Becoming Aware That You're Not Just Fat, Part 3: The Symptoms and Conditions Caused by Lipedema
Hi Everyone,
This is the Part 3 of the signs, symptoms, comorbidities, and conditions that can point to a Lipedema diagnosis.
Since Lipedema is purely based on clinical diagnosis. There is no imaging, bloodwork, or other medical diagnostics (yet) that diagnose this disease. A physician will diagnose by the signs and symptoms of this illness. The cause of Lipedema is unknown, but seems to be connected to hormones and genetics.
Lipedema presents during the three major hormonal times in a woman’s life: Puberty, Pregnancy, and Menopause. Typically, the onset is at puberty, and an exceleration or exacerbation happens later. Because the public and medical community are not aware of this disease, we are told these physical changes are normal.
However, we have something else going on in our body besides the cascading hormones. We’re experiencing an under-recognized disease causing havoc on our bodies.
Because Lipedema is frequently undiagnosed or improperly treated, we can go around in circles trying to alleviate our bodily symptoms without success. I’ll call these symptoms repercussions from the bodily stress of Lipedema which contributes to other physical and mental problems.
Fatigue: This is one of the most common symptoms. Walking up a flight of stairs causes leg cramps and leaves you winded. The fat tissue and edema feel like carrying around 40 lbs on each leg. It’s difficult to be active when your body is overly fatigued.
Chronic pain: The diseased adipose tissue is unlike normal soft fat cells. Instead, they become hard nodules and can be painful to the touch. Sitting on these areas is uncomfortable. The swelling makes the skin tight and tender to the touch. Standing and walking are also painful.
-Falling: I honestly don’t know if this is a listed symptom in medical research. However, I’ve personally found that due to pain and fatigue, the weight on the lower joints, and the weakened core from inability to exercise can make a person more prone to falls. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen. Falling also increases the risk of injury. Many women have hypermobile EDS, which can also contribute to falls.
Heartburn and other digestive issues: The growing lipedema in the torso and abdomen puts more pressure on the stomach. As a result, stomach acids work back into the esophagus and cause heartburn. This can also be from wearing compression hose. I’ve also found that EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome-hypermobility) causes digestive issues of heartburn and constipation.
Eating disorders: Before diagnosis, women may try to lose weight through all sorts of strict diets and exercise regimens. Our culture has been conditioned to believe if you are overweight, it’s because you overeat and don’t exercise. The blame is placed completely on the obese person. Constant dieting will wreck your relationship with food. Women who constantly diet without success can develop eating disorders.
Depression and anxiety: Lipedema shapes a woman’s body, that’s undesirable in our culture. Body image and fat-shaming are prevalent in our society. In the medical community, we very often experience shame.
Isolation: Whether a woman isolates herself because of pain and fatigue or because she is ashamed, isolated from social activities, picture-taking, or feeling stigmatized, the level and quality of social relationships and support decreases.
If you are experiencing many of these issues, especially the first two, it is another indicator, along with other signs and symptoms from the past two articles, that points toward a Lipedema diagnosis.
My previous two articles, Part 1: The Physical Signs of Lipedema, and Part 2: Signs That Show You're Prone to Lipedema give you more insight to this illness.
If you see yourself with all or most of these conditions, you will want to start looking for a physician who can diagnose you and help you to start managing this chronic condition.
In the next article, I’ll talk more about diagnosis and with further posts about how to start the process of getting non-surgical treatment and how to care for yourself. If you’d like this newsletter directly into your inbox, hit the button below:
Take care,
Michelle