Lymphedema is a condition that causes one or more of your arms or legs to become swollen due to a buildup of lymph fluid. You can be born with it primary lymphedema or develop it as a result of damage to the lymphatic system such as after surgery or infection secondary lymphedema.
Lymphedema Symptoms Treatment And More
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Lymphedema under arm. Truncal lymphedema frequently develops following breast or lung cancer treatment and can be present with or without significant involvement of the adjacent arm. Some women may also have redness or pain in the arm which may be a symptom of. Individuals affected by primary or secondary lymphedema and those at risk for developing it everyone who has undergone lymph node excision andor radiation treatments should observe the following precautions.
Trauma to the lymphatic vessels during surgery or from radiation therapy causes extra fluid to build up in your hand or arm causing swelling. Lymphedema is abnormal swelling that can develop in the arm hand breast or torso as a side effect of breast cancer surgery andor radiation therapy. In severe cases lymphedema can cause pain and limit movement.
Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit can be a sign of common viral infections such as the flu or mono. Arm lymphedema after lymph node removal an axillary lymph node dissection a sentinel node biopsy or even from breast cancer surgery without lymph node removal can be uncomfortable and very frustrating. Or it may be so great the arm grows very large.
A swollen lymph node in your armpit after a COVID-19 vaccine is completely normal. The swelling may be so slight its barely seen or felt. They drain the lymphatic vessels from the upper arms from most of the breast and from the chest neck and underarm area.
Lymph from the arm and hand has the farthest to travel to get to the underarm lymph nodes and it has to work harder against gravity to get there. For example begin at the tips of the fingers if you have lymphedema in your hand arm and shoulder. They can also occur as a result of a bacterial infection or RA.
Lymphedema can also occur in other places where lymph nodes are located such as the neck or breasts. Lymphedema occurs when lymph fluid collects in the arm or other area such as the hand fingers chestbreast or back causing it to swell edema. Arm and hand lymphedema tend to be the most common after breast cancer.
Certain activities may trigger the onset of lymphedema or may exacerbate the symptoms of existing lymphedema. In the lymphatic system lymph fluid collects harmful substances and flushes them out of your body. Using a gentle sweeping motion with just enough pressure to shift the surface of the skin.
Lymphedema is an abnormal buildup of protein-rich fluid in any part of the body as a result of malfunction in the lymphatic system. A small amount of swelling even in your arm is normal for the first 4 to 6 weeks after breast cancer surgery. When many lymph nodes under the arm have been removed a woman is at higher risk of lymphedema for the rest of her life.
The Dos and Donts below are based on decades of experience and knowledge of clinical experts in the field of lymphedema. The arm and hand also are more exposed to the stresses of the outside world such as heat strain and cuts. When this lymph fluid becomes blocked it can cause lymphedemaabnormal swelling that most often occurs in the arms or legs.
Lymphedema can appear in some people during the months or even years after treatment ends. The lymph nodes under the arm are also called the axillary lymph nodes.
