Since I had 3 lymph nodes removed from under my left arm, I went through lymphedema prevention with an occupational therapist. And of course she had a sleeve made just for me. The pressure of flying can trigger swelling which does not sound too bad but I have seen that it can be painful and not always go away. So believe it or not, I am going to do what I was told to do and wear it. The good news is that mine is very beautiful. Swirls of bright colors along with a very pretty bird (see below) - it almost looks like a gorgeous tattoo. So me and my beautiful hair are going to go flying and hopefully get in some walking, yoga and pool time in too.
“The No. 1 predictor of who gets lymphedema is the size of the arm to start with,” he said. “Women who have a larger arm size should still be careful, and I think there’s still some value in wearing a compressive sleeve on long flights.” It may be more common if radiation is given after surgery.
You may notice lymphedema for the first time during or just after one of the following events:
- Injury
- Infection
- Burn
- Strenuous activity
- Significant weight gain
- Air travel (because of pressure changes)
Wear a compression garment or low-stretch lymphedema bandage when you travel in an airplane. The compression garment should extend to your hand, even if you usually use one that ends at your wrist. If you’re wearing compression garments for the first time, you should test them before your flight.
- Make sure the garment is comfortable enough to wear the entire flight.
- Make sure the garment doesn’t cause new swelling in your hand or arm.
BOTTOM LINE The risk of lymphedema from flying appears to be small.
