When you have healthy veins in your legs, the blood in the veins will flow upward and enter your heart. However, if you have damaged or weak veins, the blood will build up in them while failing to reach the heart. You will see significant swelling in your legs when this happens.
Venous insufficiency is the name of the condition where the blood flow in the veins of your legs has trouble reaching the heart. Millions of adults, especially those over 50, suffer from this condition. You must learn to recognize the symptoms of venous insufficiency because it can cause severe health problems if you let it persist. Contact The Secret Vein Clinic to learn more about venous insufficiency or to schedule a consult with our team: (858) 412-3353
The Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency
You won’t know you have venous insufficiency until certain symptoms present themselves. Here are the most common symptoms associated with this condition:
Varicose veins- Ankle swelling
- Leg swelling
- Brown-colored skin around the veins
- Leg ulcers
- Tightness in your legs and calves
- Painful leg cramps
- Muscle spasms
Of course, these symptoms can also be associated with other health issues. You should consult your primary care physician to confirm whether these symptoms are from venous insufficiency or other conditions.
The Causes of Venous Insufficiency
Do you want to know if you’re at risk of venous insufficiency? Here are some of the most common causes of developing this condition:
- Living a sedentary lifestyle where you sit and stand for long periods each day
- Reaching age 50 or older
- A family history of vein-related health conditions
- Pregnant
- Overweight or obese
- A history of leg injuries or blood clotting in the legs
If you’re dealing with one or more of these situations in your life, you are at a much higher risk of developing venous insufficiency. Talk to your primary care physician if you have concerns about these lifestyle factors and whether you can take steps to reduce their risk of causing venous insufficiency.
The Treatments for Venous Insufficiency
There are a variety of treatments that are effective for reducing and eliminating venous insufficiency. They include the following:
Home Remedies – Try naturally stimulating the blood flow to your leg veins by lying on the floor and raising your legs above your head. Not only will this increase blood flow, but it can reduce an existing swelling. You could also try wearing compression stockings to boost the blood flow. And, of course, don’t forget about exercising every day, preferably 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise.
Medicines – Your doctor can prescribe or recommend medicines to stimulate blood flow in your leg veins. If you have ulcers, you can take aspirin to help them heal and reduce the pain.
EVLT – Endovenous Laser Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser energy to close the damaged leg veins to prevent blood pools and clots. It ultimately improves blood flow in the veins.
Sclerotherapy – Severe cases of venous insufficiency may require sclerotherapy, where the doctor injects a specialized chemical into your damaged veins to cause them to collapse and return blood to the heart.
Surgery – The final treatment method is surgery, such as ligation, to tie off the damaged vein to stop the blood flow and redirect the blood flow to other veins. The worst-case scenario is to remove the damaged vein entirely.
Learn More About Venous Insufficiency
Do you have questions about venous insufficiency and the treatments available for it? Contact The Secret Vein Clinic in San Diego to make an appointment with our vein specialist to learn more about this condition: (858) 412-3353
