• Avoid injuries, overstraining, and cold and heat applications.
• Do not carry heavy suitcase or shopping bags with the endangered arm.
• Be careful using a kitchen knife.
• Be careful while sewing by hand (wear a thimble).
• Do not tend to a hot stove or oven without a hot pad.
• Be careful when ironing.

Garments:

• The strap of the brassiere should not cut into the skin of the shoulder or chest.
• The prosthesis should be as light as possible.
• Avoid tight-sleeved dresses and blouses, and tight skirts, pants, and belts.

Care of the body and hair:

• Keep meticulously clean. Cleanse your skin and brush your teeth with particular care.
• Do not cut your cuticles.
• Do not use irritating cosmetics of alkaline soap.
• Be careful when using a sauna; it is not necessarily harmful, but the possibility of harm does exist.
• Avoid sunburn.
• At the hairdresser's protect your shoulder and upper arm from the heat of the hair dryer.

Gardening:

• Avoid injuries (thorns, gardening tools).
• Avoid cat scratches!

Sports:

• Do not engage in extreme sports of any kind.
• Avoid abrupt movement of the endangered shoulder (rowing, tennis, golf).
• Avoid frostbite.
• Avoid injury (Alpine skiing is dangerous, cross country skiing less so. Swimming is recommended)

Nutrition:

• Maintain your ideal body weight. If you are obese, spare no effort to get slim.
• There is no such thing as a “lymphedema diet.” Strive for balanced nutrition and drink fresh orange juice. 

Holiday trips:

• Avoid regions with insect pests.

At the doctor's office:

• No blood pressure measurements on the endangered arm (except in an emergency).
• No injections (either in the skin or in the muscles, veins or joints) on the side of the endangered arm (except in an emergency).
• No drugs should be injected into the operation scars.
• No withdrawal of blood from a vein of the affected arm (except in an emergency).
• No acupunture on the endangered side.

Contact your physician immediately in the event of:

• Inflammation on the endangered arm.
• Periodontitis.
• Tonsillitis

Avoid both active and passive smoking!