Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is a collective term used to describe a long-standing condition involving impaired venous return in varying degrees of severity.
Symptoms include:
- Edema (swelling)
- Feeling of heaviness in the legs
- Pain or cramps in the calves
- Skin discolorations
- Dermatitis (skin problems)
- Dry or weeping eczema
- Venous leg ulcer
According to the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), roughly 50% of Americans suffer from symptoms of chronic venous disease.
CVI Risk Factors
Many factors contribute to the development of venous insufficiency and disease. Risk factors include:
- Heredity
- Age
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Professions that require long periods of standing/sitting in one place
- Surgery, Trauma, Disease
Deep Vein Thrombosis
A Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in one of the deep veins. A DVT can cause damage to valves, cause blood to reflux, increase venous pressure and cause edema. DVTs can be quite painful, but with treatment the majority are not life-threatening and the blood clots often gradually dissolve.
Symptoms include:
- Pain and tenderness in one leg
- Swelling in one leg
- Increased warmth and redness in one leg
- Shortness of breath and fainting
- Pain in the chest
DVTs can also occur with NO symptoms. DVT treatment includes a prescription for anticoagulation medications, daily walking and daily use of compression stockings.
More detailed information regarding DVT and the complicaitons that may occur can be found in Section 5.
Venous Leg Ulcer
A venous leg ulcer is an open wound that usually forms near the ankle and is caused by chronic poor circlation. The ulcer has a weeping, raw appearance and the skin surrounding the ulcer is dry, itchy, and reddish-brownish in color. Venous leg ulcers are usually slow to heal.
Venous Leg Ulcers are the topic of discussion in Section 6.
Conclusion
At the early stage of Chronic Venous Insufficiency, a "simple change of socks" can be highly impactful in managing the progression of the symptoms. Compression therapy (or in combination) is the treatment of choice for chronic venous insufficiency by many physicians.
Note: Only your physician will be able to assess your condition and prescribe the most effective treatment.
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