Living with lymphedema Tips: 10 lifestyle changes
Lymphoedema is a chronic swelling condition. It is caused by the malfunction (blockage or dysfunction) of your lymphatic pathways (vessels or nodes) leading to the accumulation of lymph fluid in a specific part of your body, especially limbs (arms or legs). Managing lymphoedema effectively often requires a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes focused on nutrition, exercise, draining techniques, such as decongestive lymphatic therapy (DLT), skin care, and stress management. If you are dealing with lymphoedema, here are the key strategies to improve your life quality. Let´s keep an eye on these living with lymphedema tips!
1.Nutrition: eat well to reduce inflammation
Incorporate anti-inflammatory Foods: your diet needs:
- High fiber vegetables and fruits
- Spices: turmeric, cinnamon, ginger (they reduce inflammation), black pepper instead of salt.
- whole grains (beans, lentils, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.)
- baked or grilled lean proteins (fish, chicken, pork, beef)
- healthy fats (olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, avocado seeds, etc.)
These foods reduce inflammation and support your overall health. Ensure balanced protein consumption to support healing processes.
Avoid Processed Foods, sugar and High-sodium products in order to reduce swelling and inflammation. You should avoid products like:
- Trans-fats
- saturated fats
- Added sugars food or drinks
- Fast food
- High-sodium products, e.g. snacks, salt, etc.( sodium causes and increases inflammation).
- Reduce carbohydrates intake
Hydration: staying hydrated is crucial. Drink water or sugar free beverages (remember sugar is proinflammatory). Keeping optimal hydration levels helps your lymphatic system to function properly, preventing fluid and water retention.
Maintain a healthy weight. Reducing weight (supervised by a professional), maintaining a healthy weight and gaining muscle tone helps you to reduce fat and inflammation. In other words, as fat reduces and you gain muscle there is the proper support for lymphatic vessels and nodes to work properly. In addition, a healthy weight allows you to be more active and energized.
2.Exercise
Practice regular physical activity. Here is key to find activities you enjoy in order to stay active and do it daily if possible. External movement helps your lymphatic system to move!
- Low-Impact Exercises: for example walking, swimming, yoga in water or water aerobics that provide resistance while minimizing impact on joints. Water sports or activities can also enhance lymphatic drainage through hydrostatic pressure.
- Resistance Training: start with light weight training to promote muscle pump function, which aids lymphatic health, then add weight as you feel comfortable with.
- Cardio. Short, intense sessions are recommended alongside cardio routines.
- Include stretching and mobility exercises to improve flexibility, prevent injury and help your lymphatic function (better fluid flow).
3. Compression garments and draining techniques
The preventative and management techniques used to get relief from symptoms are:
- Wear your compression garment consistently. You should have 3 or 4 to make every daily laundry easier, so you always have at least one clean and ready to wear. Also, get garments in bigger sizes for those days when you get more inflamed.
- Get compression bandages and wraps for those moment you don´t want to wear a whole piece of compression clothes, also they are cheaper
- Use a home pneumatic compression device or pump daily. It helps you to stimulate lymph flow. Ask your GP or lymphatic drainage specialist for advice.
4. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
- Consult a Professional lymphatic drainage specialist. It’s best to have a professional therapist teach you the right technique for self- MLD, as incorrect methods can be ineffective or even harmful.
- Perform your self- lymphatic Drainage Massage daily.
- Get regular (MLD) Manual lymphatic drainage (performed by a certified therapist).
- When needed, get Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy (DLT), always performed by a certified professional.
- Elevate your limbs to decompress, do it every day for 20 to 30 m or when needed.
5. Avoid Tight Clothing and Jewelry
- Wear Loose and Comfortable Clothing, don´t forget your shoes.
- Proper fit. Look for comfortable clothes and shoes, remember you need to wear your compression garment or bandages underneath.
- Avoid jewelry, it is almost impossible to take it off when you get inflamed.
- Replace Garments as Needed.
Be sure you feel comfortable with these techniques, ask your lymphatic drainage therapist for advice and techniques that you can try at home.
6.Look after your skin: create a daily routine!
Lymphoedema patients tend to have a more fragile, sensitive and thin skin due to inflammation. As a result, their skin becomes more prone to damage, irritation, dryness, cuts, and infections, for these reason, it is pivotal to create a daily skin care routine, here some of the steps to take into account:
- Keep your skin clean and dry
- Daily moisturizing (several times per day if needed)
- Check for cuts or infections, and if you have, get first aids immediately (clean the area and apply antibiotic ointment).
- Protect the Skin. Use sunscreen even under your compression garment or bandages or get garments rated for sun protection.
7.Right posture good motion: Practice good posture
- Good posture facilitates lymphatic flow. Stand with a straight back and move (walk) to improve your lymphatic flow.
- Avoid crossing your legs for long periods, which can impede lymphatic and blood circulation.
- Ergonomic Support. If you spend long periods sitting at work, using ergonomic chairs or cushions will help you maintain proper posture. But remember to stand up and move for a few minutes every hour to improve your lymphatic flow and general circulation.
8. Sleep
Prioritize your sleep quality by incorporating sleep routines like:
- Take a bath to relax before bed
- Avoid screens at least 2h before bedtime
- Reduce water intake near your sleep hour
- Be sure your bedroom is completely dark (no lights disturbances)
- Find a lying position that you feel comfortable with, you may use a pillow between your legs or under your neck/ shoulder.
- Aromatherapy may help you relax before sleeping.
- Meditate.
9. Stress reduction or management.
Incorporate relaxing and breathing techniques such as:
- Mindfulness,
- Yoga,
- Tai-chi
- Join a support group, talking with fellows has high rates of stress reduction.
- Psychological or psychiatric support. Professional support is key to reduce stress and anxiety, and also to improve your general well being.
- Stay informed and connected.
10. Regulate your temperature
- Avoid Heat Exposure. Heat increases inflammation risk.
- Cold Therapy for Swelling. Cold reduces inflammation.
Living with Lymphedema Tips: How to do it?
- Gradual Changes. We all know that incorporating new habits is not an easy task, however you can do gradual changes gradually rather than all at once to ensure sustainability and effectiveness. Little steps can make the difference!
- Joint support groups. Consider joining support groups for shared experiences and sharing strategies and experiences.
- Never skip your Follow-Ups with a Lymphedema Specialist for tailored advice and support.
Living with lymphedema Tips: A final word…
Find your path. The management of the condition is multifactorial and hence not compatible with a one-size-fits-all strategy. Listen to your fellows, share experiences, ask your GP for advice and treatment and visit your Lymphatic drainage therapist. Changing your daily routine can make the difference. Your habits can reduce the impact of symptoms and improve your general well-being.
We hope this information is useful for you. If you need advice or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10406395/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyfPY1W6X6Y&t=197s
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36201052/
