lymphedema.

Although it is most common that your legs and arms are affected by lymphedema, you may notice other parts of your body have been affected. Wherever your lymphedema manifests in your body will create a higher risk of infection in the area.

Causes of Lymphedema

There are several factors that can cause you to develop lymphedema, including:

• Obesity
• Trauma
• Low activity levels
• Infection
• Heart conditions
• Blood vessel issues
• Tumors
• Kidney disease
• Breast cancer surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Pelvic surgery

You can be diagnosed with either primary or secondary lymphedema based on how you developed the condition.

Primary Lymphedema

Primary lymphedema is rare because it comes from genetically inherited conditions. Only 1 in 100,000 people in the United States experience primary lymphedema. Your genetics can affect how your lymphatic system develops during your life. Examples of primary lymphedema conditions include:

• Milroy’s disease
• Lymphedema praecox (Meige’s disease)
• Lymphedema tarda

Secondary Lymphedema

When you undergo radiation therapy, surgery, or physical trauma, your lymphatic system can become damaged and you can develop secondary lymphedema. Secondary Lymphedema is commonly found in people who have gone through breast cancer treatments, although it is not guaranteed that everyone who receives breast cancer treatment develops lymphedema.

Lymphedema Symptoms

Symptoms of lymphedema can show up gradually or suddenly, so you need to make sure you are conscious of your body and any changes that may indicate lymphedema. You should monitor for symptoms such as:

• Swelling in your arms, legs, or other body parts
• Puffy or red skin
• Tight or inflexible joints
• Heaviness in your arms legs, or other body parts
• Burning or itching sensation
• Difference in size from one limb compared to another
• Veins or tendons not visible on your hands and feet
• Clothes or jewelry fitting tighter than usual
• Thickening of the skin

If you notice any of these symptoms, make sure to talk to your healthcare provider. They will guide you through diagnosis and treatment options.

Stages

There are four distinct stages of lymphedema that your doctor can diagnose you with. Let’s dive into each stage and its characteristics.

Stage 0: Latent or Subclinical

During this stage, lymphedema cannot be visually seen as with later stages. Although there is no visual representation of the condition yet, you still have lymphatic damage. This can cause a difference in sensation in the area such as tingling, tightness, or a slight heaviness around the damaged area. Since there is no visual representation, it is common for stage 0 lymphedema to go months or years without diagnosis.

Stage 1: Early or Mild

Once the swelling begins to appear, you enter into stage one lymphedema. When you press your finger into the swollen area, a small dent forms temporarily where your finger was. At this stage, the damage is not permanent to any underlying tissues or your skin, and your symptoms may ease with elevation.

Stage 2: Moderate

Stage two lymphedema is when it becomes irreversible. Tissue has started to become damaged, causing it to thicken, harden, or become inflamed. As a result of this damage, you will present with visible swelling with pitting. At this stage you are also at a higher risk of infection due to the damage, and elevating the limb does not alleviate the symptoms anymore.

Stage 3: Severe

Similar to stage three, there is a higher risk of infection with stage four. However, this stage is more advanced than stage three with the affected area becoming large and misshapen. The damage to your tissues causes the skin to thicken and harden to the point where pitting is no longer evident and lymph fluid begins to leak through the damaged tissue.

Connecting Lymphedema and Vein Disease

Now that you understand what lymphedema is and the symptoms and causes, let’s dive into how lymphedema and vein disease interact.

Understanding Vein Disease

Venous diseases affect the veins in your body differently based on which condition you have. Examples of venous diseases include:

• Varicose and spider veins
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Blood clots
• Venous ulcers
• Superficial thrombophlebitis
• Arteriovenous fistulas

All of these conditions can affect the way your blood flows through your veins. As a result, many of these conditions can have similar symptoms to lymphedema such as heaviness, swelling, itching or burning sensations, and redness on your skin. Venous diseases can occur due to high blood pressure, aging, pregnancy, injury, birth defects, and even other venous diseases.

One particular venous disease can cause additional strain on your lymphatic system: chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

With chronic venous insufficiency, the veins in your legs have difficulty sending your blood back up to your heart because your blood vessels have become weak or damaged. This causes the blood to pool in your legs and create swelling, leg pain, skin discoloration, varicose veins, and heaviness.

How Does Chronic Venous Insufficiency Cause Lymphedema?

Symptoms from chronic venous insufficiency affect more than just your veins. The blood that pools in your legs creates swelling that increases the pressure on other tissues in your legs, including your lymphatic system.

With the excess fluid buildup from CVI, your lymphatic system starts to work overtime to try and remove the excess fluid. Once your lymphatic system is completely overworked, you’ll develop lymphedema and the swelling will continue to worsen.

In return, lymphedema can make venous conditions worse. The swelling from lymphedema can impair blood flow by compressing the veins further. This results in a vicious cycle where each condition makes it harder for one system to function properly, gradually making each system to function worse. Symptoms from both conditions will become more severe over time, creating more discomfort as time goes on.

With both your venous system and lymphatic system compromised, you can experience additional symptoms such as skin damage, ulcers, and infections. If your lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency go untreated, there can be severe complications such as chronic leg wounds.

Who is at Risk?

Depending on your health conditions and procedures you’ve had, you could be at risk for developing lymphedema. Let’s look at the different groups that are considered to be primary risk groups for lymphedema.

• Cancer Survivors: Radiation and surgery can cause damage to your lymphatic system during cancer treatment. With breast cancer, it is possible that lymph nodes might be removed during surgery.
• Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency: As previously mentioned. Chronic venous insufficiency can create more swelling, causing or exacerbating lymphedema.
• Obese People: Extra weight can create more pressure on your lymphatic system and increase the risk of lymphedema.
• Post-surgical Patients: Especially with surgeries focused on removing lymph nodes or repairing vessel damage, there is a chance of creating more damage to the lymphatic system.

Influencing Factors

Outside of specific groups that are at risk, there are specific health factors that can play a role in developing lymphedema, such as:

• Genetics: Primary lymphedema can be passed down through genetics, so if your family has a history of lymphedema you are at higher risk.
• Infections: Infections can go deeper than your skin and cause damage to your lymphatic system.
• Sedentary Lifestyle: Staying active helps circulate your blood through your body, so sitting at a desk all day or lounging on the couch at home can reduce your circulation and contribute to lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency.

Treatment at VeinSolutions Flint

If you have lymphedema, contact us at Vein Solutions Flint. Our doctors are dedicated to helping you manage your swelling and preventing new symptoms from developing.

For more information about chronic vein insufficiency treatment options at Vein Solutions, visit our website. While there, you can also learn more about our providers and read patient testimonies.

If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency, schedule a vascular health screening with Vein Solutions Flint. Let our vascular experts help you get back to feeling healthy and confident with your legs!