As the name implies, venous insufficiency is a condition characterized by veins that do not work as well as they should. Of course, the job of veins is to return oxygen- and nutrient-depleted blood from the body’s organs and tissues back to the heart and lungs, for immediate re-oxygenation and recirculation.
How to Care For Your Compression Stockings
Although they are garments appropriate for everyday wear, compression stockings are important pieces of medical “equipment”. Unlike ordinary stockings, they require a bit more care and attention. Medical-grade graduated compression wear items are designed to alleviate your symptoms of fluid accumulation due to lymphedema.
Lymphedema & Accupuncture: What Do the Experts Say?
To many Westerners, the very notion of acupuncture for relief from serious medical conditions is laughable. But the ancient Eastern art has many proponents, who claim the practice offers some benefits that are not easily explained by conventional medicine. Lymphedema is a chronic condition, and people diagnosed with lymphedema deserve to have all potential treatments investigated objectively.
How Yoga Can Help with Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a condition that cannot be cured. But it can be treated and managed. The trick is to find ways to minimize symptoms, avoid progression, manage one’s illness, and enhance quality of life. In addition to faithfully wearing their compression garments, many patients wonder if there are other steps they can take to alleviate the swelling and discomfort associated with their condition.
10 Foods that Trigger Inflammation
A healthful diet is an excellent way to help fight inflammation in the body. And given that inflammation is counter-productive for people combatting the effects of chronic lymphedema, it can be helpful for patients to adhere to an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.
Lymphedema 101
Lymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by swelling and/or discomfort in affected areas of the body. Under ordinary circumstances, the clear fluid that bathes the spaces between the body’s cells (interstitial, or extracellular fluid) drains into local lymphatic vessels, where it is recirculated toward the heart and into the general circulation. This fluid is called lymph when it circulates through the lymphatic vessels.
Top Foods that Fight Inflammation
So, what, exactly does an anti-inflammatory diet look like? For that, we need only look to the Mediterranean diet. Studied for decades, this dietary pattern features plenty of whole foods, including vegetables, herbs, fruit, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. It also features fish. And very little red meat. The primary oil in the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, and some experts believe this may be one of the crucial keys to the healthful effects of the diet.
Tips & Strategies for Managing Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a condition that has no real cure. The goal, then, is to manage and minimize symptoms, and to discourage the progression of the disease. Most people with lymphedema will have received at least some instruction in how to properly deal with their condition.
Factors that Can Make Lymphedema Worse
People living with a diagnosis of lymphedema know they must remain vigilant and take steps to control the symptoms-and progression-of their condition. Most patients will have received instructions about how to don and doff appropriate medical-grade compression wear. They may also have received instructions regarding the role of healthful diet, adequate exercise, and other lifestyle factors in managing this disease.
Integrate Compression Garments with Your Unique Style
So you’ve received a diagnosis of lymphedema. Your healthcare provider will have informed you that lymphedema is your new normal; that it is a chronic condition with no cure. You will have been made aware that you need to accept this condition and learn new ways to manage it. You will probably have been through Complex Decongestive Therapy in the initial intensive treatment phase.