What is the Typical Lipedema Prognosis?
If you’ve just received your diagnosis, you may have concerns about your lipedema prognosis. Sadly, many medical practitioners today still have trouble understanding of this condition. They are unable to advise patients about what to expect from their future. Lipedema is a chronic, progressive condition. It will only worsen over time without treatment.
Does Lipedema Progress in the Same Way for Everyone?
Lipedema gets worse over time for every sufferer. However, every patient is different. Some people find that their condition progresses more quickly than others. Some find it affects different areas of the body. Everyone has their own unique experience of lipedema.
Is Lipedema Life Threatening?
Lipedema is not a life-threatening condition in itself. It affects the adipose tissues in the body, causing excess fat to accumulate in an abnormal way. Lipedema fat is different from regular fat and doesn’t respond to diet and exercise. Without treatment, the fat continues to build up, eventually causing mobility issues and pain. Although lipedema itself isn’t life-threatening, it can result in other potentially dangerous conditions. The limited mobility it causes can result in obesity. That, in turn, is linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart problems. All of these conditions can be life-threatening and can have serious consequences for the sufferer. Lipedema also causes emotional and mental health issues that can be extremely damaging.
How Can I Manage Lipedema?
The first hurdle that lipedema sufferers must face is getting a diagnosis. It is often hard to get a diagnosis of lipedema since the symptoms are not widely recognized. Even medical professionals typically remain unaware of what to look out for. Doctors tend to misdiagnose their patients with lipedema as being obese. That wastes valuable time as patients struggle to diet and exercise to no avail. Getting an early diagnosis of lipedema is crucial. The sooner you get a diagnosis, the sooner a doctor can treat you.
Finding a specialist is the best way to get the diagnosis you need. They can also offer you the appropriate treatment that you need.
It’s possible to manage lipedema using either conservative or surgical solutions. Many doctors recommend conservative treatments as the first option for patients. These include Manual Lymphatic Drainage massages, wearing compression garments, eating healthily, and taking more exercise. Some patients get temporary relief from these treatments, but they only address the symptoms, not the cause of lipedema.
Liposuction surgery is the best solution for managing lipedema. It improves the sufferer’s quality of life, restores a more normal body shape, improves mobility, and reduces pain. It also slows down the progression of the disease significantly. Although some patients worry about undergoing surgery, it’s the best treatment available for the condition at the present time.
To find out more about your lipedema prognosis to get a diagnosis, and treatment, contact Dr. Su at ArtLipo. As a lipedema and liposuction specialist, he can help to improve your quality of life.
