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Are Vein Problems Harming Your Legs?
If your veins have trouble carrying blood from your feet back to your heart, the effects may be showing up in your legs. Vein problems may be cosmetic, or they may cause your legs to ache, burn, or swell. Some vein problems can cause blood clots or damage tissue. But be reassured that no matter how serious your vein problem is, treatment can help control your symptoms.
Improving Your Condition
Whether your vein problem is simply cosmetic or poses a health risk, you and your doctor can work together to improve your condition.
Treating a Vein Problem
After determining that you have a vein problem, your doctor will monitor your condition with regular checkups. Your problem may be controlled by reducing the swelling in your legs. But if symptoms worsen or threaten your health, medical or surgical treatment may be needed.
What You Can Do
Your goal is to improve blood flow back to your heart. You'll be successful if you remember the three Es: Elevate, Exercise, and Elastic stockings.
How Blood Circulates
The ongoing flow of blood from the heart to the body and back to the heart again is called circulation. Blood vessels carry blood throughout your body, much like pipes circulate water in your home. Arteries are the vessels that deliver blood to your body. Veins are the vessels that return blood to the heart.
How Circulation Becomes Impaired
If a vein is damaged, blood flow back to the heart is reduced. Although your muscles still squeeze blood up the vein, weak or injured valves cannot support the blood when the muscle relaxes. Some blood drops back down the vein, putting extra pressure on the valves below. Over time, these valves also weaken. As a result, you may develop ropy veins, pooling or clotting blood, or a combination of these problems.
Your Medical Evaluation
Your doctor is likely to perform a full medical evaluation if you have sudden or severe leg pain or ongoing swelling. If your medical history and exam suggest a vein problem, you may have tests to help your doctor determine the severity of your condition.
Measuring Blood Flow
To identify where and how badly your veins are damaged, you may have tests to evaluate blood flow. These noninvasive tests are painless and do not use needles, dyes, or x-rays.
- During a Doppler evaluation, your doctor, nurse, or trained technician uses a special stethoscope to listen for changes in blood flow that may indicate a clot or a valve problem.
- Duplex imaging bounces sound waves off your vein to create an image that shows the size and shape of your vein, as well as the amount of blood flowing through it.
Your Treatment Plan
After considering all the information gathered during your evaluation, your doctor will discuss a treatment plan with you. Depending on your condition, this may include medications or medical or surgical treatment, as well as self-care. Vein problems seldom go away completely, so your ongoing commitment to self-care is important. Practicing the three Es every day may be the best, or even the only, way to control leg swelling and reduce your symptoms.
Varicose Veins
Bulging superficial veins, commonly called varicose veins, often run in families and tend to worsen during pregnancy. In many cases, you can reduce your symptoms by following the three Es. If you're unhappy with the appearance of your legs or if varicose veins cause discomfort, medical or surgical treatment may help.
Recognizing the Symptoms
The most common superficial vein problem is the spider vein. These small red or purple bursts appear on the skin surface. True varicose veins may form bluish ropes behind your knees or on your calves or thighs. If these ropy veins swell, your legs may sting or feel heavy or full after standing. In more severe cases, blood may clot in a varicose vein, causing a condition called superficial phlebitis. Varicose veins of all types can cause discomfort, but they usually pose little threat to your health.
Treating Varicose Veins
Two procedures are used to treat superficial vein problems. Spider veins are often treated with sclerotherapy (chemical injections). Larger, ropy veins may be surgically removed. In most cases, these procedures help relieve swelling and discomfort.
- Sclerotherapy: Spider veins and small varicose veins can be treated with sclerotherapy. This office procedure uses special chemicals to seal off damaged veins, detouring the blood to other veins nearby. Before you go home, an elastic bandage or support stocking is put on the treated leg to press the vein walls together. This reduces bleeding and bruising.
- Vein Removal: Larger varicose veins may be surgically removed in the hospital, often as an outpatient procedure. You'll receive anesthesia to help keep you pain-free during the surgery. With excision or ligation, a ropy or twisted vein can be taken out in sections. Stripping removes an entire vein in one piece. After surgery your legs are bandaged. Swelling may last 6 to 8 weeks.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot occurring in a deep vein. The clot forms in a valve cup and may grow big enough to completely block the vein. If part of the clot breaks off and travels to your lungs, the risk to your health can be serious. Hospital and home treatment for DVT both include medications to keep the clot from growing. Although the size of a clot can be controlled, some clots never fully go away.
Recognizing the Symptoms
DVT usually affects only one leg. Depending on the location of the clot, you may have swelling or pain. Some people have both. Sudden, continuous pain deep in the muscle is common. The ache may feel worse when you are active or when you stand still for a long time.
Treating DVT
Depending on your condition, you may be treated at home or at the hospital. You will be given anticoagulants, often called blood thinners. These medications control your blood's ability to clot. Anticoagulants are given by IV (intravenous) line, as well as in pill form. If bed rest is ordered, your leg may be raised to reduce swelling. After the swelling goes down, you may be fitted with special elastic support stockings. By wearing these stockings, you may prevent ongoing leg swelling that could cause tissue damage.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
When damaged valves or DVT causes ongoing leg swelling, blood begins to pool in the veins. This eventually causes chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). CVI can't be cured, but you can limit how much it harms your health. Do this by controlling leg swelling to reduce the likelihood of ulcers (open wounds).
Recognizing the Symptoms
If you stand or sit with your feet down for long periods, your legs may ache or feel heavy. Swollen ankles are possibly the most common symptom of CVI. As swelling increases, the skin over your ankles may show red spots or a brownish tinge. The skin may feel leathery or scaly, and may start to itch. If swelling is not controlled, an ulcer may form.
Treating an Ulcer
You can help prevent infection and support healing by following the suggestions below.
- Visit your doctor or nurse. Ulcers often need frequent medical care. Special dressings may be used to absorb drainage, while keeping the ulcer moist. Antibiotics may be needed to fight infection. To help reduce swelling, pressure may be applied to the affected site. You may be told to wear an elastic bandage, support stockings, or a compression boot.
- Elevate your legs often. Damaged tissue needs oxygen-rich blood to heal. But, this blood can't reach the ulcer until nearby swelling is reduced. Elevation is the best way to reduce leg swelling.
Controlling Vein Problems
Vein problems don't go away, but they can be controlled if you make a commitment to good self-care. Reduce your leg swelling by following the three E's (Elevation, Exercise,& Elastic Stockings). Also, if you notice any change in your symptoms, call your doctor. |
