Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Winter Tips for Lymphedema Patients

With the arctic blast in full swing, we thought we would share some tips for our friends with lymphedema!

1. Be very careful of ice. Remember you can’t always see ice, it can be what they call black ice, a very fine coat. Walk on surfaces very carefully. You don’t want to  fall.

2. Dress appropriately. Keep your limbs comfortably warm but not  too warm or too tight. Remember that you can swell in wintertime as  well.

3. Always wear appropriate footwear. Make sure you have  worn and broken in your boots, sneakers or your winter wear before you  tread out. Awkward foot gear can cause falls.

4. Moisturize! Remember in wintertime skin can be extremely dry with the heater blowing.

5. Make sure if you happen to get your  garments or socks wet, change them as soon as possible to avoid skin irritations or fungal infections.

6. Wear mittens instead of gloves. They provide more warmth and gloves can also become tight on the fingers if you swell.

7. Keep a winter lymphedema survival kit in your car.  Try to carry extra medications, bandages, extra blanket, batteries,  flashlights, etc with you in case you are stranded somewhere.

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