Lipedema- Uneven Fat Distribution.

One thing many Africans (my people), celebrate greatly are women who are thick in appropriate places, as we like to call it. However, there is now a greater level of awareness about the danger associated with gathering excessive fat and a good number of women are consistently hitting the gym and following other health routine that will help them shed excessive fat. Lipedema, is having the distribution of fat below the skin in an irregular manner, particularly affecting the legs, thigh and the buttocks.

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The major cause of lipedema is not known yet, but it could be inherited, even if, lipedema is common amongst those who are obese/overweight, it is not caused by obesity. Since the condition may be hereditary, it gets assigned at birth, then it begins to get worse from the age of puberty, from the occurrence of pregnancy or even menopause.

To identify the presence of lipedema, there are clear symptoms to show;

A column like legs, where the top half of the body is smaller compared with the leg, as time goes on, fat may begin to accumulate in the arm region.
The lower body feels heavy.
Pain felt in regions where there is accumulated fat.
A worse case of lipedema, begins to affect the ability to walk.
Emotional symptoms like embarrassment, anxiousness as well as a feeling of depression, when the lower parts of the body keeps increasing.
Continuous fat accumulation begins to block the lymphatic pathway, creating a fluid build-up called lymph.

Lipedema is divided into three stages and four types, depending on the severity of the pain and the physical condition of the affected region.
1st stage of Lipedema has a smooth skin surface, with a thickened fat tissue and a finely nodular fat structure.

2nd stage of Lipedema has an uneven skin surface with dents, fat structures and bumps that are coarse-knotted.

3rd stage of Lipedema has a more hard and coarse tissue, with a formation of large-lobed pocket form.

The types of Lipedema are;
Type 1: The extra fat is situated majorly around the hips and the buttocks.

Type 2: The excessive fat has spread to the knees at this point.

Type 3: The excessive fat, at this point, has spread from the hips to the ankles.

Type 4: The Lipedema at this point has started to affect the arm, leaving out the wrist.

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The condition is rare in men as it affects women greatly, it can be a very painful experience, the affected region may as well be tender causing easy bruising in those regions.

There are no permanent medical cure for lipedema yet, but the available treatment options are;

Manual lymphatic drainage: This is a method of massage where a gentle, rhythmic pumping method is used for the stimulation of lymph flow around blocked regions to the place of healthy vessels, where it can be drained into the venous system, this massage helps to relieve pain on a great level, it also helps prevent fibrosis.
Compression: This method makes use of stretch bandages and other items like panties, custom-fitted pantyhose, spandex shorts to increase tissue pressure on the swollen legs, this method also lessens the odds of fluid building up again.
Healthy diet: With the intake of healthy fats, the process of fat deposit may be reduced.
Exercise: A regular exercise routine like swimming, walking and biking helps with the reduction of fluid buildup, it boosts mobility, it also improves the functional ability of the legs.
Liposuction: Lipedema fat can be treated with liposuction, specifically water-assisted form of liposuction, and tumescent liposuction. The procedure is done through the use of a hollow tube placed under the skin to help suction the fat tissue, in some cases of using liposuction as a treatment option, several sessions may be carried out depending on the level of abnormal fat present in the specified regions. When there is a case of combined lipedema and obesity, bariatric surgery would be recommended.

Note that, not all cases of swollen legs are lepedema, as there are other conditions that can cause swollen or large legs. When there is a build up of fluid in the body, particularly in the leg region, there is a high chance of having swollen legs.

Obesity is another reason for having a swollen leg and imbalanced body.

Chronic venous insufficiency is the absence of fat and the presence of fluid, also causing swollen legs, this one also comes with an itchy skin with a brownish discoloration.

Lymphoedema, is a very similar condition to lepedema, and they are always confused one for another, however they are really different. The noticed symptoms of lymphoedema are;

The feets or the hands are affected.
The level of swelling is irregular once both legs or both arms are affected, in this case one limb is more swollen than the other limb.
The swelling is created by fluid build up in the lymphatic system.
Lymphoedema has an increased risk of infection.

Conclusion.

Excessive fat is extremely dangerous to the body, there are lots of women who have advanced in age and are no longer able to walk properly due to the excessive fat, particularly in the leg region. It is important for us to get through exercise routine and a healthy diet, in order to avoid health complications and cases of lipedema.