Chronic Venous Insufficiency

If you suffer from swelling in your legs or ankles, pain when walking that stops when you rest, varicose veins, painful leg cramps, muscle spasms or leg ulcers, you may have chronic venous insufficiency.

While not usually a serious health issue, the symptoms can be debilitating and unsightly.

What causes chronic venous insufficiency?

The valves in your veins work to keep blood flowing back toward your heart. When the valves stop working, blood pools in your legs, causing pain, swelling and resulting in varicose veins.

Factors that contribute to chronic venous insufficiency include:

• Lack of exercise
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Phlebitis (swelling and inflammation in a vein close to the skin)
• Deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in your calf or thigh)

If you are overweight, pregnant, have had previous blood clots or a family history of vein issues, you are more at risk for chronic venous insufficiency.

Depending on your age and the severity of your condition, your treatment may include:

• Elevating your legs
• Compression stockings
• Lifestyle changes
• Medicines
• Sclerotherapy (treatment for spider and small varicose veins)
• Radiofrequency ablation (which heats and closes a vein)
• Surgery (ligation and stripping of affected veins)

What happens next?

If your condition is mild, compression socks and medicines may be recommended. More serious cases may require sclerotherapy, ablation or surgery.

Ask questions and follow your physician’s treatment plan. That way, you’ll know what to expect and how long your treatment and recovery will take.

What if you have varicose veins?

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins. They can be a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency or the result of genetics, standing for hours at a time, being overweight, being physically inactive, having a previous leg injury or even being pregnant.