Symptoms of Lymphoedema

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The symptoms of lymphoedema vary between individuals and in severity. Affected areas of the body may display the following:

swelling,
sensation of fullness or heaviness,
tightness and stretching of the skin,
reduced movement of the joints,
thickening and dryness of the skin,
discomfort and pain, and
lowered immunity in affected areas.

You may first realise you have swelling in an arm, for example, because your rings or watch feel tighter than usual.

In severe cases of lymphoedema the skin may break under the pressure of the swelling, causing the lymph fluid to leak out onto the surface of the skin. This can lead to infection, often known as cellulitis. The skin becomes hot, red and painful, and you may feel unwell and experience flu-like symptoms. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear up the infection.

Lipoedema is a similar condition that is often confused with lymphoedema. Lipoedema is the accumulation of fluid and fat deposits under the skin, generally in the legs. Occasionally there may be swelling in the arms as well. Lipoedema occurs in women and normally appears during puberty or pregnancy. The size of the legs and/ or arms cannot be reduced by losing weight. For example, there may be weight loss from the upper body, while the legs stay as they were.

Lipoedema does not normally change the appearance of the skin.The legs may be very tender and ache around the knees due to the excess weight. Lipeodema does not affect the feet, which remain a normal size. The swelling is symmetrical and this causes a bracelet effect where fatty deposits in the legs meet the ankles. People with lipoedema also bruise easily.