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
- LYMPHATIC MEDICINE: Paradoxically and Unnecessarily Ignored
- CHRONIC OEDEMA/LYMPHEDEMA: Under-recognized and Under-treated
- LYMPHEDEMA: From Diagnose to Treatment
- TREATMENT: Lymphedema Limbs
- LOWER EXTREMITY LYMPHEDEMA UPDATE: Diagnose and Treatment Guidelines
- BEFORE THE PROBLEM BECOMES ELEPHANTIASIS: How to Solve Lymphatic Congestion
- LYMPHATIC MANAGEMENT: An International Interest between Developed and Developing Countries, Similarities, differences, and Challenges.
- THE RISK OF GENITAL EDEMA after External Pump Compression for Lower Limb Lymphedema
- WHAT IS THE ROLE OF EXCISIONAL SURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF LYMPHEDEMA
INFECTIONS
- INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS OF LYMPHEDEMA
- ACUTE INFLAMMATORY EXACERBATIONS IN LYMPHEDEMA
- LYMPHEDEMATOUS AREAS: Privileged sites for Tumors, Infections, and Immune Disorders
- MALIGNANT TUMORS: As Complications of Lymphedema
PEDIATRIC AND PRIMARY LYMPHEDEMA
- NORD: Rare Disease Database. Lymphedema
- AN APPROACH TO FAMILIAL LYMPHOEDEMA
- PRIMARY LYMPHEDEMA
- PEDIATRIC CHILDREN LYMPHEDEMA: A Retrospective Chart Review of 86 Cases
- LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS: An Infection of Childhood
LIPEDEMA / CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY
- Lipedema: A Call to Action!
- Lipedema: Update in the management of lipedema
- Lipedema: A Relatively Common Disease with Extremely Common Misconceptions
- Lipedema, A hardly known disease: Diagnosis, associated illness, and therapy
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency
- goog_588437081Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Variants of functional venous disease
ELEPHANTIASIS
- Neglected Patients with a Neglected Disease? A Qualitative Study of Lymphatic Filariasis
- Conservative Treatment of Lymphoedema of the Limbs (Foldi)
- Modern Treatment of Lymphoedema. Complex Physical Therapy.
- Effectiveness and Safety of Complete Decongestive Therapy
- Visualization of Accessory Lymphatic Pathways, after Manual Lymphatic Drainage
- Criteria for the Establishment of Combined Decongestive Physiotherapy of Lymphedema in a Country
PODOCONIOSIS
Articles that may also interest you:
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- WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR TREATS LYMPHEDEMA/LYMPHOEDEMA - WHICH MEDICAL SPECIALITIES ARE RELATED TO LYMPHEDEMA
LYMPHEDEMA INCIDENCE
AND PREVALENCE
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LYMPHEDEMA INCIDENCE
AND PREVALENCE
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