{"id":20004,"date":"2021-06-23T11:51:59","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T15:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novusspinecenter.com\/?p=20004"},"modified":"2021-07-16T14:04:39","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T18:04:39","slug":"venous-insufficiency-causes-symptoms-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novusspinecenter.com\/blog\/venous-disease\/venous-insufficiency\/venous-insufficiency-causes-symptoms-treatment","title":{"rendered":"Venous Insufficiency: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"
Venous insufficiency <\/strong>is a condition that occurs when veins in the legs do not work effectively in returning blood to the heart. With this condition, the blood “pools” or collects in the veins. An early symptom of venous insufficiency is swelling (edema)<\/a> in the ankles and feet. The condition is quite common and often becomes a chronic condition.<\/p>\n In general, venous insufficiency does not pose a serious health threat; however, it can become disabling and cause pain as the condition worsens. In addition, if allowed to continue untreated, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)<\/strong> can lead to skin changes, skin ulcers, and infections.<\/p>\n According to the Society for Vascular Surgery<\/a>, CVI affects up to 40% of the U.S. population. Hippocrates recognized the condition in ancient times and wrote of using bandaging as a treatment.<\/p>\n Arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Veins carry blood back to the heart. In the legs, veins have one-way valves to keep blood from flowing backward. When the vein walls and valves fail to work correctly, pumping blood back to the heart is not as effective as with healthy veins. The condition is called venous insufficiency.<\/p>\n When a person has venous insufficiency, the blood will pool (stasis) in the veins of the legs instead of flowing back to the heart effectively. If chronic venous insufficiency is not treated, it can result in pain and swelling. In addition, leg ulcers may develop.<\/p>\n Venous insufficiency is more common in women than in men. It is also more likely to occur in women between the ages of 40 and 49. However, men between the ages of 70 and 79 are also likely to develop the condition.<\/p>\n Several factors can lead to venous insufficiency, though it’s most commonly caused by blood clots (deep vein thrombosis<\/a>) and varicose veins<\/a>. In addition, when there is an obstruction to blood flow, such as is the case with a blood clot, blood builds up below the clot and leads to venous insufficiency.<\/p>\n In varicose veins, the valves are impaired or can be missing causing blood to leak through a damaged valve. In some cases, weak leg muscles that normally help squeeze blood forward can also contribute to venous insufficiency. Lack of exercise can be a contributing factor to venous insufficiency. Additionally, sitting or standing for long periods can raise the pressure in the veins and may weaken the valves. For unknown reasons, the valves in veins can become ineffective after an extended period of standing.<\/p>\n Individuals who have suffered leg trauma due to an injury, surgery, or previous blood clots are more likely to develop the condition. Other causes of chronic venous insufficiency include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n Chronic venous insufficiency that develops because of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is also known as post-thrombotic syndrome. As many as 30 percent of people with a DVT will develop this problem within ten years after diagnosis.<\/p>\n Some venous insufficiency symptoms can resemble other conditions, often making self-diagnosis problematic. Most symptoms do tend to be mild and not a threat to the health of the legs. However, it is best to see a vein specialist<\/a> for proper diagnosis and treatment if symptoms are present.<\/p>\n Without treatment, the pressure and swelling in the blood vessels may burst the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the legs. If the capillaries burst, the skin may turn reddish-brown, especially near the ankles. In addition, the condition can lead to swelling and ulcers. If ulcers develop, they are difficult to heal and can become infected, causing additional problems. Ulcers are less likely to develop if treatment begins early.<\/p>\n Other symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency can include:<\/p>\n The goal of treating chronic venous insufficiency is to improve blood flow in the leg veins, stop the swelling, and prevent leg ulcers. Specific treatment depends on:<\/p>\n Most treatments for CVI are nonsurgical. In most cases, conservative treatments will improve blood flow in the leg veins. However, if the conservative measures fail to achieve the desired results, medication and non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures are available. Generally, surgery is necessary in fewer than 10 percent of chronic venous insufficiency cases.<\/p>\n Conservative measures<\/strong> that may help increase blood flow in the leg veins include:<\/p>\n Medication<\/strong> can help improve blood flow and can be used in combination with compression therapy to help heal leg ulcers. The types of medication that can help treat chronic venous insufficiency include:<\/p>\n Generally, diuretics (medications used to draw excess fluid from the body through the kidneys) are not typically used to treat CVI unless additional, separate conditions (such as heart failure or kidney disease) contribute to the swelling.<\/p>\n Sometimes more severe cases of venous insufficiency require surgery. However, surgery is recommended in fewer than 10 percent of chronic venous insufficiency cases. Some of the surgical procedures include:<\/p>\n Even with successful treatment, a recurrence of venous insufficiency is common and may require additional treatment.<\/p>\n Dr. Torres established Novus Spine & Pain Center in Lakeland, Florida, with the goal of providing the highest quality pain management care to every patient.\u00a0Whether pain is the result of an injury or from another condition, Dr. Torres offers many different treatment options.<\/p>\n Novus Spine & Pain Center utilizes a comprehensive approach and cutting-edge therapies to restore normal function and allow patients to regain an active lifestyle while minimizing the need for opiates. As our patient, you are our top priority. Our goal is to help you achieve the best possible quality of life.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Our Mission Statement:<\/strong>\u00a0To provide the best quality of life to people suffering from pain by providing state-of-the-art treatments, knowledge and skill, compassion, and respect for all.<\/em><\/p>\n For your convenience, you may\u00a0schedule an appointment<\/a>\u00a0online,\u00a0request a call back<\/a>, or call our office at\u00a0863-473-7849<\/a>.<\/p>\n What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?<\/a> (WebMD)What Is Venous Insufficiency?<\/h2>\n
What Causes Venous Insufficiency?<\/h2>\n
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What are the Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency?<\/h2>\n
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How is Venous Insufficiency Treated?<\/h2>\n
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Minimally Invasive Procedures<\/h3>\n
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Surgery<\/h3>\n
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Novus Spine & Pain Center<\/h2>\n
Venous Insufficiency Resources<\/h2>\n
\nHow do you know if your swollen ankles and feet are caused by venous insufficiency?<\/a> (WebMD)
\nSkin and Sclerotherapy<\/a> (WebMD)
\nChronic Venous Insufficiency<\/a> (Johns Hopkins)
\nChronic Venous Insufficiency<\/a> (Stanford Health Care)
\nChronic Venous Insufficiency<\/a> (Society for Vascular Surgery)
\nVenous Insufficiency<\/a> (Healthline)
\nChronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)<\/a> (Cleveland Clinic)
\nVenous Disease Subfascial Endoscopic Perforator Surgery (SEPS)<\/a> (Cleveland Clinic)
\nChronic venous insufficiency<\/a> (Wikipedia)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[328],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n