What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?
Your arteries are responsible for carrying blood from your heart to the other parts of the body. The role of the veins is to bring blood back to the heart. The veins’ valves stop the blood from flowing in the backward direction. If you suffer from chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), the valves stop working effectively, forcing the blood to go back down into your legs. It may cause blood to pool or collect in the veins. This condition causes skin discoloration, aching, severe pain, cramps, and swelling in the patient’s legs. It may also result in the occurrence of open sores, known as ulcers on the legs. According to the Society for Vascular Surgery, approximately 40 percent of US people are affected by this condition.

What Causes Chronic Venous Insufficiency?
Your valve can get damaged due to the presence of blood clots in a deep vein in your leg. Sitting in the same posture for a prolonged time may raise your veins’ pressure, which adversely affects your valves.

Other causes of chronic venous insufficiency may include the following:

• High blood pressure in the leg veins over time because of sitting or standing for an extended time.
• Lack of exercise.
• Smoking.
• Inflammation and swelling of a vein.

 

What are the Symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency?
There are several symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency. Some of the most common signs and symptoms are mentioned below:

• Dull aching in the legs.
• Swelling of the legs and ankles.
• Dark brown skin patches.
• Severe pain.
• Cramping or itchiness in the legs.
• Thicker or harder skin on the ankles or legs.
• Open sores.
• Varicose veins.

 

If you do not get a proper and accurate treatment timely, you may get affected by ulcers and swelling. Ulcers are usually difficult to heal, and also may cause severe problems for the patients.
If you experience any CVI symptoms, you need to talk to a vein vascular specialist immediately for diagnosis.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency Diagnosis
Your vein vascular specialist will do a physical examination test and get a brief overview of your medical history. He will ask you to undergo an imaging test, such as a venogram and duplex ultrasound. He will then analyze the structure of your leg veins and blood flow. He will also evaluate the blood flow’s direction and speed in the blood vessel. After an accurate diagnosis of the condition, your vein doctor will recommend treatment options depending on the condition’s severity.

Treatment Options for Chronic Venous Insufficiency
CVI treatments are more effective in the earliest stages. Vein vascular surgeons suggest a combination of the below-mentioned treatment options for people suffering from CVI. Some of the primary treatment strategies involve:

1. Improving Blood Flow
You can increase your blood flow and reduce inflammation by elevating your legs. It improves the circulation of blood in the legs. Wearing compression and regular exercise stockings are highly recommended to people suffering from CVI. Additionally, it would help if you keep your legs uncrossed while sitting.

2. Medication
With compression therapy, the healthcare provider recommends certain medicines to increase blood flow through the vessel, which ultimately leads to healing leg ulcers. There are several medications that may help people with CVI. They may include:

• Diuretics: Such medicines are utilized to draw excess fluid from your body through the kidneys. Doctors suggest them in case if other heart failures or kidney disease conditions are also associated with the inflammation.
• Anticoagulants: They are also known as blood thinners. These blood-thinning medicines help in enhancing the blood flow of the body.
• Pentoxifylline (Trental): The doctor suggests this medicine to enhance blood flow in the body.