domingo, 7 de octubre de 2018

WHY IS THE WORLD NOT TREATING A TREATABLE DISEASE LIKE LYMPHEDEMA/LYMPHOEDEMA - turning a blind eye to elephantiasis - Pediatric and Primary Lymphoedema - Secondary Lymphoedema - Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis - Rare Disease


Millions of people across the world suffer a disease called lymphedema, which is debilitating and potentially life-threatening when it is untreated. The progressive inflammation and swelling cause pain, discomfort, skin complications, serious infections, and ultimately, severe deformity and disability, leaving men, women, and children unable to work, care for their families, and lead normal lives.
But the discovery six decades ago, of specialized physical therapy for the reduction and maintenance of this disease, seemed it was about to change it all. Not only was it an inexpensive treatment, in comparison to the expensive drug treatments and surgical interventions needed for many other chronic sicknesses, but it was also a powerful means to give back the quality of life to patients. With an average of only two weeks of intensive physical therapy and two wearable compression garments per year, it was possible to reduce the limb size of this inflammatory disease and, even halt the progression toward severe disability. Read more about which country has the best public healthcare coverage of lymphedema HERE.
No time had to be wasted regarding chronic Lymphedema, recognizing that the populations most at risk of this disease, are those least able to afford treatment, and it had a sense that international health organizations immediately started treatment campaigns and distributed compression garments to all those affected. It should have been the step ahead for treatment at a global level of this disease, an effective treatment for a tragic and completely preventable outcome, "elephantiasis", also called Stage-III-Lymphedema. It is very important to understand that all non-reversible Stage-III Lymphedema (elephantiasis), first started off as initial Stage-I mild lymphedema.
If only we hadn’t turned a blind eye, to the treatment of a tragic disease that has plagued mankind for centuries. Now 60 years later the majority of people who are affected by lymphedema in the world, as many as nearly 300 million, are slowly progressing without treatment toward Elephantiasis Stage and permanently disabled. The present situation is unique in medicine, whilst the majority of chronic diseases are given the lifelong medication and health assistance they need, the greater part of patients suffering from lymphatic dysfunction, are undertreated or not treated at all. Read more about what is the current management perspective and situation of lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis HERE.

In short, Elephantiasis Stage is not a rare clinical condition but has stuck around because many national healthcare systems have looked the other way, the easy way out for not funding the necessary services and wearable compression garments for the treatment of lymphedema, which is why Elephantiasis continues to persist worldwide. This only shows that the world has failed, and continues to fail, to treat a treatable disease.

REFERENCES
(Pinch on the texts to read the following Research Articles)

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

DIAGNOSE AND TREATMENT
INFECTIONS








  • WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR TREATS LYMPHEDEMA/LYMPHOEDEMA - WHICH MEDICAL SPECIALITIES ARE RELATED TO LYMPHEDEMA












LYMPHEDEMA INCIDENCE 
AND PREVALENCE
(click on the texts) 


















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