Patient's question:
The school has moved to a new classroom.For the first three days, there was one instance of skin rash and itching, which the doctor said was a skin allergy. Antiallergic medication was used.
Yesterday afternoon, after school, I noticed redness and heat on my face but didn’t pay much attention. This morning, upon waking up, I found swelling on my face and upper limbs.
What could be the cause, and what should I do?
Doctor's answer:
The occurrence of upper limb edema is primarily due to the destruction of normal lymphatic tissue structure after axillary surgery and/or radiation therapy. This leads to lymphatic (lymphatic refers to the return of lymph, which is a term often used directly in Chinese medical contexts and doesn't have a direct single-word English equivalent, so I've kept it as is but noted its meaning) and accumulation in subcutaneous tissue. Essentially, it is classified as lymphedema. Once lymphedema occurs, it often creates a self-reinforcing vicious cycle. This is because the accumulation of protein-rich lymph in the interstitial space increases the colloid osmotic pressure of the tissue, thereby causing edema. On the other hand, it stimulates fibroblast proliferation, releasing collagen from the interstitial tissue, leading to fibrosis of the subcutaneous tissue and further exacerbating lymphatic (lymphatic refers to the obstruction of lymphatic, similar to the above, I've kept it as is but noted its meaning).