Encourage the patient to do gentle exercise, if they can. Keep the limb well moisturised to prevent the skin drying out. Avoid carrying out blood pressure checks, cannulation, venepuncture or injections on the affected area. Monitor for signs of redness and increased swelling, as these may show the patient has developed an infection such as cellulitis. Read more about cellulitis. If skin is leaking fluid, clean the skin and keep the area that the limb is resting on dry.
Move the position of limb regularly. Fluid enters the lymphatic system via capillaries. The lymph nodes filter out and destroy debris and bacteria from lymph fluid. There are a number of reasons why the lymphatic system may become damaged. Cancer Lymphoedema is often caused by cancer and treatments for cancer. Lymph nodes can be affected by cancer as they filter cancer cells from the lymph fluid. Radiotherapy Radiotherapy can also damage the lymphatic system and cause lymphoedema.
Lack of movement Movement and exercise help lymph fluid to drain properly, because muscle activity surrounding the lymphatic vessels massages fluid along them. Inflammation Medical conditions which cause the skin to become red and swollen can cause lymphoedema. Diseases of the veins Varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis can cause lymphoedema as they can affect the flow of blood in the veins, leading to fluid overflowing in the surrounding tissues.
Symptoms of lymphoedema Lymphoedema most commonly affects the arms or legs, but can also happen around the torso, head, neck and genitals. Symptoms of lymphoedema are similar to peripheral oedema above and include: swelling pain or discomfort a feeling of tightness or heaviness difficulty moving leaking of fluid from the skin lymphorroea thickening of the skin infections — lymphoedema means you have a higher risk of infection if you have a cut or scratch in your skin.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage — a specialist massage that encourages the fluid to drain away. This can be done by the patient themselves, their carer, someone in their support network or a health professional. Skin care — keeping the skin clean and moisturised. Any cuts or scratches should be cleaned with an antiseptic and covered with a plaster to reduce the risk of infection.
Exercise — moving the body, even a little bit, helps the lymphatic fluid to drain away. There may be other specialist treatments available in some areas. Supporting someone with lymphoedema There are things you can do to help encourage the fluid to drain: Help the patient to put on their compression garments — this can be tricky but there are special applicators available to help. They might find a footstool comfortable. Help them to find the most comfortable positions to sit and lie in.
Encourage gentle exercise. Massage can be helpful for managing lymphoedema. A lymphoedema specialist can teach you, family members and other caregivers, how to do it.
Try to identify when the patient is most affected by the symptom. For example, some patients may be more affected in the afternoon or evening than the morning. Look for stretched or broken skin and monitor it for redness and pain. Keep the affected areas moisturised. Look out for any signs of cellulitis, including if: the skin looks red the skin feels hot to touch the swelling has increased the patient feels pain around the swelling.
Skin care for people with oedema and lymphoedema can include: washing the skin regularly with gentle soap and water drying the skin thoroughly after washing moisturising daily with emollients keeping the skin dry if there is any leakage of fluid lymphorroea. Ascites Fluid build-up in the abdomen is known as ascites. Ascites can happen in different illnesses including: cancer, most commonly ovarian cancer heart failure kidney failure liver failure.
Symptoms of ascites can include: pain or discomfort in the abdomen a swollen abdomen difficulty sitting upright nausea and vomiting loss of appetite acid reflux constipation breathlessness.
Treatment for ascites If you think your patient has ascites, tell a senior healthcare professional as soon as possible. There are also ways you can help someone with ascites to be more comfortable: Help them find the most comfortable positions to sit and lie in. For example, being on their back with their upper body raised slightly, or on their side. Prevent pressure sores by helping with skin care. Support a patient if they want to move about, as walking can be difficult and tiring.
The patient may need walking aids, and periods of exercise should be short with lots of rest in between. Check if they are in pain and let their doctor or specialist nurse know if they need any more pain relief to be prescribed. Report any sudden swelling in any part of the body to the doctor straight away — this may be a sign of something more serious.
Monitor for signs of infection, as fluid in the abdomen can become infected. Signs of infection include redness around the area, a temperature, and the patient beginning to feel more unwell or in pain. Monitor the patient for signs of increasing breathlessness. Breathlessness can be caused by pressure from the swollen abdomen pressing on the lungs.
Or, it can be a sign that fluid is starting to enter the lung. If you notice this, tell a senior professional immediately. Download My Learning form. Key points Oedema is the medical word for swelling due to a build-up of fluid.
Peripheral oedema, lymphoedema and ascites are common in people living with a terminal illness. Skin care, exercise and compression should be part of daily care for all patients with oedema and lymphoedema. Patients with lymphoedema may also benefit from regular massage of the affected area. Be aware of ascites, which causes abdominal swelling. Speak to a GP, specialist nurse or district nurse if you are concerned about cellulitis. Let us know what you think Email your feedback to knowledgezone mariecurie.
Did you find this page useful? Your feedback will help us improve our information and support resources. What were you looking for today? One such confusing mix up of medical conditions are ascites vs edema.
Are these two conditions the same? How do we know if we have one and not the other? This article will answer these questions so if you want to know more, read on!
The abdomen has organs that are enclosed in a membrane or a sac referred to as peritoneum. Usually, this peritoneal cavity will only contain fluids in small amounts. Women, though, can have fluids in the said cavity in varying numbers due to their menstrual period.
It is also important to look after your skin by moisturising the swollen areas — ask your nurse what moisturiser to use. Sometimes you may be offered medicine called a diuretic to treat the oedema — although this may not make a big difference. Marie Curie has more information about treatments for ascites and oedema. You can speak to our specialist nurses on our free Support Line with questions about ascites and oedema. Swelling ascites and oedema People with pancreatic cancer who are approaching the end of their life may get a build up fluid in their tummy ascites or in their legs and feet oedema.
Read about other symptoms at the end of life Pain towards the end of life Fatigue at the end of life Diet and digestion at the end of life Weight loss and reduced appetite towards the end of life Feeling and being sick at the end of life Stomach emptying slowly towards end of life Bowel problems towards the end of life Swelling ascites and oedema Jaundice in the last few months Bedsores towards the end of life Anxiety and depression towards the end of life.
What is ascites? What is oedema? Get support with ascites and oedema Speak to your doctor or nurse if you have any swelling. Published April Review date April
0コメント