INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – Physical Disability - Organic Disability – Pediatric and Primary Lymphedema – Secondary Lymphedema – Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis – Lymphostatic Elephantiasis – Lipedema – Chronic Venous Insufficiency – Paitient Association (Spain)

Every year on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. This day raises awareness of the political, economic, health, social and cultural aspects in which disability affects people around the world.

Definition of Disability

Disability is a condition that broadly encompasses a person's impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Although there are disabilities that are linked to well-defined symptoms or manifestations, there are also disabilities that are generically referred to as invisible, i.e. not visible to the eye. These disabilities are less well known, but nevertheless among the most frequent. They correspond to those limitations in life and participation in the community of people who suffer from functional and structural deficiencies in any of the cardiovascular, lymphatic, hematological, immunological, respiratory, digestive, metabolic, endocrine, and genitourinary systems.

Different Types of Disabilities

Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), disabilities are broadly classified into 5 groups that include:

• Physical Disability: Encompasses bodily impairments that hinder movement and/or motor skills, restricting activity and participation in everyday activities. Physical disability is, in turn, divided into functional and organic disabilities.
• Functional Disability: This refers to impairments that affect the functioning of the neuromuscular and/or skeletal system, and which hinder or limit movement.
• Organic Disability: Corresponds to that produced by the loss of functionality of some body systems, which are usually related to internal organs or physiological processes, whether congenital or acquired. This is the case of renal diseases (kidney), hepatic diseases (liver), cardiopathies (heart), cystic fibrosis (lungs), Crohn's disease and metabolic diseases (digestive system), peripheral venous diseases (venous system), lymphedema (lymphatic system), hemophilia (blood clotting), lupus (immune system); and headaches, migraines, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (central nervous system).

Other Types of Disability

• Sensory Disability
• Intellectual Disability
• Mental Disorder
• Intellectual Disability
• Multiple Disabilities (A condition that combines several types of disability).

Lymphoedema, Lipoedema, and Chronic Venous Insufficiency are chronic and progressive diseases, which are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Diagnosis is mainly clinical and although there are cases of mixed pathologies (Lipolymphoedema; Phlebolymphoedema, Phlebolipoedema), they must be differentiated from each other. They are characterized by inflammatory and infectious skin problems and a disproportionate increase in the volume of the extremities, which may also involve more than one area or organ. These conditions have a tendency to progress over time, so that severity can be graded accordingly. Although each of these diseases has a specific treatment, there are symptoms and therapies that coincide, and the main objective is to reduce disability, avoid progression and prevent the appearance of further complications. Functional limitations can lead to difficulties in accessing certain jobs, and social stigma and discrimination due to the inherent disfigurement. These important factors can lead to consequent social isolation, psychosocial distress, depression, and loss of quality of life of those affected. 

With reference to Lymphedema regarding the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), the Functional limitations of people with lymphatic dysfunction (i.e. the disease), and the recognition of disability, in the case of chronic lymphedema, there is a dual functioning impairment. On the one hand, there is a Permanent Organic Disability (i.e. Body Function), due to failure in the Lymphatic System, and on the other hand a Permanent Physical Disability (i.e. Body Structure), due to the functional deficit produced by the consequent inflammation and progressive chronic edema. Lymphedema-related difficulties in carrying out activities (i.e. Activity Limitation), are the problems that can be experienced in life situations (i.e. Participation Restriction), making up the physical, social, and attitudinal circumstantial considerations (i.e. Environmental and Personal Factors). The most severe stage of lymphoedema is known by the medical term "Elephantiasis", a major physical disfigurement and disability. Read more about Lymphedema and disability recognition HERE.

In addition to invisibility, family, social and occupational misunderstanding, and lack of official recognition by Public Administrations, there are other problems in each of the different types of disabilities, which pose significant obstacles to everyday life and affect the quality of life.

REFERENCES:

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

Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Variants of functional venous disease

Lymphedema: Physiotherapeutic rehabilitation: state-of-the-art

Lymphedema: Medical compression therapy of the extremities

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

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

DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS

COCEMFE - The Spanish Confederation of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities: What are Physical and Organic Disabilities?

COCEMFE – The International Symbol of Organic Disability (DisOrganic)

COGAMI- Galician Confederation of Persons with Disabilities

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 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
(click on the texts) 

INTERNATINAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES - LYMPHEDEMA

国際障害者デー リンパ浮腫 / အပြည်ပြည်ဆိုင်ရာ မသန်စွမ်းသူများနေ့ / ទិវាជនពិការអន្តរជាតិ ជំងឺមហារីកកូនកណ្តុរ / 國際殘疾人日 淋巴水腫 / 국제장애인의 날 림프 부종 / Hari Penyandang Disabilitas Internasional Lymphedema / วันคนพิการสากล Lymphedema / Ngày quốc tế về người khuyết tật Phù bạch huyết / Den internasjonale dagen for funksjonshemmede Lymfødem / Internationella dagen för personer med funktionshinder Lymfødem / Kansainvälinen vammaisten päivä Lymfaödeema / International dag for personer med handicap Lymfødem / Starptautiskā invalīdu diena Limfedēma / Tarptautinė žmonių su negalia diena Limfedema / Rahvusvaheline puuetega inimeste päev Lümfödeem / Международный день инвалидов Лимфедема / Internationaler Tag der Menschen mit Behinderung Lymphödem / Internationale Dag van Personen met een Handicap Lymfoedeem / Międzynarodowy Dzień Osób Niepełnosprawnych Obrzęk limfatyczny / International Day of Persons with Disability Lymphoedema / Journée internationale des personnes handicapées Lymphœdème / Día Internacional de las Personas con Discapacidad Linfedema / Dia Internacional da Pessoa com Deficiência Linfedema / Giornata Internazionale delle Persone con Disabilità Linfedema / Uluslararası Engelliler Günü Lenfödem / Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ατόμων με Αναπηρία Λεμφοίδημα / היום הבינלאומי של אנשים עם מוגבלות בצקת לימפה / اليوم العالمي للأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة الوذمة اللمفية