Lymphostasis of the lower extremities. Treatment at home with folk remedies, medications, exercises, massage, diet. Photos, reasons

Lymphatic edema of the lower extremities is a chronic disease in which there is a violation of the circulation of lymph, the biological fluid of the body. The latter is formed in tissues, accumulates in lymphatic capillaries and from there spreads throughout the body. Violation of its flow leads to stagnation of fluid in the limbs.

The disease can affect one or both legs. Both men and women are susceptible to the disease, but, as practice shows, the fair sex suffers from it much more often. This problem does not go away on its own. If lymphostasis of the lower extremities is not treated in any way, it will turn into an irreversible form, in which thickening of the legs is observed - elephantiasis.

At the Yusupov Hospital, through the joint efforts of specialists in various fields of medicine, an original comprehensive method for treating lymphostasis of the lower extremities was developed. The essence of the method is not only that swelling is “dispelled” from the affected limb, but also through a complex effect on the lymphatic system, lymphatic outflow is activated. This allows the body to further regulate the drainage function of the lymphatic system.

Treatment of leg lymphostasis must begin immediately. This pathology can progress quite quickly, leading to serious complications, such as impaired motor activity, the appearance of skin ulcers, inflammation, and sepsis. Pathology treatment is successfully performed at the Yusupov Hospital. For the treatment of lymphostasis, doctors draw up an individual treatment plan, which allows them to obtain the best results in eliminating the disease.

Causes

Lymphostasis of the lower extremities can be primary and secondary. At home, treatment can be either medicinal or non-traditional. The first form of lymphostasis affects people who are genetically predisposed to this pathology. In medicine it is called Milroy's disease. The disease is inherited through genes from parents to children, and from children to further generations.

Such people are born with pathologies of blood vessels and veins. The diameter of their veins is smaller than that of healthy ones. Because of this, people with congenital problematic blood vessels have poor blood flow. There are simply anomalies with overgrown or doubled lymphatic vessels.

An underdeveloped lymphatic system can provide a person with many diseases from the first days of his life, including lymphostasis. Congenital tumors in areas of the blood and lymph flow almost 100% lead to leg problems.

Lymphostasis of the lower extremities of the secondary type develops as a result of certain processes that occur in the human body. Below is a list of these processes and states. You can get rid of some problems if you change your diet or consult a surgeon. Treatment at home should be carried out strictly with constant consultation of the attending physician.

List of processes:

postoperative scars on lymph nodes and blood vessels or injuries;
boils in adipose tissue;
various neoplasms in soft tissues;
varicose veins, thrombophlebitis;
cardiovascular, renal failure;
bedsores;
excess weight and much more.

A little about the lymphatic system

There is no doubt about the connection between the cardiovascular and lymphatic networks, since the latter is part of the circulatory network. The lymphatic system is represented by a network of vessels located throughout the body through which lymph circulates. Lymph is formed in the process of filtration of blood plasma, that is, the liquid penetrates into the intercellular space, and from there, together with coarse proteins of the interstitial space, enters the lymphatic capillaries, and then into the lymphatic network, where the lymph is “cleaned” (in the lymph nodes), and again flows into circulatory system in the lower neck area.

The lymphatic system has its own “responsibilities”:

with its help, tissue fluid is evacuated from the interstitial space (prevention of edema);
together with the proteins of the interstitial space through the subclavian veins, transports tissue fluid back into the bloodstream;
participates in the transfer of fats from the small intestine to the blood;
synthesizes lymphocytes, which are part of the body's defense mechanism;
filters tissue fluid in the lymph nodes and removes toxins, microorganisms, tumor cells, and foreign substances from it;
participates in the formation of antibodies.

The lymphatic system consists of lymphatic capillaries, vessels, nodes, trunks and ducts. With any damage to the lymphatic tract (adhesion, blockage or overgrowth), the free outflow of lymphatic fluid from the tissues is disrupted, which leads to edema, which later turns into lymphostasis.

Forms and stages of the disease

Lymphostasis has 2 forms - primary and secondary, and stages - 3.

Stages	Titles
Stage 1	lymphoderm
Stage 2	fibroderma
Stage 3	elephantiasis

Stage 1 is a harbinger of lymphostasis, and it is called lymphedema. Lymphedema is a reversible process if you give up bad habits in time and devote all your efforts to treatment.

With lymphedema, the swelling is localized in the area of the fingers and ankle, and has not yet risen higher.

Stage 2 - fibroedema is already irreversible due to significant damage. Constant stagnation of lymph leads to thickening of the skin and stable pain syndromes. When standing for a long time, cramps appear. The lower leg increases in size compared to the healthy leg by up to 50 cm.

Complications of stage 2 manifest themselves in the form of deformation of the leg, the skin becomes bluish, often cracks, and lymph oozes from the wound for a long time. When the sore leg is rubbed with rough clothing, the rubbed areas take a long time to heal.

Lymphostasis of the lower extremities (treatment at home occurs only under the supervision of a doctor), at stage 2, sometimes affects the vessels that are located close to the epithelium, and then the skin on the legs becomes burgundy, like a solid large bruise.

Stage 3 - final. In medicine it is called elephantiasis. With it, the limb is deformed beyond recognition and no longer resembles a human leg. It looks like an elephant's leg, without the outline of feet or knees. Due to the thickening of the skin and excess fluid, the leg becomes so heavy and painful that it is impossible to walk with it. It hurts to step, it hurts to sit for a long time.

People with elephantiasis move in a wheelchair with the help of crutches and can walk independently for short distances within their own apartment. In some cases, the leg grows to such a size that it is impossible to sit in a stroller with it.

It is impossible to live with the pain that is present; the leg is operated on or, in extreme cases, amputated at the request of the patients. People themselves ask to be rid of the elephant limb so as not to drag a leg that weighs more than its own body along the floor.

Surgery

Surgical treatment is prescribed when conservative treatment is ineffective and complications such as fibrosis and limb deformities are present.

Phlebologists at the Yusupov Hospital microsurgically create a lymphovenous anastomosis - an outflow path for lymph between a vein and a lymphatic vessel. Pathologically changed limbs are reduced in size using liposuction - aspiration of excess adipose tissue. Advanced forms of the disease are treated by excision of pathological tissue. Excess fluid is removed by tunneling the limb with a special drainage.

Symptoms

With lymphostasis, characteristic symptoms appear:

The limb (or limbs) swell and become heavier;
The skin feels tight, as if it is about to tear;
The feeling that the legs belong to another person;
Pain, and sometimes it is unbearable;
Suppuration due to recurrent infection;
Thick skin.

When pressing with a finger on the swollen area, a dent remains for some time. In healthy people, the skin instantly springs back.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Physiotherapy for this disease includes:

electrical stimulation of lymphovascular contractility;
laser therapy;
magnetic therapy;
amplipulse therapy;
UV irradiation of autologous blood is the reinfusion of one’s own blood after its irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Is it possible to cure the pathology?

In cases of congenital pathology, surgery sometimes helps. But it all depends on the specific case. Secondary lymphostasis can be cured with medications and folk methods, in combination with massage and exercise therapy at stage 1 of the disease. Stage 2 is difficult to treat, but you can achieve a better quality of life and maintain the result for a long time.

Lymphostasis of the lower extremities (it is better not to start treatment at home until consultation with a vascular surgeon) at stage 3 cannot be treated.

Alas, the problem can be solved radically - by amputation, or to relieve the patient’s painful sensations with medication, and physically help him in acquiring special devices for moving around the city and independently servicing himself in the bathroom and toilet - that is, in everyday life.

Prognosis for recovery

The disease itself does not pose a threat to the patient’s life. However, its course is often accompanied by complications that lead to irreversible consequences.

For example, severe swelling can limit the patient's movement, causing pain. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, a person loses the ability to care for himself, which negatively affects his quality of life. Developing lymphostasis sometimes provokes functional disorders in tissues. As a result, multiple compactions and trophic ulcers form on the affected limb. This condition is complicated by a decrease in local immunity and the inability to fully resist various infections. An advanced disease leads to erysipelas and sepsis, which often ends in death.

If the patient does not neglect the doctor’s advice and immediately begins the prescribed treatment, the listed complications can be easily avoided. In general, experts give a favorable prognosis for recovery.

Methods of complex treatment at home

If for some reason it is not possible to visit a doctor, but lymphostasis develops due to symptoms, you can begin treatment at home with remedies that are not capable of causing significant harm to health and aggravating the situation. At home, you can take a comprehensive dose of vitamins nicotinic acid and E, and learn how to apply leeches yourself in the evenings.

Before hirudotherapy, a 20-minute exercise therapy in combination with a drainage massage is required. At night you need to make a compress (recipes from traditional medicine can help). In the morning, rub Traxevasin into the swollen limb and put on compression socks.

During the day you need to drink a lot of water, avoid salt and pepper, and smoked foods. Completely reconsider your diet in favor of steamed food, without meat, but with vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits.

Compression treatment and kinesiotherapy

Compression therapy involves squeezing the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the sore leg so that the pressure increases from the foot to the lower leg and thigh. The patient is recommended to keep the affected leg in an elevated position during the day, if possible, and to place a bolster or pillow under it at night (creating an angle of 45%).

Compression is carried out by elastic bandaging the lower limb and wearing an elastic stocking. The application of an elastic bandage is carried out in the morning, without getting out of bed, starting with each toe, then moving to the foot and then to the lower leg and thigh. At night, the leg is unbandaged (see choosing compression garments for varicose veins).

The method of pneumocompression with the help of special devices is also used, which consists of sequential mechanical compression of the leg with a certain pressure. To do this, a special pneumatic boot is put on the sore leg, into which air is pumped in the direction from the foot to the thigh. The course requires 10 – 14 procedures. After each session, light gymnastic exercises are performed.

Kinesiotherapy is performing lymphatic drainage massage and performing physical therapy exercises. Massage for leg lymphostasis supports lymph flow, “expels” lymph from swollen tissues, stimulates phagocytosis by macrophages, and enhances the work of the capillary lymphatic pump. Also, with the help of massage, large-molecular substances that interfere with normal lymph flow are destroyed.

Lymphatic drainage massage is carried out by a specialist and is contraindicated in case of trophic disorders of the skin of the sore leg, vein thrombosis and in the presence of tumors and diseases of the internal organs. Self-massage is also allowed (in the initial stages). At home, it is recommended to massage after taking a warm bath and after applying a special cream to the skin of the leg.

In the first 3 - 5 minutes, circular stroking movements are carried out (it is important to remember: the massage is performed along the lymph flow, that is, from the foot upward), then rubbing movements and pressure are carried out and the session ends with pats. The duration of the massage is 15 minutes. Courses are recommended for 14 days with a 1-2 week break. After completing the massage session, you should do 10 light jumps on your toes or 15 stretches on your toes.

Therapeutic gymnastics (physical therapy) is carried out twice a day, for 5 – 10 minutes and includes the following exercises (on a hard surface):

in a horizontal position, perform a “bicycle” with both the sore and healthy leg;
lift the sore leg up (without bending) and perform circular movements with it;
in a sitting position, bend and straighten your toes;
rotate your legs with your knees and then your ankles;
in a sitting position, draw figure eights with your feet and alternately rotate one and the other foot.

Exercise therapy must be carried out in stockings or elastic bandages. In addition, swimming and Nordic walking (with ski poles) are recommended for lymphostasis.

Drug therapy: groups of drugs, names, instructions for use

To treat lymphostasis, a wide range of medications are needed that can normalize blood flow and lymph drainage, increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and reduce their fragility and permeability.

The following groups of drugs are good for these purposes:

vitamins;
Solcoseryl;
immunomodulators;
antihistamines;
diuretics;
antibiotics;
antiplatelet agents;
angioprotectors;
homeopathic remedies;
benzopyrones;
phlebotopics;
enzyme preparations.

Vitamins: nicotinic and ascorbic acids, vitamins E and A. We need vitamins that can remove free radicals from the body, increase blood flow with oxygen, and make blood vessels firm and elastic. The listed vitamins cope well with these tasks.
Solcoseryl. Stimulates collagen production, which has a beneficial effect on the strengthening and elasticity of blood vessels. But first of all, the product works to reduce swelling.
Immunomodulators. Any means that stimulate a weakened immune system will do: Eleutherococcus extract in tablets, but tincture is better. And if you take succinic acid, then in addition to its immunostimulating properties, it will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Antihistamines. These drugs are included in the regimen for relapses of erysipelas.
Diuretics. Help the body remove fluid as quickly as possible. They are prescribed for obvious edema and with caution, under the supervision of a doctor, since diuretics remove beneficial microelements with excess fluid. Diuretics are always prescribed with magnesium and additional vitamins, and taken exactly on schedule.
Antibiotics. They are used in cases of ulcers and eczema on the skin to suppress inflammatory processes.
Antiplatelet agents. This group of drugs is needed to thin the blood to improve blood flow. The first drugs include Trental.
Angioprotectors: Aescusan, Escin and others. They are designed to tone the veins and reduce swelling, so the products contain horse chestnut extract.
Homeopathic remedies: Lymphomiazot and others. Their task is to stimulate and speed up metabolism, thereby removing excess fat along with moisture and toxins.
Benzopyrones: Coumarin, Calcium Dobelsate and others. This group of products promotes blood thinning and swelling with a high protein content. Water-filled edema more easily goes out through the lymphatic drainage.
Phlebotropic agents: Troxevasin in tablets and in gel form (complex), Troxerutin gel and others. This group of products restores lymphatic drainage by improving microcirculation in small vessels and increasing the tone of large veins.
Enzyme preparations: Phlogenzyme and others. This group of drugs has fibrinolytic and immunostimulating effects.

The treatment regimen for lymphostasis of the lower extremities using the above remedies is drawn up individually, taking into account such features as:

Form of the disease;
Stage;
Condition of the kidneys, liver, heart and the presence of other serious diseases.

Individual intolerance, allergic reactions, and compatibility with other drugs are also taken into account if, in addition to lymphostasis, the patient is treating other diseases with medications that are not compatible with the above group.

Diagnostics

After a thorough collection of medical history and complaints, a vascular surgeon (angiosurgeon, phlebologist or lymphologist) examines the lower extremities and prescribes additional examination methods:

Lymphography

Refers to x-ray examination methods. It consists of introducing 1-2 cubes of lymphotropic dye into the space (between the 1st and 2nd toes) of the foot, and then making a transverse incision of about 2 cm between the metatarsal bones (1st and 2nd), in which blue-colored lymph vessels are visible. An X-ray contrast agent is injected into any of the visible vessels and images are taken.

Lymphography allows you to determine the number of vessels, their shape and patency, the connection of collateral and reserve vessels, and the permeability of the lymph vessel wall. If there is a uniform filling of the vessel with contrast with a preserved diameter along its entire length, then we speak of maintaining patency and damage to the contractile apparatus.

With primary lymphostasis, vascular underdevelopment is noted
In the secondary case, the course of blood vessels is disrupted, the shape is changed, the skin network is filled with contrast and the substance spreads into the subcutaneous tissue (extravasation).

Lymphoscintigraphy

This is a method of radioisotope diagnostics (an isotope substance is injected into the subcutaneous tissue, from where it enters the lymph network, then images are taken with a special gamma camera). The method allows you to monitor the state of the lymphatic system in dynamics and determine the nature of the lymph flow: collateral, mainline or diffuse, as well as complete lymphostasis, assess the patency of the vessels, their tortuosity and the condition of the valves.

Dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities

Or duplex scanning of blood vessels - ultrasound examination of blood vessels using the Doppler effect (allows you to differentiate venous and lymphatic edema).

Other tests

Ultrasound of the pelvic organs - detection of inflammatory diseases or tumors that disrupt lymph flow.
Biochemical and general blood tests - determination of blood proteins, liver enzymes, identification of signs of inflammation, etc.
A general urine test is used to rule out kidney pathology.
Cardiac examination - ultrasound and ECG of the heart are prescribed to identify/exclude cardiac pathology.

Decoctions for internal use

In combination with the compressor you need to drink decoctions. Traditional medicine is rich in recipes for all diseases, so it has methods for preparing immunostimulating and diuretic decoctions. Almost all traditional medicine recipes that contain garlic are suitable for lymphostasis.

Garlic stimulates the immune system. It is not for nothing that it is recommended as the best antiviral folk remedy during the flu season. Immunity restored with garlic suppresses most viruses and bacteria. Makes the immune system work so that it restores the body’s diseases on its own, without medications.

Ginger and cinnamon have a similar effect.

Real green tea is a storehouse of antioxidants in the form of catechins. They bind to free radicals that the body cannot remove on its own and help remove unnecessary cellular debris from the blood.

For lovers of green tea, ginger and cinnamon, a tea cocktail made from the listed ingredients can serve as a decoction. If you replace green tea with raspberry leaves, you can prepare a decoction and steep it for several hours.

Clinical picture

Symptoms of lymphostasis may vary depending on the stage of the disease.

First degree

The initial stage of development of the pathology is called the mild form, since it is characterized by reversibility. Swelling of the legs with lymphostasis at this stage occurs in the area of the ankles, fingers, and also in the back of the foot. Patients note that swelling appears in the evening after physical activity.

The skin over the affected area becomes pale. It can be easily gathered into a fold when palpated. The area of edema does not cause pain and is quite soft. After rest or sleep, these symptoms go away on their own.

Second degree

At this stage of development of the pathological process of the legs, irreversible consequences occur. The second stage lasts quite a long time and is characterized by the proliferation of connective tissue. Swelling of the extremities with lymphostasis gradually covers an increasingly larger area.

The area of swelling is dense. The skin covering the affected area is subject to tension and thickening. It is no longer possible to put it into a fold. Swelling is observed constantly and does not depend on the state of rest or movement. Along with them, patients are bothered by a feeling of heaviness in the legs and painful sensations.

At the second stage, the affected limbs begin to deform and there is a significant increase in their size. Patients note that when standing for a long time, they experience cramps in the calves and feet.

Gradually, the skin becomes bluish in color, and wart-shaped growths appear on it. With regular contact with clothing, the cover is damaged, ulcers and wounds form, from which lymphatic fluid is released.

Third degree

This stage is the most difficult. As it develops, the connective tissue in the area where edema appears grows greatly. The skin becomes dense, rough, and has a bluish tint. The diseased limb becomes larger in size, which is impossible not to notice with the naked eye.

Cystic formations and fibrosis occur in muscle tissue. Externally, the leg resembles that of an elephant. Its functions are impaired to the point of complete loss of the ability to move. At the last stage, chronic lymphostasis is joined by pathologies such as osteoarthritis, eczema, trophic ulcers, and inflammatory processes of the skin.

With severe lymphatic disease, the patient becomes very weak, gets tired quickly, and suffers from headaches. His body weight increases and his concentration is impaired.

Infusion recipes

Garlic crushed in a blender must be poured into 350 g of liquid honey, sealed in a glass jar and left for 7 days in a dark corner at room temperature. If you are not allergic to honey, you can take a teaspoon on an empty stomach every 2 hours, but no later than an hour before meals.

2 tbsp. l. pharmaceutical plantain should be poured into a half-liter jar with boiling water and left for 24 hours. It is advisable to drink the contents of the jar during the day, in 3 servings, before meals. Freshly squeezed red beet juice cleanses the lymph well. A bitter, nasty, but effective juice can be prepared from the green leaves of dandelion and plantain.

Hirudotherapy: treatment features, duration

Hirudotherapy used to be part of official medicine, but over time it became non-traditional and folk medicine. The peculiarity of the treatment is that leeches do not drink thick blood, so nature has endowed them with a coagulant. When a leech bites, it injects its enzyme into a person’s blood, which locally liquefies at the site of the bite. Liquid blood passes through the vessels more easily.

Leeches are sold in some pharmacies, so hirudotherapy can be performed at home. 2 leeches a day are enough. Apply to the area of greatest accumulation of excess liquid. When the bodies of leeches grow in volume, they need to be removed and disposed of. Or wait until they fall off on their own, but you will have to wait a long time.

Remove leeches using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The bite must be treated to prevent infection.

The bite site can bleed for up to 16 hours and secrete up to 300 ml of lymph with blood. This is due to the enzyme that continues to work and thin the blood when the leeches are flushed down the toilet. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's worth considering. That is, it is better to carry out hirudotherapy from evening to night, so as not to walk around with bloody stains on your legs during the day.

Complications and prognosis

If treatment for lymphorrhea is not started in a timely manner, the patient will face the following consequences:

Formation of joint contracture.
Development of deforming osteoarthritis.
Formation of trophic ulcers.
Penetration of infection.
Erysipelas is an inflammatory process that can lead to sepsis and death.

The prognosis for timely treatment of lymphedema is favorable. If the patient refuses treatment, the complications will be very serious.

Diet: rules, list of prohibited and permitted foods

Most often, overweight people suffer from lymphostasis, so treatment will be more effective if you adjust your diet. First of all, salt must be removed from the diet, because it retains excess fluid, which must be gotten rid of during lymphostasis. When consuming salt, taking diuretic medications and infusions is completely useless and sometimes harmful.

When talking about limiting salt, we are also talking about reviewing ready-made store foods that contain sodium. There is no point in eating home-made unleavened borscht with smoked sausage from the store. If you have lymphostasis, you need to drink a lot of clean, fresh water. Not liquids like tea, coffee, mineral water and juices, but clean, clear water without gas, salt, or minerals.

In general, you need to stop consuming:

soda;
boxed juices;
coffee;
kvass and beer;
tana and ayran;
kefir and yogurt.

You can only drink green tea without sugar, fresh juices and herbal infusions. Hot spices are prohibited. The food should become dietary, so you need to forget about the frying pan, and instead buy a double boiler and master recipes for baking in the oven without oil. Dietary food includes a maximum of fruits and vegetables, a minimum of meat and eggs.

From protein allowed:

mushrooms;
River fish;
seafood.

Diet

Depending on the cause of leg lymphostasis, the doctor prepares a diet. The basic nutritional rules for patients with lymphostasis are:

avoiding alcohol and caffeinated drinks;
exclusion of products containing dyes, artificial fillers and flavor enhancers;
reducing salt intake;
exclusion of products with excess animal fat content;
preference is given to foods rich in proteins and fiber;
maintaining water balance;
fractional meals: small portions, but often.

Exercise therapy: list of exercises and technique for performing them

The effectiveness of exercise therapy for lymphostasis depends on the stage of the disease. If the disease is at an early stage, the swelling is mild, and your legs don’t hurt when walking, then you can do active cardio training. But not all types of training are suitable, and there are limitations.

Cardio training should pump up the cardiovascular system, remove excess fluid and toxins through sweat, but training should not injure the knee joints and feet. Accordingly, jumping rope and running are excluded, and exercise on an exercise bike, elliptical trainer, rowing and swimming are suitable. 40 minutes a day or every other day is enough.

In all other cases, leg exercises “bicycle” or “scissors” are suitable. To do this, you need to lie on the floor and pretend to pedal or cross the sheath with your feet. The toes need to be stretched, so you can make flexion-extension movements with them.

Exercise therapy is one of the methods for treating lymphostasis of the lower extremities.

We must not forget about the ankles. They need to be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise. You can study from 20 to 60 minutes a day, preferably without skipping. At the initial stage of the disease, you can combine cardio training with home gymnastics on the floor, and at an advanced stage - cardio training in the form of swimming. They can be performed on days when swelling is minimal and the legs do not hurt.

Gymnastics

Exercise is also an integral part of the treatment of lymphedema. Gymnastics can be classified as a method of physiotherapy. Exercises are prescribed by the attending physician depending on the patient’s condition. Lymphostasis of the calf muscle, thigh and ankle responds well to treatment with gymnastics. It can also be performed to prevent congestion in the lower extremities.

Physical exercise not only helps improve blood and lymph flow, but also has a positive effect on the entire body:

improve the functioning of the nervous system;
normalize breathing and heart function;
strengthen the muscles of the body, increase their tone.

To treat lymphostasis, exercises such as “bicycle”, “figure eight”, raising and lowering the legs, and turning the legs can be used. A more detailed complex is prescribed by a specialist on an individual basis. Patients are also prescribed to wear compression textiles: underwear, bandages, which stimulate fluid circulation in the extremities.

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Forecast

It is difficult to make predictions for successful treatment of the disease, because lymph stagnation affects other diseases, which further aggravate lymphostasis. In treatment, it is important that the patient himself understands his problem and follows all the doctor’s instructions. I didn’t indulge in eating sweets and smoked foods, I gave up smoking and alcohol, regardless of nicotine and alcohol addiction.

And if the patient’s work involves spending the working day on his feet, lifting weights, or sitting at the computer for 12 hours at a time, then, realizing the impossibility of combining such work and treatment, he agreed to a job change. Money plays an important role.

Eating sausage on sale is cheaper than eating vegetables and fruits in winter, pine nuts and quality seafood. Preparing infusions and fresh juices costs money. The patient must be able to financially provide himself with quality treatment and nutrition. Under such conditions, getting rid of the initial stage or minimizing the consequences of the advanced stage becomes more realistic.

Therapeutic nutrition for lymphostasis

First of all, treatment of the disease should begin with dietary adjustments, this is especially true for obese patients. The diet for lymphostasis is aimed at limiting salt intake (sodium chloride causes fluid retention in tissues and swelling) and spicy foods (cause thirst and increase fluid consumption).

The amount of free liquid should be no less, but no more than 2 liters per day (replace tea and coffee with herbal teas, sugar-free compotes, fruit drinks), exclude carbonated drinks. You should also limit simple carbohydrates (bread, pastries, confectionery, candies, etc.), which contributes to the gain of extra pounds, replacing them with complex ones (bread made from wholemeal flour or bran, porridge with water or diluted milk: millet, barley, corn).

Increase the consumption of vegetables and fruits (you can bake, stew, but not fry), give preference to salads made from fresh vegetables, seasoned with vegetable oil. Limit the consumption of animal fats (about 10 grams per day), since saturated (animal) fats in large quantities impede lymph flow. And there should be at least 20 grams of vegetable oils in the diet. daily. In addition, excess animal fat provokes the development of atherosclerosis, which aggravates the course of lymphostasis.

Also, the diet should contain a sufficient amount of proteins of plant and animal origin, which is necessary for the formation of antibodies and strengthening the immune system. Among animal fats, preference is given to fermented milk products, seafood and offal. Sources of vegetable protein are buckwheat, legumes and nuts.

Prevention

It is better to prevent any disease than to treat its consequences.

The main enemy of all humanity is nicotine . It can cause all fatal diseases, in which lymphostasis of the lower extremities becomes one of the symptoms in a chain of more serious diseases.
Heels. Wearing high and thin heels when you are young seems commonplace. But the legs suffer under the uneven distribution of body weight. Small vessels burst from the load and veins enlarge. The feeling of mild and barely noticeable discomfort can last from 5 to 20 years, but one day this condition will begin to progress. Not every woman can guess that lymphostasis of the legs at 40 years old is the result of many hours of fashion shows in stiletto heels at 20 years old.
Excess weight. As with heels, gaining excess weight in youth seems like a harmless overeating of sweets. But the process has already started, because due to poor nutrition and bad habits, metabolism is disrupted. It needs to be restored from a young age so that in old age you do not suffer from obesity, swelling, and sore legs.

Lymphostasis of the lower extremities can be avoided by wearing compression clothing made from natural materials. If you choose tight pants, they should be made of breathable, elastic material. Pants should not be synthetic and interfere with blood flow, so that treatment of edema at home does not become part of everyday life. The skin in them must breathe.

Why does lymphostasis of the lower extremities develop?

There are many causes of lymphostasis. In primary lymphostasis they are as follows:

congenital tumors of the lymphatic system;
insufficient development or pathology of the lymphatic system;
reduced lumen of lymphatic vessels.

Secondary lymphostasis is most often caused by past illnesses or injuries that contribute to congestion. These include:

serious injuries;
scars and vascular damage due to thermal burns and exposure to strong radiation;
cardiovascular failure;
kidney disease;
neoplasms of the lymphatic system;
surgical removal of lymph nodes;
inflammation of the skin of the legs;
diseases caused by parasites;
In addition, a complicating factor in the fight against lymphostasis is excess weight, paralysis of the lower extremities, and long bed rest.