Diseases of the lymph vessel system | The Lymph Vessel System

Diseases of the lymph vessel system

Diseases of the lymph vessel system can be caused by flow disturbances or infections. If a large number of pathogens enter the body and the lymph fluid transports these pathogens from lymph node station to lymph node station, the vessel may become inflamed. This is also known as lymphangitis.

A lymphangitis becomes visible by a red stripe mostly on the forearms. This is commonly known as “blood poisoning”. If antibiotic treatment is not given, the red stripe moves further and further towards the head.

In addition to the red stripe, lymphangitis can also lead to a painful and/or swollen arm as a complication. In addition to antibiotic treatment, the arm should be immobilized and cooled and treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Another very common disease of the lymphatic vessel system is lymph drainage congestion.

It can occur at any position of the lymphatic vascular system and can have various causes. Very often, especially warm days are responsible for the congestion processes in the lymphatic vascular system. The result is water retention, which can be seen as swelling of the feet or legs.

Sitting or standing for a long time can also lead to the same effect. Lymph node enlargements can also lead to congestion of the lymphatic drainage system. Lymph node enlargements are usually caused by infections and are an expression of the normal and necessary defence reaction of the body.

However, if they occur in unusual places or progress without an infection being present, in rare cases other causes such as leukemia or lymphomas may be underlying the condition and should be clarified. A very extreme lymphatic congestion is the so-called elephantiasis. In most cases, one leg swells up many times over.

In addition to the exact search for the cause, regular lymph drainage should be carried out for all lymph drainage disorders. In this measure, which is assigned to physiotherapy, the excess lymph fluid is distributed evenly in the lymph vessel system by means of a regular pressure and sliding technique.