Venous insufficiency is diagnosed when the veins cannot properly send blood from the limbs to the heart. This causes the blood to pool in the legs, leading to some symptoms. Let’s review the various symptoms related to venous insufficiency and how to diagnose the problem. If you notice these signs, schedule a consultation with a venous insufficiency expert for diagnosis and treatment.
Swelling is often the first sign that people notice when they have venous insufficiency. You’re most likely to notice swelling in your ankles and lower legs after you’ve been standing for a prolonged period of time. The degree of swelling can vary by how long you are on your feet, if you’re exercising or not and even the temperature outside. Patients notice increased swelling during the summer months because heat has the effect of dilating our leg veins.
Many people also experience leg pain when suffering from venous insufficiency. This pain generally feels worse upon standing and then gets much better when you elevate your legs. Elevating your legs uses gravity to your advantage and moves the blood and fluid from the legs back to your heart. Elevating your legs will help to reduce the symptoms and swelling in your legs.
Varicose veins are yet another symptom of venous insufficiency. The pooling blood puts stress on the veins, causing them to bulge. If you notice any bulging veins on your legs, you need to visit a varicose vein center for treatment. The problem can get much worse without intervention. Over years, the normal progression is worsening in the degree of varicose veins and associated symptoms.
The excess blood puts so much pressure on the veins that they eventually leak. This leads to inflammation in the walls of the veins and overlying skin. Ultimately, this will cause venous stasis dermatitis, which means the skin will be itchy and red. If you notice that your legs look red and you are scratching them more often than normal, you might have venous insufficiency.
Leaking blood vessels can also cause the overlying skin to darken. You’re most likely to notice this close to your ankles. This darkening is called hyperpigmentation, which is result of a breakdown of leaky blood cells underlying the skin. Treating the varicose veins will prevent pooling, but the hyperpigmentation is usually permanent.
You also might have venous insufficiency if you notice that the skin on your legs and ankles is getting thicker. This thickening will have a leathery feel with adjacent areas of brownish darkening. This represents later stages of vein disease in the CEAP classification. This combination of thickening and skin color changes is called lipodermatosclerosis. Most patients will seek treatment at this point because of concerns about unsightly changes to their legs.
If you’ve noticed that wounds on your legs take longer to heal than normal, it could be due to venous insufficiency. If the breakdown of the skin is caused by underlying varicose veins, you may have started developing venous stasis ulcers. These ulcers will be slow to heal any may be permanent if left untreated. Unlike ulcers from arterial disease, venous ulcers are mostly painless and are often associated with leg swelling.
If you notice any of these symptoms or changes in the skin and are concerned you may have venous insufficiency, you should visit a vein specialist. The vein expert will likely do an ultrasound of your legs to confirm the diagnosis. The ultrasound can show abnormal backwards flow in the veins or venous reflux. It can also exclude other venous problems like deep venous thrombosis. Ultrasound is necessary for anyone looking to have treatment of their vein disease, to confirm the abnormal veins and formulate a personalized treatment plan.
If you have any of these symptoms of visible changes to your legs, schedule a consultation at the Center for Varicose Veins. Dr. Vinay Madan offers specialized care and advanced treatment options to help patients with venous insufficiency. The newest less invasive treatment options include radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), Venaseal and sclerotherapy. These treatment options are performed as an outpatient and take less than 30 minutes and are used to treat spider veins, varicose veins, leg swelling and leg ulcers. Visit www.centerforvaricoseveins.com for more information.
