Lymphoedema is a chronic (long-term) condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissue. This can lead to pain and a loss of mobility.
Lymphoedema usually affects the arms or legs, although in some cases there may be swelling in the:
- chest
- head
- genitals
Lymphoedema is caused by damage or disruption to the lymphatic system.
One function of the lymphatic system is to drain excess fluid from tissues. If the lymphatic system is disrupted or damaged, it can lose this ability and the excess fluid will cause the tissue to swell.
Read more about the symptoms of lymphoedema.
Types of lymphoedema
There are two main types of lymphoedema:
- Primary lymphoedema – which develops at birth or shortly after puberty and is caused by faulty genes.
- Secondary lymphoedema – caused by damage to the lymphatic system as a result of an infection, injury, trauma, or cancer.
Secondary lymphoedema often develops as a side effect of cancer treatment. Surgery is often necessary to remove lymph glands to prevent a cancer from spreading, this can damage the lymphatic system.
Radiotherapy, where controlled doses of high-energy radiation are used to destroy cancer cells, can also damage the lymphatic system.
Read more about the causes of lymphoedema.
Who is affected?
It is estimated that 1 in 10,000 people are affected by primary lymphoedema.
Secondary lymphoedema is a relatively common condition, affecting an estimated 100,000 people in the UK.
Secondary lymphoedema occurs more frequently in women, possibly because it can sometimes be a side effect of breast cancer treatment.
Cancer Research UK estimates than one in five women may have lymphoedema in their arm after they have had radiotherapy or lymph nodes removed to treat breast cancer.
If you are at risk of developing lymphoedema due to cancer treatment, you may be offered an assessment as part of your aftercare. Read more about how lymphoedema is diagnosed.
Treating lymphoedema
There is no cure for lymphoedema, but it is possible to control the symptoms using a combination of different techniques, such as massage and compression garments.
There are also things you can do to help prevent the condition getting worse. This includes taking care of your skin to avoid infection and having a healthy diet and lifestyle.
If you have received treatment for cancer, these measures may also help to prevent lymphoedema.
Read more about how lymphoedema is treated and preventing lymphoedema.
Complications
People with lymphoedema are more vulnerable to infection. This is because infection-fighting white blood cells, called lymphocytes, which travel in the lymphatic system, are prevented from reaching the part of the body where they are needed.
A bacterial infection of the skin called cellulitis is one of the most commonly reported infections in people with lymphoedema.
Read more about complications of lymphoedema.