WHY IS ELEPHANTIASIS A FORGOTTEN AND NEGLECTED DISEASE – Pediatric and Primary Lymphedema - Secondary Lymphaedema - Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis - Rare Disease

Neglected diseases like Lymphedema stand in stark contrast to other chronic diseases like diabetes, which receive the life-long drug treatments they need. Severe complications due to lack of access to therapy and compression garments, lead to more chances of lymphedema progressing to cellulitis, and life-threatening complications such as lymphangiosarcoma or sepsis.

Across the world, people suffer from neglected diseases, conditions that prevail in many countries lacking good health care services, and medical resources. Diseases like Lymphedema typically do not kill immediately, but instead, it slowly becomes severe and disabling, leading to terrible suffering, creating losses of capital, worker productivity, and economic growth. 

Advanced lymphedema (lymphatic elephantiasis), is characterized by fibrosis and fatty induration of the tissues, which become much more difficult to reduce than in the early stages, where the swelling is more characteristically due to protein-rich fluid. So to reduce the incidence of "Stage Elephantiasis", more intervention is required at an earlier stage, much more than is currently indicated by some international organizations. Read more information on why the world is not treating a treatable disease like Lymphedema HERE. 

With regard to filarial lymphedema (Lymphatic Filariasis), it is very important that at the present moment and by means of drugs, there is a goal and campaign of eliminating filariasis, to prevent the next generations of people from being infected. But there should also be a goal and campaigns, for the treatment of the present generations, who are already affected and suffering, from the consequent established lymphatic edema. The same happens with lymphedema due to Podoconiosis (lymphatic podoconiosis), which also needs compression treatment and garments, in order to control its progression. 

Lymphatic edema without treatment or inadequately treated is more likely to develop very serious or even lethal complications such as erysipelas, adenolymphangitis, dermatolymphangioadenitis - DLA (cellulitis), necrotizing fasciitis, septicemia (sepsis), lymphangiosarcoma, etc. Elephantiasis whatever its cause or setting will never be eradicated from the world, whilst there are still people that don't have access to correct specialized treatment options for lymphedema. Read more information on what is the best treatment for Lymphedema HERE. 

Lymphedema is universally recognized as a neglected and severely debilitating disease, even though it already has effective treatments. In spite of this, many national health systems, even in modern and industrialized countries, allocate little or nothing to treating and preventing Lymphedema, in contrast to the full coverage given to other chronic diseases. Read more about the new LOW-COST modified lymphedema treatment options HERE. 

Primary and Secondary lymphedema collectively, affect millions of people across the world, most in the poorest areas of the poorest countries. All lymphedema whatever the cause and setting, can drift towards severe deformity, leading to increased disability in men, women, and children of all ages. Furthermore, inflammation and infections in young people, lead to absences from school, reduced future quality of life, and labor productivity. 

However, lymphedema can be successfully treated, what’s more, preventing its progression and complications in the first place is completely achievable through increased awareness, and early-stage preventive compression treatment programs. Read more about which country has the best public healthcare coverage of lymphedema HERE.

Without drastic increases in funding and medical, public, and political awareness, the plight of people affected by lymphedema is unlikely to budge anytime soon.

The worst situation for access to treatment is for the low-income countries, where national health systems and policies are doing little to nothing about it. Conversely, some global health experts estimate that for every dollar spent on neglected disease control, we get back over $50 in increased productivity. By increasing awareness and funding of treatments for neglected diseases, the world economies will be making one of the best global investments possible. Read more about what is the current management perspective and situation of Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis HERE.

CLICK TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE BEST NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR ELEPHANTIASIS (STAGE III-LYMPHOEDEMA):

REFERENCES

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

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

• GERMAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY GUIDELINE: Diagnostics and Therapy of Lymphoedema.
• THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF LYMPHOLOGY: Consensus Document.

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

• Podoconiosis,a Neglected Tropical Disease
• Podoconiosis,a Society and Medical Community Neglected Disease.
• Podoconiosis,a Neglected Cause of Tropical Lymphoedema

Articles that may also interest you: 
(Click on the texts)

• FOCUS ON THE TERM ELEPHANTIASIS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR LYMPHOEDEMA 

• WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID INFECTIOUS CELLULITIS AND LYMPHANGITIS IN LYMPHEDEMA

• WHAT ARE THE CURRENT MANAGEMANET PERSPECTIVE AND SITUATION OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS AND PODOCONIOSIS

• WHAT IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE IMPACT OF NONTREATMENT OR UNDERTREATMENT IN LYMPHEDEMA

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS AND ELEPHANTIASIS

• WHAT IS THE RISK OF DERMATOLYMPHANGIOADENITIS (INFECTIOUS CELLULITIS IN LYMPHEDEMA 

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT OPTION FOR ELEPHANTIASIS

• WHY IS ELEPHANTIASIS A FORGOTTEN AND NEGLECTED DISEASE

• IS THERE DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH UNDER-TREATMENT OF LYMPHEDEMA - PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

• WHY IS THE WORLD NOT TREATING A TREATABLE DISEASE LIKE LYMPHEDEMA. 

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT OPTION FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• IS LYMPHEDEMA DISABLING - INABILITY TO WORK AND DISABILITY RECOGNITION 

• INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE CORRECT TREATMENT FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• ELEPHANTIASIS IS NOT ONLY LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS 

• CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT CHILD ELEPHANTIASIS DUE TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LYMPHEDEMA 

• BEWARE OF NEW TERMINOLOGY DESCRIBING LYMPHEDEMA TREATMENT

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

• FAST TRACK SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY RECOGNITION FOR CHILDREN WITH LYMPHEDEMA

• INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION (IPC) PUMP DEVICES. SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS POR LYMPHEDEMA

• BEST PRACTICE PROTOCOL GUIDE FOR LYMPHOEDEMA (in Galician)

• A LYMPHEDEMA STORY - DOCTOR KENNETH GERSHENGORN AND THE MAUREEN DIGAN CLINICAL CASE

• WHY IS A BUTTERFLY THE SYMBOL FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• LYMPHEDEMA - INTERNATIONAL DISEASE CODING AND CLASSIFICATION

• WHAT DOES INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION PUMP THERAPY (IPC) DO, AND DOES NOT DO FOR LYMPHEDEMA. 

• WHAT IS PHLEBOLYMPHEDEMA.

• IS LYMPHEDEMA PAINFUL?

• WHICH COUNTRY PROVIDES THE BEST LYMPHOEDEMA TREATMENT COVERAGE 

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT OPTION FOR PAEDIATRIC AND PRIMARY LYMPHOEDEMA

• SPANISH LYMPHEDEMA ASSOCIATIONS – SPANISH NATIONAL FEDERATION OF LYMPHEDEMA ASSOCIATIONS

LYMPHEDEMA INCIDENCE 
AND PREVALENCE
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