Question

• Give an explanation as to why lymphedema and vascular edema are not the same.
• What are some of the causes?
• What is your understanding of what is carried in lymph and where it is coming from and going to?
• How is this related to blood flow in the arteries and veins?

Answer 1

In lymph edema is caused by the breakage of lymph vessels or the blockage of lymph vessels. In vascular edema the blood vessels break and the surrounding tissues are damaged due to pressure and swelling occurs.

The main causes of edema are heartfailure, kidney failure,liver cirrhosis, lymphatic problems etc. In specific to lymphedema the lymphatic system may be underdeveloped or may be sometime removed for somekind of lymphatic treatment or blockage due to some infection.

Lymph is more protein rich. Contain water,protein,white blood cells,lipids,salts etc. It is formed formed from the interstitial fluid and which is formed from blood and it will return to blood itself. Because the lymph components changes as per the bloods exchange of these components to the tissues. The arteries and veins meets at the capillary junction. This is the place where blood supplies component to the cells. So the component concentration will be different and the components exchanged to the cells will be different at different site. So the lymph formed at different sites are different. This depends upon the blood in arteries and veins and the site where lymph is formed.