Associated symptoms
Lymphedema of the arms often leads to a feeling of tension in the skin in addition to swelling. In addition, the affected arm may be painful and have restricted mobility. Initially, the edema can usually be easily pressed in and after releasing the pressure, dents remain for a short time.
In the further course of the disease a typical doughy swelling without dents develops. In an advanced stage, the arm can also harden considerably. This is especially the case with pronounced lymphedema of the arms and if no timely treatment is given.
Lymphedema of the arms can also cause pain due to the swelling in the tissue, which is particularly noticeable when the arms are strained. In most cases, the lymphedema manifests itself mainly as a feeling of heaviness, pressure or tension. If, however, suddenly there is more severe pain and possibly also reddening and overheating, this may also be a sign of inflammation. These occur more frequently in lymphedema in the arms and should be examined and treated by a doctor. Otherwise there is also a risk of worsening and increasing lymphedema.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of lymphedema of the arms by a physician is made mainly by the physical examination and the medical interview (anamnesis). Typical for lymphedema is that it only occurs on one side of the body and there is a trigger. This can be, for example, a previous operation or an accident with injury to the arm or shoulder.Questions regarding the occurrence of swelling and whether there are alleviating or aggravating factors allow the doctor to make a diagnosis and distinguish it from other causes of arm swelling.
The hardening of the connective tissue that may occur in the advanced stages of lymphedema of the arms can also be determined by an ultrasound examination. In some cases, a lymph drainage scintigraphy may also be useful for the diagnosis of lymphedema. In this procedure, a weakly radioactive substance is introduced into the lymphatic system and the radiation is measured, which can be used to assess the function of the lymphatic system.
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