First
of all one question must be asked, “ is patient basic home setting
management, consisting of skin hygiene, motion exercises and limb
elevation, enough to reduce and stop progression of lymphedema
towards Stage-4-elephantiasis ?”
The
effectiveness of basic hygiene, skin care, motion exercises, and limb
elevation interventions on lymphedema (lymphostatic oedema), is part
of basic daily self-care routine for patients, and meant for
prevention of possible dermal infections, but this is not enough to
prevent acute Dermatolymphangioadenitis - ADLA (Cellulitis), Erysipelas, lymphangitis, or the
progressive inflamation and swelling of oedema. Clinical outcomes on
interventions to manage lymphedema, show that simple hygiene-based
measures are necessary, but this alone will not reduce the limb size
and volume. All lymphedema whatever the cause or setting, need
reductive compression therapy and compression garments as treatment,
to maintain the progression of the disease. Without daily use of
compression garments, it is impossible in the majority of cases, to
control the chronic progressive swelling of lymphostatic oedema.
Elephantiasis is the advanced form of all Lymphedema whatever the
cause, and special care is necessary for reduction and disability
management.
International protocols and best practice guides recommend simple hygiene-based measures for almost all diseases, but in the case of lymphedema this is not enough for its volume control, and to prevent the progression of its severe clinical manifestations. Lymphostatic oedema without treatment or inadequately treated, are more likely to develop lethal complications, such as septicemia (sepsis) or lymphangiosarcoma. With reference to Secondary Lymphedema due to filarial infection (lymphatic filariasis), there are countries that have successfully interrupted transmission by means of mass treatment with antiparasitic drugs, but access to good compression treatment and compression garments to prevent morbidity management and disability due to the lymphoestatic oedema, has lagged behind and so people continue to suffer from the disabling and stigmatizing effects of Stage 4-Lymphedema (lymphatic elephantiasis).
CLICK TO SEE VIDEO OF THE BEST TREATMENT OPTION FOR ELEPHANTIASIS-STAGE-4-LYMPHOEDEMA (NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT):
References
of interest:
Consensus
Document of the ISL (International Society of Lymphology)
file:///C:/Users/usuario/Downloads/20106-35060-1-PB.PDF
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CAMPAIGN
For global awareness it is being asked that the
WHO - WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION,
name:
"LYMPHEDEMA - AWARENESS & CURES"
as the World Health Day campaign
KATHY BATES
LYMPHEDEMA EMBASSADOR
