According to some experts, about 140 million people on the planet suffer from lymph stagnation. Other researchers claim that this figure is much higher. Be that as it may, people often do not even realize that they have this problem. More precisely, a person understands that something wrong is happening to the body, but does not associate this condition with lymph. Meanwhile, lymph stagnation should absolutely not be underestimated: this condition can cause very serious health problems.
Lymphatic system brief description
The lymphatic system is sometimes referred to as the circulatory system, but it has its own organs and internal fluid - lymph. In the embryo, this system develops already in the sixth week, and in the ninth week vessels and nodes begin to appear. The main functions of the lymphatic system are to cleanse the body of toxins and protect it from foreign bacteria. The lymphatic system consists of organs (bone marrow, spleen, thymus), capillaries (they collect fluid), vessels (fluid from the capillaries enters there) and lymph nodes (they accumulate everything that was collected by the capillaries and vessels).
How does the lymphatic system work?
The lymphatic system works according to the following principle: intercellular fluid (also known as lymph) flows through the body and washes the cells, feeding them with the necessary substances, and the cells, in turn, give it waste products and toxins. Then all this “garbage” continues to flow, first through small capillaries, then through larger vessels, and finally enters the lymph nodes, which serve as a kind of filter in which all these substances are neutralized.
Lymph nodes play a vital role in cleansing the body. Just imagine how many viruses and bacteria are destroyed by our immune system. And how many toxic substances enter our body through air and food! And all this happens every day. All these harmful substances are sent to the lymph nodes for cleaning. From there, the lymph comes out already cleansed and neutralized. It is in the lymph nodes that lymphocytes and antibodies are produced, which guard the body’s defense against various infections.
The lymph also receives dust particles from the lungs, destroyed and tumor cells, and it removes all this into the excretory system. Moreover, thanks to the lymphatic system, excess water and salts are removed from the tissues.
What is lymph stagnation?
Lymph is extremely important for the health of our body. Now imagine that it has stopped moving through the body and removing all filtered debris from the body. All toxins and harmful substances remain in the body in their original form, nothing neutralizes them, and they begin to poison your body, because nothing fights them. The body tries to resolve the failure in its system, and all the waste begins to come out from completely different places. This may include acne on the skin or an allergic rash, increased sweating with an unpleasant odor, and the color and general condition of the skin may worsen. Often, unpleasant symptoms on the skin indicate stagnation in the lymphatic system. Also, weak lymph outflow affects body weight, since excess fluid accumulates in the body and the metabolic process slows down. If the functioning of the lymphatic system is disrupted, swelling of the lower extremities (here it is a matter of gravity) and face may appear.
If you notice symptoms such as general weakness, which is not motivated by anything, a sharp decrease in body weight, loss of appetite, or a slight increase in temperature, then these signs may indicate a malfunction of the lymphatic system.
You should also pay attention to the condition of the lymph nodes. You can inspect them yourself. See if they are enlarged or if they hurt when palpated? How mobile are they? Has the skin tone over the lymph node changed?
Why does it occur
What inhibits the movement of lymph? To understand this, let's first understand what makes it move.
In general, lymph flows through its vessels slowly. The difference compared to the speed of blood flow is significant. Why? Because lymph does not have its own organ that would make it move. Blood has such a pump - this is the heart, but nothing specially pumps its white assistant.
Our lymph moves due to muscle contraction. The muscles contract, put pressure on the lymph vessels and push their contents. The main “pumping” of lymph is provided by the muscle pumps of the feet, ankles, calves, thighs, etc.
Therefore, for the fluid to stagnate, it is enough to simply not move for a while or incorrectly distribute the load on the musculoskeletal system. Any uncomfortable position in which the lymph vessels will be compressed can cause harm.
Mild lymph congestion occurs:
- the morning after sleep, especially if you sleep in an incorrect, uncomfortable, monotonous position (burying your face in the pillow, squeezing your arm or leg, etc.),
- after long trips, which also limit posture and movement,
- as a result of being on your feet for a long time, long walks (lymph flows from bottom to top, and an exclusively vertical body position can slow down its outflow),
- after a working day that you spent sitting with a minimum of physical activity, it is especially harmful to sit cross-legged,
- when wearing tight clothing and uncomfortable shoes (tight, high heels, no heels, flat soles).
Also provoking factors are:
- heat,
- spicy and salty foods,
- alcohol,
- stress,
- unfavorable environmental situation,
- physiological characteristics: flat feet, obesity, hormonal imbalances.
If lymph stagnation is transient and occurs rarely, then it does not pose a threat to health, only the aesthetic side suffers. But such conditions can develop and turn into a chronic problem, and then it will become a disease - lymphostasis.
Causes of lymph stagnation
The most common cause of lymph stagnation is insufficient activity during the day and a sedentary lifestyle. After all, it is the muscles that pump lymph. If you have a sedentary job where you sit for 8-9 hours in the office, have you noticed how exhausted you are and you don’t even have the strength to move, although you are not physically tired? The reason for this fatigue lies in the stagnation of lymph. The muscles did not contract, the lymph did not move throughout the body, did not rid it of toxic substances and, as a result, the body was poisoned by them.
Proper care to get rid of bags under the eyes
To prevent dark circles and bags under the eyes from appearing, it is recommended to follow these tips:
- Sleep for at least 7-8 hours on a comfortable pillow in a ventilated area.
- Try to limit your consumption of spicy, salty, fatty foods. Do not abuse alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or smoking.
- Drink enough clean, non-carbonated water (at least 2 liters per day!).
- Provide yourself with daily physical activity - at least short walks.
- Use cosmeceuticals prescribed by your doctor. Don't prescribe your own care!
- Do not stretch the skin under your eyes or rub this area.
Typical symptoms of lymphostasis
Lymphostasis is a disease that occurs when the outflow of lymph is impaired and is characterized by swelling of one or two legs. This disease has three forms: mild, moderate and with complications.
The mild form is characterized by passing swelling of the extremities. Swelling may appear after a hard day of work or physical activity and usually subsides with rest. You may not even notice it.
With moderate severity of the disease, the swelling no longer goes away after rest and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- the skin is stretched and compacted;
- painful sensations in the limbs;
- convulsions;
- if you press on the swelling, a dent remains.
Complications of this disease include infectious inflammation “erysipelas”, hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, lymphorrhea. The most dangerous complication is a malignant tumor - lymphangiosarcoma.
To diagnose this disease, the doctor does:
- Ultrasound of the veins to determine whether fluid has accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue;
- lymphography (a contrast agent is injected into the vessel to track its movement on an x-ray);
- lymphoscintigraphy, which helps determine the condition of the lymph nodes and the degree of obstruction of lymph outflow.
To prevent illness, it is necessary to monitor and care for the skin, and treat all wounds on time.
What should you avoid?
It is not recommended to do lymphatic drainage exercises during pregnancy and lactation, oncology, inflammatory diseases, thrombophlebitis, lymphadenitis and lymphadenopathy. Licorice root is also often mentioned in folk recipes for dispersing lymph. But people with high blood pressure are not recommended to take it, so be careful.
It is possible to improve the functioning of the lymphatic system and speed up the outflow of lymph only if you approach this problem comprehensively. Therefore, in the “Flourish” marathon, in order to successfully cleanse the body and restart the lymphatic system, everything is worked out from the face to the thoughts. To achieve visible results, you will have to try hard, and not just work for 2-3 days. Interesting? Then read more on the marathon page.
Cosmetic procedures for bags under the eyes
There are many ways to treat bags under your eyes and get rid of dark circles and wrinkles. A cosmetologist at the Marina Ryabus clinic will draw up an individual plan of procedures for you to most effectively correct this deficiency. Below we list options for working with swelling of the middle third of the face:
- Fotona laser. This is a truly universal platform that allows you to restructure tissue at the cellular level, normalize skin color, tighten it, and reduce the severity of fatty bags.
- Ultrasonic device Liftera-A. Works great on puffy faces. After one procedure, a person looks fresher, the face becomes more defined, and the skin acquires an even color. The effect of Lifter on the periorbital area lifts the upper eyelid, relieves swelling of the lower eyelid, and reduces the severity of the nasolacrimal groove.
- Injections of mesococktail Mesoai / Mesoscalpt. The introduction of indirect lipolytics (restructuring fat cells) into the tissue can reduce the severity of bags under the eyes and refresh the look. Mesotherapy is combined with hardware techniques.
- Contour plastic surgery with Sculptra / Radiesse preparations. When the face requires a stronger frame, these fillers are used to create a healthier, more youthful geometry.
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