Latest news with #lipoedema
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Times
My friend finally has a diagnosis of lipoedema, but she still feels judged when she explains it
A seemingly innocuous memory surfaces regularly for me. I was a teenager paddling on the beach in Clonea , near Dungarvan . A beautiful, dark-haired woman in a navy swimsuit ran past me from the sand into the waves. She had a slender upper body but her legs were disproportionately large. They were doughy-looking, uneven and lumpy with lots of bruises. Her feet were as slender and narrow as her upper body, despite a cuff of fat that made her ankles look three times the size you would expect given her feet. As a teenager self-consciously huddled into rolled-up jeans and a jumper, with no intention of swimming, I was envious of this woman's confidence. All these years later, I think I might know what was happening with her legs. I wonder if she had lipoedema? If she did, I wonder if she knew? It is unlikely she did. June is International Lipoedema Awareness Month. It is badly needed because lipoedema is a neglected and much misunderstood disease. The director of The Lymph Clinic , Meadbh MacSweeney, defines lipoedema as a disorder characterised by a genetic, inherited, female-dominant, hormone-related maldistribution of fat. In other words, women with lipoedema have legs and hips that are heavy, painful, and – because it is not caused by being overweight – resistant to the kind of diet and exercise that normally reduces weight. It is quite likely that the grannies, aunts or mothers of sufferers had mysteriously heavy and sore legs, too. READ MORE In the early stages, the skin is smooth. As it progresses, the fat becomes fibrotic and nodules can be felt under the skin, sometimes compared to rice, or akin to frozen peas. In its later stages, the affected areas become noticeably more disproportionate to the rest of the body. Larger nodules are palpable under the skin, and fat pads begin to develop around the thighs and knees. Their legs can become quite distorted looking, with large overhangs of fat and skin, causing predictable effects on mobility. Many women also have it in their arms, and some predominantly so. Just like in legs, it results in pain, soreness and tiredness. In the early stages, feet and hands remain normal sized, giving rise to the bracelet or cuff effect around the ankle or wrist, almost as if the feet and hands belonged to another body. Given the stigma around body shape, the fact that it is hormone-related and often kicks off in puberty means that many young women think they are simply overweight. They grimly start to diet and exercise. What often happens is that they lose weight everywhere else, but their legs (or arms) remain stubbornly disproportionate. Finding help is hard. It is often misdiagnosed as lymphoedema , which results from an abnormal accumulation of lymph fluid in the body's tissues. Lymphoedema occurs when the lymphatic system, a vital part of the immune system responsible for draining excess fluid, proteins and waste products from tissues, and returning them to the bloodstream, is either damaged due, say, to cancer treatment, or impaired since birth. Unlike lipoedema, lymphoedema often affects one limb more than another. In the early stages, an indent will be left when the swollen area is pressed. Feet and hands are affected. Normal fat is the other condition for which lipoedema is often mistaken, but pain and hypersensitivity to touch do not accompany normal fat or cellulite, much less the kind of dragging tiredness that characterises lipoedema. Many women also report mysterious bruising that appears with no apparent reason. Often, a diagnosis can take years. The World Health Organisation has a set of codes, the International Classification of Diseases. Healthcare professionals use these codes as a standardised framework for recording, reporting and monitoring diseases. Lipoedema had no code until 2019, when it was recognised as a distinct disease. The lack of a disease code was a major obstacle for patients seeking diagnosis and treatment. It impacts everything from medical education – and, therefore, obtaining a diagnosis – to research to data collection. A friend who finally secured a diagnosis has given up trying to explain to others about lipoedema. She says that once she mentions abnormal distribution of fat, she can feel herself being judged. Nonetheless, there is help and hope. There is a thriving Irish support group, the Lipoedema Support Network Ireland . Properly fitted compression garments help many, while an anti-inflammatory diet can help too. Many Irish women opt for surgery. While most have to travel abroad, some have been reimbursed through the cross-border directive for treatment in other EU countries. Mostly, education and compassion are needed. Doctors often inadvertently gaslight their patients because healthcare professionals do not know enough about lipoedema. Sadly, not everyone is as confident as that dark-haired swimmer from years ago. Being stigmatised hurts. The next time you see someone you are about to judge for their body shape, whether it is this miserable condition or for other reasons, maybe try compassion instead.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Young Aussie nurse is handed shock diagnosis at 30 after bruising on her legs for years - and one in nine women are at risk
A Perth mother had always dismissed her unexplainably bruised legs until a shock diagnosis finally offered answers. Registered nurse and personal trainer Taylor O'Malley discovered just two weeks ago that her years of leg bruising were a result of little known condition, lipoedema. The 30-year-old woman posted about her diagnosis in a now viral TikTok video, explaining in the caption that she had 'always felt strongly it was abnormal how easily I bruise'. 'My legs constantly look [bruised] and I can't even explain how most of the bruises got there,' she said in the video, which has been viewed over 12.1 million times. 'Easy bruising is one of the main symptoms of lipoedema. It all makes sense now. 'There's no way to stop the bruising but at least I know I'm not crazy.' According to Health Direct, Lipoedema is a chronic (long-term) health condition that causes an abnormal build up of adipose (fatty) tissue in the body. It most often affects the legs, thighs and buttocks. The condition is believed to affect around one in nine females in Australia. While there's no known cause of lipoedema and no specific medical test to diagnose the condition, there are numerous common symptoms, including bruising easily, build-up of fatty tissue, leg pain and swelling of the legs. FEMAIL spoke to Taylor about how she finally found out about the condition and why it took so long to confirm she had it. The nurse said she'd always had 'really chunky legs compared to my waist' ever since her teenage years – and simply put down the uneven appearance of her thighs as 'bad cellulite'. 'It just never really went away with diet or exercise, even though I've always been very fit and active,' Taylor said. 'I was always able to lose weight from my waist but never really from my legs.' In hindsight, Taylor says the most obvious missed symptom however was the constant bruising on her legs. 'It was a running joke among my friends about how I always had bruised legs,' she said. The health care worker said she'd dismissed the bruises until a few years ago after falling pregnant with her first child. Suddenly, she noticed she was bruising more easily than usual. Lipoedema often occurs hormonal changes like puberty, pregnancy, IVF or menopause. Despite raising her concerns with doctors, her blood tests showed no anomalies and doctors advised Taylor that her bruises were simply what was 'normal for her and her body'. The penny finally dropped for Taylor when she chanced upon an Instagram post shared by a woman who had lipoedema. Discussing the possibility with her GP, Taylor said the doctor admitted to knowing very little about the condition – but connected her with several specialists in the area. Eventually, a physiotherapist specialising in lipoedema examined Taylor. 'Since I was diagnosed, everything in my life now makes sense,' she said. The confirmation was a bittersweet moment. On the one hand, Taylor said it was 'disheartening' knowing she would never achieve the 'long, lean legs' she'd always been working hard to achieve, and would probably always feel self-conscious wearing a swimsuit. But on the flip side, it meant she now had clarity around the best management approach. Although lipoedema is a chronic and incurable condition, Taylor said she is embracing a range of health, lifestyle and medications management options. 'You have to wear compression pants every single day and perform lymphatic drainage massage,' Taylor explained. 'The Mediterranean diet is also proven to help, so you want to be removing carbs from your diet. 'Exercise is important, but it should be low intensity exercise, like walking instead of running. 'I've also been recommended to use a vibration plate for 10 to 20 minutes a day to help lymphatic flow and drainage.' She said there has also been recent discussion around the potential benefits of semalgutide injections, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, but was yet to personally explore it. 'The last resort is liposuction to remove the fatty cells,' said Taylor. 'That's a path I really don't want to go down until a lot later in life if I have to.' For now, Taylor said her diagnosis has also sparked a pivot in her personal training and online health coaching business, inspiring her to focus specifically on helping others going through similar health journeys. She also regularly shares lipoedema updates and advice to her social media accounts under the handle @pt_tayloromalley. 'What I'm hoping to achieve, is to make people more aware of this condition, because no one really knows about it,' Taylor said. 'I've always loved helping people, hence why I've trained in nursing and personal training,' she added. 'The silver lining of my lipoedema diagnosis is that me working through it can hopefully help so many other girls out there working through it too.' What are the common symptoms of lipoedema? • Build up of fatty tissue in legs, buttocks, thighs and sometimes upper arms • Fat rings around ankles — feet usually appear normal • Swelling of the legs (oedema) • Easily bruised • Increased joint flexibility, which can develop into arthritis (joint inflammation) • Appearance of lumpy, nodular fat in other areas of body, including abdomen, groin, breasts and scalp • Sensation of heaviness, achiness or discomfort in affected areas • Affected areas that are sensitive to touch and often feel cold • Reduced hair growth on affected areas
