Lipomatosis is a rare disease with no known cure, but there are ways to manage it. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one option that could help you find relief without resorting to surgery.
Lipomatosis is a rare disease that causes fatty growths, called lipomas, to appear throughout your body. While these growths are almost always benign, they can still cause serious symptoms, especially if they grow to be very large or they press on your organs or nerves.
While there’s no cure for lipomatosis, there are ways to manage the disease. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one newer therapy that shows a lot of promise.
At Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic and Hyperbarics, Manjulatha Badam, MD, CWSP, UHM, offers HBOT as a treatment option for lipomatosis patients in San Antonio, Texas. In this post, she explains the basics of lipomatosis, as well as how HBOT can help.
Quick facts about lipomatosis
Typically first appearing during adulthood, lipomatosis is a rare disease of fatty tissue. People with lipomatosis have multiple benign fatty growths that usually appear on their limbs, torso, head, and neck. Very rarely, lipomas can grow on or even inside your organs.
There are different types of lipomatosis, as well as diseases where lipomatosis is a feature. For instance, people with Decrum’s disease develop many painful lipomas just below the skin surface. Madelung’s disease also involves the growth of subdermal lipomas, usually in the upper torso, arms, or neck.
Diffuse lipomatosis causes these growths to form throughout the entire body, even in the organs. Familial multiple lipomatosis is a relatively common type with a genetic component that runs in families.
Historically, the only treatment for painful or symptomatic lipomas was to have them surgically removed. For patients with many lipomas, this solution can be very problematic. Fortunately, HBOT may provide relief without surgery or anesthesia.
HBOT for lipomatosis management
HBOT is a type of medical therapy that uses a pressurized chamber to deliver pure oxygen. During treatment, you sit inside the chamber (or room) and breathe normally while oxygen is pumped in to the room
The aim of HBOT is to flood your tissues and cells with oxygen, supporting optimal function and natural healing processes. While HBOT is still a new therapy for people with lipomatosis, early indications show a lot of promise.
A multi-session treatment plan could be a good option to help reduce the size and number of lipomas while relieving uncomfortable symptoms.
In addition to HBOT, you should:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Adopt a healthy eating plan
- Stay physically active
- Avoid alcohol, which may contribute to lipoma development
- Learn stress management
It’s also important to manage underlying medical problems, like diabetes and insulin resistance, which may contribute to lipoma growth.
Learn more about HBOT
Lipomatosis can cause a number of concerning symptoms, like pain and discomfort. To learn if HBOT might be a good solution to help you find relief, call us at 210-651-1112 or book an appointment online with us at Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic and Hyperbarics today.