Developing lipedema can be a painful and life changing experience for the worse. Women who are diagnosed with lipedema often experience a decrease in the quality of life due to the development and symptoms of this unfortunate condition. It is important to understand how lipedema works if you or a loved one is starting to experience the onset of symptoms. Here is some information regarding how the many women who are diagnosed already, are living with lipedema everyday.
What It Does
Lipedema is the condition that is characterized by the enlargement of the limbs and most typically impacts the lower limbs such as your legs, hips, and ankles. Lipedema impacts on average approximately 11% of all women and is partially due to hormonal disorders. Women diagnosed with lipedema will see an increase in the symmetrical distribution of fat throughout the legs, and the skin tissue will begin to have a rubbery feel to it. No longer will women diagnosed with lipedema be able to wear clothing that fit their previously shaped body, instead having to wear disproportionately sized clothes on their lower half. Eventually the legs may develop lumps within skin tissue and slowly start to impact the upper body. During later stages of lipedema, the areas affected can easily bruise.
How Living with Lipedema Affects Your Life
Lipedema can greatly impact the way you look and feel everyday. As the swelling continues to develop, women diagnosed with lipedema typically begin to experience pain and tenderness across the affected areas. This can greatly impact your activity level, as your affected areas may begin to swell and experience pain. Women may not be comfortable with this newfound body type and have difficulty grasping the physical changes. Unfortunately, lipedema cannot be treated through exercise and dieting. Women diagnosed with lipedema may also experience disbelief, as the condition is commonly misdiagnosed as obesity. It is encouraged for those diagnosed with lipedema to look up support groups to understand the recent changes to the body that lipedema brings.
What You Should Watch Out For
Lipedema’s cause for development currently is unknown, with little information available. The condition may develop in early years for teens, with most women diagnosed around the age of 35. Women should continue to be aware of any sudden increase in cellulite around the lower extremities. Individuals who have a family history of lipedema should also be aware of the onset with family members. Lipedema can be a difficult condition to live with and usually requires active treatment to prevent the onset of any further conditions.
