Chronic vein disease is also called chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI. It happens when some of the tiny valves in the veins cease to function properly, causing blood stagnation and pooling in the veins. This appears most frequently and obviously in the legs and ankles as varicose veins and spider veins.
While most cases of chronic vein disease are easily controlled, some cases warrant careful vigilance to avoid complications – such as blood clots. Let’s talk about the potential implications associated with chronic vein disease, and where you can go in Boca Raton for varicose vein treatment.
Chronic Vein Disease and Varicose Veins
We’re all familiar with the bluish, rope-like blood vessels which appear on the legs, feet, and ankles – varicose veins. These enlarged veins and their smaller, less severe cousins, spider veins, develop due to blood pooling in the vein from:
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Heavy lifting
- Prolonged standing
- Vitamin K deficiency
- Cigarette smoking
- Heredity
- Age (over 50)
Additionally, women are more susceptible to spider veins and varicose veins than men are. Around 20% of American adults develop mild to moderate varicose veins and spider veins.
Most of these patients with chronic vein disease respond well to conservative, at-home treatments, such as leg elevation and wearing compression stockings. Others may need one of today’s state-of-the-art treatments, such as laser vein treatment, radiofrequency ablation, sclerotherapy, or varicose vein-removal surgery.
Complications of Chronic Vein Disease
Chronic venous insufficiency can become serious. If you exhibit persistent symptoms, you should visit a vein clinic for a physical examination and treatment that works to eliminate the problematic veins.
Symptoms to watch for include:
- Ropey, discolored varicose veins
- Leg swelling
- Leg pain and feelings of heaviness
- Fatigue
- Itchy, rough, scaly skin
- Discolored areas
- Skin ulcers, or open wounds in the skin above a burst vein
Harmful complications of chronic vein disease include the following:
Blood Clots
Also called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, this type of blood clot can develop in an affected vein deep within the leg muscle. The clot can then break off from the original site, travel through the vein toward the heart, and cause a life-threatening blockage.
Pulmonary Embolism
A blood clot can start in a stagnant varicose vein, break off from the vein wall, and move straight to the lungs and cause a potentially fatal blockage. Danger signs of a pulmonary embolism include:
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent coughing
- Coughing up blood
- Sweating
- Heart palpitations in the chest
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
A pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency requiring immediate hospital treatment.
Medical Treatment for Chronic Vein Disease in Boca Raton, FL
Chronic vein disease can be controlled when you consult the vein experts at Advanced Heart and Vascular Institute in Boca Raton. Our skilled interventional cardiologists, Dr. Eli Levine and Dr. Michael Schechter, provide outstanding diagnostics and treatments for chronic vein disease – with the goal of your optimum health.
They’d like to discuss your options with you. Call our clinic today to schedule a consultation at (561) 235-5621, or request an appointment via our online form. We look forward to being your vein care specialists!
