Do I have Lipedema? Maybe you have already visited some doctors, and still don’t really know if you suffer something you’ve heard about recently, called Lipedema or Lipoedema. If you have doubts about having Lipedema, you are in the correct place, because in this article we will explain to you step by step
some basic concepts that will help you to learn more about this disease. In order to know if you really have Lipedema, it is most important to be examined and diagnosed by a specialist doctor (there are not many, because this is a disease still quite unknown). This is something obvious; however, we know that
the road is not easy at all with regards to this condition; but don’t worry, because at IVALI LIPEDEMA ADVANCED CARE we are here to help you with Lipedema.

At the Instituto Valenciano del Lipedema, we have a specialised multidisciplinary team, very experienced in terms of diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Specifically for diagnosis, we have Dr. Ignacio Sánchez Nevárez, who is a specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery. Likewise, Dr. Alexo Carballeira is our Medical Director, and one of the surgeons with more prestige in the surgical treatment of Lipedema. In order to diagnose this condition, it is very important to prepare the clinical record of the patient, that is to say: to know and analyse their body, their family history, symptom evolution, etc.

How can I know if I have Lipedema? What should I watch for? Which are the symptoms of Lipedema? This series of questions are very frequent among patients the first time they “find” information about this condition, which is little known but affects over one in ten women in the world. Here we will tell you what
is more relevant, but if you need more information, please feel free to contact us or call us at +34 963 410 600.

Let’s go with a test that can help you to find out whether you suffer from Lipedema or not. If you meet many of these criteria (no consensus regarding the exact number), you should consult specialists for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible, because Lipedema is a progressive disease and should be
treated early on in order to delay its progression and improve the patients’ symptoms and quality of life. Here is the test:

• Background / History: Consider if there have been more similar cases in your family (both on your mother’s and your father’s side). Is the upper part of your body disproportionally thinner than your lower half? Did you already have thick legs in your puberty? Has this volume increased over time?
• Fat Symmetry and Distribution: Do your legs and/or arms present a disproportionate accumulation of fat? Fat is not symmetrically distributed among legs, hips and thighs: this is a quite common point, and is usually easy to detect.
•  Pain: Do you often feel pain or discomfort when there is contact with these areas? Are these areas more sensitive? For example, if you feel pain when your child sits on your legs, or when they grab you by the arm with some pressure.
• Hands and Feet: Lipedema does not affect hands and feet, this greater accumulation of fat is not present, unlike in legs and arms. This is one of the most visible and differentiating characteristics.
• Diet and Physical Exercise: Have you changed your habits and are on a healthy (well-controlled) diet, and you are also doing exercise quite frequently, but there has been no reduction in the affected areas? This is a factor that usually differentiates Lipedema from Obesity
•  Heaviness: When you stand up for a long time, do your legs get more swollen? Another symptom can be noticing tiredness in your legs when you climb stairs or do strength exercises with your lower limbs. Does it take longer than normal to warm up (the affected areas) after some time in the cold?
• Skin: When you suffer from Lipedema, the skin could be coarser than normal, with a nodular texture. There is frequent bruising. Do you get bruises that you cannot associate with anything?

This test will give you some orientation about whether you suffer from Lipedema; but we insist, this is not conclusive until you are examined by a specialist in this condition. Only the Lipedema expert can give you a clear diagnosis after examining you, knowing your story and conducting the necessary tests. We recommend you to consult a specialist as soon as possible, because Lipedema is a progressive condition and requires early
treatment, first with conservative measures and later on with surgical procedures, depending on each case.