Increasing Lipedema Awareness – How Many Women Could Be Affected?
Although lipedema awareness is growing year-on-year, there is still a lot of misinformation out there about this condition. Even medical professionals still lack understanding of the nature of this condition and how to treat it. The scale of the problem is also generally underestimated. Unfortunately, there are still many sufferers who remain unaware that they have lipedema. Those individuals struggle with emotional, physical, and mental health problems due to their condition. Gaining a better understanding and awareness is vital to improve outcomes for sufferers.
The Extent of the Problem
At the present time, there is no definite answer to how many people are affected around the world. Usually, though, lipedema only occurs in women. Experts suggest up to 11% of women worldwide could have lipedema.
As most sufferers are female, experts believe lipedema’s cause is hormonal. It tends to arise and worsen during times of hormonal change. These include puberty, menopause, pregnancy, and after gynecological surgery. Lipedema may also have a genetic link. Studies show that people who have a sufferer as a close family member have a high chance of suffering, too.
While some men suffer from lipedema, these cases are very rare. They also appear to have hormonal links.
Also Read – Can I Cure Lipedema With Diet and Exercise?
Do I Have Lipedema?
There are certain signs that indicate you may suffer from lipedema. These can be hard to spot at the early stages of the disease. As it progresses over time, they become more noticeable and problematic.
The key symptoms of lipedema include:
- Having a larger lower body than upper body (often by several sizes)
- Symmetrical swelling of the lower limbs
- The arms may be affected
- Pain and tenderness to the touch in affected areas
- Easy bruising of the affected areas
- An unusual skin texture that feels like peas or grains of rice below the surface
The Difference Between Obesity and Lipedema
Many women with lipedema receive an incorrect diagnosis of obesity from their doctors. Both conditions share some similarities. They are, however, very different. Obesity is more common than lipedema, with around 18.5% of women having this condition.
Lipedema fat and regular fat have a different composition. Lipedema fat is more fibrous and tough. It also contains nodules. These aren’t found in regular fat. Lipedema fat remains unaffected by healthy eating and regular exercise. Meanwhile, those with obesity reduce in size following positive lifestyle changes.
Obesity usually affects the entire body, whereas lipedema usually only affects the lower body and occasionally the arms. Sufferers may have a lower body that is several sizes larger than their upper body. Lipedema sufferers may even be underweight, with an extremely small upper body. Nevertheless, their legs will be noticeably disproportionate in size.
Lipedema only gets worse over time, whereas obesity can stay the same for many years. Obesity may improve following lifestyle changes but then worsen again once the individual stops working out and eating well. That won’t happen with lipedema since it only continues to progress.
Awareness of Lipedema Treatments
Even if sufferers are able to receive a diagnosis, they often remain unaware of the range of treatments available. In many cases, doctors only recommend non-surgical options. These conservative treatments include making lifestyle changes such as taking more gentle exercise and eating healthily. They also involve having MLD massages (manual lymphatic drainage) and wearing compression garments almost all the time.
These treatments can help to relieve the symptoms, but any relief is temporary. As they only address the symptoms and not the cause, lipedema continues to progress and worsen. Surgery is a far better option. That is because it addresses the cause of lipedema – the diseased fat – and not only the symptoms.
How Does Lipedema Surgery Help?
Lipedema surgery involves having liposuction on the affected areas. Surgery permanently removes the diseased fat that causes pain and mobility problems. Therefore, it offers long-lasting relief for sufferers.
It is important to understand that surgery cannot cure lipedema. Sadly, no cure exists as yet for this condition. But it is a long-term solution that improves sufferers’ lives. Liposuction reduces bulk in the lower body, making it easier for sufferers to move around and exercise. It also removes the diseased fat that causes pain for sufferers. Furthermore, as the patient’s physical appearance improves after the removal of the fat, their mental health improves. They can enjoy better self-esteem and a better quality of life.
Not all surgeons can carry out liposuction on lipedema patients, though. You need to find a specialist with expertise in the field. Dr. Su at ArtLipo is leading the way in lipedema surgery. He specializes in liposuction and regularly treats lipedema patients. He produces impressive results for them thanks to his many years of experience. To find out more about how liposuction could help you as a lipedema sufferer, contact ArtLipo today. We can give you the advice you need and arrange a consultation with Dr. Su.
Dr. Thomas Su, is the owner and cosmetic surgeon of Artistic Lipo. He has led our full-time clinic specializing in awake-only liposuction since 2007. Dr. Su began his medical career in internal medicine, practicing that until 2005, when he began to provide a full spectrum of non-invasive cosmetic procedures.