INVITED REVIEW
Lymph is the fluid that circulates throughout the lymphatic system. The lymph is formed when the interstitial fluid (the fluid which lies in the interstices of all body tissues) is collected through lymph capillaries. It is then transported through lymph vessels to lymph nodes before emptying ultimately into the right or the left subclavian vein, where it mixes back with blood.
Since the lymph is derived from the interstitial fluid, its composition continually changes as the blood and the surrounding cells continually exchange substances with the interstitial fluid. It is generally similar to blood plasma except that it also contains white blood cells. Lymph returns proteins and excess interstitial fluid to the bloodstream. Lymph may pick up bacteria and bring them to lymph nodes where they are destroyed. Metastatic cancer cells can also be transported via lymph. Lymph also transports fats from the digestive system.
The word lymph is derived from the name of the Roman deity of fresh water, Lympha.
Lymph has a composition comparable to that of blood plasma, but it may differ slightly. Lymph contains white blood cells. In particular the lymph that leaves a lymph node is richer in lymphocytes. Likewise, the lymph formed in the human digestive system called chyle is rich in triglycerides (fat), and looks milky white.
Another useful way to view the composition of lymph is that it is similar to blood without the red blood cells. That is not a technically precise definition, but it is a good first-order approximation.
There are many lymph diseases. Some occur after some surgeries that breaks structure of lymph nodes.
Some are resulted from unhealthy living conditions. To work long hours in cold without proper exercise or eating high fat food, or gaining sudden weight by high fat foods might worsen lymph diseases.
At present medical treatment is not at best when the condition is at late stage with excess edema or with enlarged lymph nodes. Immune system research, White Blood Cell research will improve our treatment of lymph diseases.
Current therapies at late stages of edema such as massage to the Lymphedema area of body most of the times are not successful.
Regular exercise prior to development of Lymphedema, regular exercise and low-fat diet is good for Lymphedema. White Blood Cell
Future therapies will be developed by improvements in our understanding of White Blood Cells.
In Lymphedema there is increased number of White Blood Cell that staggered to circulate in the body because of unhealthy diet and insufficient exercise. Most of the times people are not at a profession to afford to eat healthy, keep warm environment and have time to do regular exercise. Lack of mobility, sitting long hours on computer is not good. for Lymphedema. Radiation coming from daily household tools, such as radiation from computers, from TVs, is bad on body.
Most people can not afford the living conditions for prevention of
Lymphedema.
Exercise is essential for prevention of Lymphedema, but, one needs to be careful
that NOT ALL EXERCISE WILL RESULT IN BENEFIT; for example, if a genetically Lymphedema disposed person would run 30 minutes very fast (anaerobic exercise ), and would sit on computer in a cold room, such a heavy anaerobic running exercise rather would harm body. After muscle exercise period should be in comfortable clothes, temperature and standing to oxygenate, to relax tired muscle. Unfortunately, there are no good exercise experts to give such advises that after exercise time is also important.
Exercise programme may differ with the stage of disease. If a person believes that herself, or himself is a healthy person, but predisposed to the disease, walking exercise is a good idea. 45 minutes of walk in fresh air is a good exercise; after exercise, the person should allow her/his legs not bended under a computer table, but should rest in comfortable chair with legs high on a stool, or may lay in bed. After exercise muscles needs special care, after-exercise-resting is very important. After walking, one may lay in a bed and do leg exercise such as drawing O letter with leg fingers/foot, when the leg is up from the bed. After a muscle warming exercise, the warm muscle legs should not stay bended at cold. Or in a too hot weather, or bath, it is not good to stand still on legs devoid of any move that stops fluid circulation.
Swimming is good, but not affordable by most.
Long sitting hours in schools' uncomfortable desks, or in working places harmful. Radiation coming from appliances towards the body parts in which White Blood Cells mature, is harmful.
Lymphedema can be called a disease of poor people who can not afford a life to eat good, to stay warm, to stay exercising, of poor people who can not afford not working long hours still standing, or sitting.
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The lymph is a dilution of White Blood Cells which are targeted to tissues to regenerate them, or to help tissues to fight against infectious conditions. Increase in White Blood Cell counts will not always mean Cancer or infection; for example, when aged, tissues such as foot might need cells from bone marrow of body. When for example lung or connection tissue can not replicate at a sufficient rate, putting there undifferentiated White Blood Cells helps. As a matter of fact, a very recent therapy, called STEM CELL THERAPY, is as if adding some Lymph, some undifferentiated White Blood Cells to an unhealthy tissues to repair them faster.
Though replication of human tissues, keeping organs as they are rather is a process of every specific organ cell replication, many times White Blood Cells of bone marrow, lymph nodes are increased to send undifferentiated cells to tissues which are slow to regenerate themselves.
If a person just sits still, bends legs, wears unhealthy clothes, the White Blood Cells motility towards needing organs is staggered. It is not bad that Lymph fluid is there to reach needing tissues, it is bad that, protein malnutrition, cold environment, bad clothes, gravity force of earth towards standing body prevents white blood cells from moving. Lymphedema and vanishing bone (Gorham Disease) or soft tissue disease should not be considered as separate entities, but rather as a spectrum of disease.
