Intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare but serious form of oedema and is both a digestive and lymphatic disorder. It is lymphatic because intestinal lymphangiectasia stems from not having properly formed vessels in the intestines. It is digestive, in nature, because the malformed intestinal lymph vessels often lead to diarrhoea and other digestive disorder symptoms.
Intestinal lymphangiectasia is usually a congenital disorder, which means it is present at birth. In most cases, the condition becomes apparent by the time a child is three years old, but it can sometimes take much longer. In situations where intestinal lymphangiectasia is not genetic and is acquired later in life, it is usually following a major cardiac event or because of an obstruction in the digestive system.
It is important to understand what caused your intestinal lymphangiectasia because your treatment plan will depend upon it. If your intestinal lymphangiectasia was secondary, meaning it happened because of a cardiac event or blockage, the goal of treatment is to cure whatever caused it.
However, if you have congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia, it is much more difficult to cure permanently, and treatment will focus on preventing flare-ups and managing existing ones.
One of the first treatment options for intestinal lymphangiectasia is to use medications. Here are some of the most common options:
One of the main causes of flare-ups in people who have intestinal lymphangiectasia is a sudden loss in protein. To keep this from happening, your doctor may recommend taking tranexamic acid. This acid helps to normalize tissue fibrinolytic activity, which helps prevent protein loss.
In addition to protein loss, increased fat absorption can also cause flare-ups of intestinal lymphangiectasia. To keep this from happening, you may need octreotide to decrease the absorption of intestinal fats.
Even if you have intestinal lymphangiectasia, you typically will not experience flare-ups of digestive problems and leg swelling unless you have sudden dietary changes. Fat and protein loss can lead to flare-ups, as well as not having enough fibre in your diet. Therefore, you may need over-the-counter dietary supplements to boost your fat, protein, and fibre levels.
Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia, which is where you are born with intestinal lymphangiectasia, is the most common form of the condition. This is also known as Waldmann Disease. However, you can also develop secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia, which happens as a reaction to cardiac or digestive health conditions. The key to successfully curing secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia is to cure whatever caused the condition in the first place.
Here are some of the potential causes of secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia:
Once the cause of the condition is cured, intestinal lymphangiectasia is much more treatable and manageable.
Once your intestinal lymphangiectasia is under control, strict dietary changes are key to preventing flare-ups. These changes include eating a diet that is high in protein, fibre, and calcium and that has plenty of fruits and vegetables. You also want to eat high amounts of certain triglycerides while reducing other types of fats. It is also good to live a fairly active lifestyle where you get plenty of exercise.
Intestinal lymphangiectasia typically starts out slow but can quickly cause serious complications if you do not take care of it quickly. Therefore, if you have been diagnosed with primary intestinal lymphangiectasia or fear you have developed secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia, it is important to see your doctor immediately. By getting on the proper diet right away, you may be able to avoid any symptoms or complications of intestinal lymphangiectasia.