Lymphedema Diet: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Lymphedema Through Nutrition With Curated Recipes and a Meal Plan

Secondary lymphedema affects one out of a thousand Americans, making it the most common cause of diseases in the said number. The disease has another type, primary lymphedema, which is the rarer type and occurs in 1 in 100,000 Americans.

Moreover, this disease is also associated with cancer. One out of five women who are breast cancer survivors is most likely to develop lymphedema.

Lymphedema is a disease characterized by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid around the body. It causes swelling in different body parts, making the tissue and skin change.

It is divided into two categories: (1) primary lymphedema, which is genetic, and (2) secondary lymphedema, which can be resulted from injury, insult, or blockade of the lymphatic system.

Generally, the symptoms of lymphedema include extreme edema, scaly and thick skin with bumps and blisters, and fluid leaks.

Lymphedema is a developing disease and occurs in four stages:

latency

spontaneous

spontaneously irreversible

lymphatic elephantiasis.

It’s a tedious process to diagnose and treat lymphedema. This is why seeking help and advice from healthcare professionals to asses your condition is very important. Remember that there is no cure for this disease, and treatment will be needed. During the treatment, you may need to learn about the following—basic ways of preventing infection, self-MLD, and what compression garments are for, as well as ways to exercise and control weight.

To help possible lymphedema patients, this guide will show you the “weight control” aspect of patient education. Everything you need to find out about lymphedema and the diet involving it is enumerated below. These include questions like the following:

What is lymphedema?

What are the causes of lymphedema?

What are its symptoms?

How is it diagnosed and treated?

What can I do if I have lymphedema?

What lifestyle changes do I need to engage in when on this diet?

What foods are in and what is out of the lymphedema diet?

If you want to know the answers to these questions and further deepen your understanding of the disease, just continue reading the guide!