Lipedema (sometimes also known as painful fat syndrome) is a disorder that causes fat to accumulate in the lower half of the body. This disease generally only affects women, but in rare cases, it can also affect men. People who suffer from lipedema are almost impossible to lose weight in the lower half of their body, although the weight of the upper half of their body can be reduced. Patients' feet also bruise easily and are often sensitive to pain to the touch.
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Part 1 of 3: Getting a Diagnosis
Step 1. Visit a doctor
The only way to diagnose lipedema in the body is to visit your doctor. If your doctor is not trained in this area, ask for a referral to a specialist who can examine your condition to determine if you have lipedema or another fat disorder.
Symptoms of this disorder make some people feel embarrassed to discuss this problem with a doctor. Remind yourself that you have to get rid of embarrassment because if it is true that the disease you are suffering from is lipedema, the cure will be easier if treated as soon as possible
Step 2. Understand the stages of lipedema
Like many disorders and diseases, lipedema is often easier to treat when it's in its early stages. There are four stages of lipedema disease.
- In stage 1, the skin still feels smooth, and the swelling may increase during the day, but goes away with rest. During this stage, the disorder can heal easily if treated.
- In stage 2, indentations in the skin and lipomas (fatty lumps) may begin to appear and develop. You can develop eczema or a skin infection known as erysipelas. Swelling may still occur during the day, but will not go away quickly even after resting and elevating the leg. At this stage, the body can still be healed easily through treatment.
- In stage 3, you will experience the hardening of the connective tissue. At this stage, the swelling will not go away even if the leg is rested and raised. You will also experience “overhanging skin”. The body can still heal, but it is no longer easy to treat.
- In stage 4, you will experience a worsening of the symptoms that have appeared in stage 3. At this stage, the disorder has entered a condition that experts call lipo-lymphedema. As with stage 3, the treatment is still feasible, but will no longer work as effectively.
Step 3. Understand what doctors are looking for
The best way to diagnose disease is through visual inspection of the affected area. The doctor will feel the area to look for the nodules that are characteristic of this disease. In addition, the doctor will ask if you have any pain, and ask you to describe when and whether the swelling has increased or decreased.
Currently, there is no blood test that allows doctors to diagnose lipedema in the body
Part 2 of 3: Understanding the Symptoms
Step 1. Look for swelling in the leg
This is the most common and obvious symptom of lipedema. Swelling usually occurs in both legs, and may include the pelvis and buttocks. The swelling may increase gradually or the difference between the upper and lower half of your body is very obvious.
For example, some people with lipedema are very thin in the upper body, but look very large and disproportionately large from the waist down
Step 2. Recognize that feet often maintain their “normal” size
The swelling may be isolated in the leg and stop at the ankle. Therefore, the legs look like pillars.
Know that the symptoms of this disease are not always the same. Your entire leg may not swell or the swelling may only occur from above the ankle to the waist. Some sufferers only have small fat pockets just above each ankle
Step 3. Understand that your upper arm may also be affected
Although usually seen in the lower body, symptoms of this disease can also appear in the upper arms. The fat in the arms will be similar to the fat in the legs. This means that you can experience fat accumulation in both hands.
The fat may make the arm appear swollen but stops immediately at the elbow or wrist
Step 4. Check if the skin feels cool to the touch
Lipedema sufferers say that the affected skin feels cold to the touch. The skin can also feel soft like dough.
In addition, the skin is also painful to the touch, and the affected area can bruise easily
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Causes of Lipedema
Step 1. Be aware of causes that are not well understood
Despite having some suspicions, doctors are still not one hundred percent sure what actually causes lipedema. As a result, this disease is difficult to treat because the cause is still unknown.
Give your doctor as much information as possible regarding your medical and genetic history so he or she can determine the possible cause of the disorder and the treatment needed
Step 2. Study the probability of genetic linkage
In many cases, the disorder seems to be closely related to a person's genetic components. This is because people with lipedema sometimes have family members who also experience the same disorder.
For example, if you have lipedema, it's possible that one of your parents has the same disease
Step 3. Consider hormonal changes
Many doctors believe that lipedema is closely related to hormones. This is due to the fact that the disease generally occurs only in women, and usually appears during hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.
