Vein disease can be painful. It also can be dangerous to your health. That’s why treatment by a qualified physician and healthcare provider is important, especially in the early stages.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
What is Vein Disease?
Medically speaking, it’s called Chronic Venous Insufficiency – and it involves a spectrum of vein issues that affect more than half of the American adult population.
Valves in the leg veins don’t work properly, and lead to pooling of blood in your lower extremities. Eventually, pressure in the legs start a sequence of complications that include:
Swelling
Hyperpigmentation (skin color change)
Ulcer
Cellulitis of the legs, ankles and feet
What Happens When You Have Venous Insufficiency?
In order to understand Venous Insufficiency, it is important to be familiar with the circulatory system within the human body. Blood is carried throughout the body in a network of arteries and veins, which together make up the circulatory system. Arteries carry fresh blood from the heart to tissue, Including the lower legs and feet. This fresh blood provides these tissues with the oxygen and nutrients needed to keep them healthy. Veins carry the used blood back to the heart so that it may pick up more nutrients and circulate again.
The arteries are thick and help the heart to pump the blood by contracting. The walls of the veins are thin and have small valves in them, which open to allow the blood to flow through, and then close, after each heartbeat, to prevent the blood from rushing backward.
Venous Insufficiency occurs when these veins and their valves become damaged. This prevents the blood from properly flowing from the feel, up the leg, to the heart. The system becomes backed up, causing the blood end fluid to be trapped in the feet, ankles and lower legs, which results in swelling of these areas.
Along with chronic swelling, there are other complications associated with Venous Insufficiency. Skin problems such as weeping of fluid, itching, hardened reddish/brown skin and a rash may be present. Painful, irregularly shaped wounds located Just above the ankle, and throbbing in the lower legs at night are other signs that the venous system has been damaged.
What are the Symptoms?
Leg swelling or achiness
Leg fatigue or heaviness
Skin changes such as hyperpigmentation or ulcers
Cellulitis of the legs
What are the Types of Vein Disease?
Spider Veins and Reticular Veins
These veins are superficial and the least severe. Thought normally harmless, they may be an early sign of more advanced vein disease.
Varicose Veins
Dilated veins can be swollen, ropey and painful. Varicose veins case lead to progressive problems such as:
Skin hyperpigmentation
Venous ulcers
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
What are Venous Stasis Ulcers?
These are wounds located between the ankle and the calf that are caused by the failure of the veins to move blood back to the heart normally.
Venous Stasis is caused by damaged veins in the legs and that allow blood to pool in the lower leg. This causes the leg to swell and the skin to stretch like an oversized balloon. The skin breaks open and wounds form. Changes in the skin color and texture may result.
What are the Risk Factors?
Veins and their valves become damaged due to various reasons.
Approximately 10 to 15 percent of men and 30 percent of women have visible varicose veins on their legs. Venous Insufficiency often occurs in middle aged and older adults. It can be Inherited, but often It is due to lifestyle factors including:
Advancing age
Family history of varicose veins
Prolonged standing
Pregnancy
Obesity
Smoking
Drinking alcohol
Not eating a well-balanced diet
Dr. Gaston Dana of the JMH Wound Healing Center explains more about Vein Disease.
Dr. LeGrand has spent most of his career as a vascular surgeon/specialist – later becoming certified in wound care and the treatment of Venous Insufficiency. He is committed to advancing wound care medicine by sharing his prevention and care expertise.
Dr. Dana is certified in multiple specialties including wound care medicine and vascular sonography. He has completed hundreds of vein ablation procedures including thermal and chemical ablations.Your Wound Healing Center is a resource for the care and maintenance of your wounds and feet.
You'll see trained healthcare providers who will care for your wound.
You will be evaluated and tested; and your treatment plan will be developed.
We will provide you information about treatment of your wound and prevention of new ones.
We will examine you physically and ask about your personal and family medical history so that we can develop a plan just for you.
We will check your feet by testing for feeling, blood flow, and oxygen supply to them.
We will exam your wound.
We might remove any dead tissue in and around the wound.
We will apply a compression wrap if needed.
We will teach you how to care for your wound at home.
We will schedule further testing if needed.
What Are the Treatment Options?
The Wound Healing Center at Johnson Memorial Health has one of the most comprehensive programs in Indiana.
The treatment approach can include:
An ultrasound of the lower extremities to evaluate the superficial and deep venous systems performed by highly skilled technicians specially trained to identify vein disease.
A thorough vascular health history, physical examination and classification of the venous disease.
Education and therapy with compression stockings.
If needed, our physicians perform the endovenous ablation procedure to remove the vein that is of concern. This technique has been shown to be superior to vein stripping with less postoperative pain, less analgesic use and shorter time for sick leave. (Insurance companies require steps 1-3 to be completed before authorizing any procedure.)
