| Venous Insufficiency is a treatable condition and this is why it’s important to address it early with your health practitioner. It occurs when the veins that are responsible for transporting deoxygenated blood can no longer do so. When you seek treatment early you can access minimally-invasive treatment for venous diseases that will have your blood flowing and your legs glowing. |
With the disease, your legs need all the help they can get. The sooner they get that help restoring normal blood flow, the sooner you can get back to normal. Find out why it’s important to address this condition early and enjoy a better flow and a better life.
What is Venous Insufficiency?
In the world of blood flow, your arteries, veins, and valves are the major players. Your arteries are tasked with the critical job of taking oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the organs while the veins return the deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
Valves in the veins are the gatekeepers in that they ensure that blood does not flow backward but stays on track returning to the heart.
Sometimes your veins can experience difficulty sending the blood from your limbs back to the heart – this is known as venous insufficiency. If the blood doesn’t flow back adequately, it causes blood to pool in the veins of your legs.
What are the Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency?
When blood flow is not at its optimum, it can cause the following symptoms:
- Leg or ankle swelling (edema)
- Increasing pain, especially when standing. Oftentimes, this discomfort decreases when the legs are raised.
- Cramping legs
- Heavy legs, that can also be aching and throbbing
- Itchy legs
- Legs feel weak
- Skin thickening on legs or ankles
- Discoloration of skin
- Leg ulcers
- Varicose Veins
- Tightness in your calves, leg swelling
- Restless legs at night
If you have any of these symptoms, then call Dr. Lawrence Schmetterer, the best Vascular Surgeon in Youngstown, Ohio, to discuss your options.
What Causes Venous Insufficiency?
Venous Insufficiency is usually brought about by increased pressure on the venous system, such as associated with increased body weight, heavy lifting, prolonged standing, and pregnancy. In healthy veins, blood is constantly flowing where it needs to go but with venous disease, that flow faces resistance which causes many of the associated symptoms.
Sometimes, blood clots, known as superficial thrombophlebitis, develop in the blocked varicose veins. Treatment for this condition usually involves a warm compress, anti-inflammatory medications, and compression stockings.
Eventually, the superficial clots dissolve and the pattern may repeat. It is important to study the leg veins after an episode of thrombophlebitis has occurred in order to identify and treat the cause and prevent future episodes.
How is Venous Insufficiency Treated?
Dr. Schmetterer will first examine you to determine the severity of your condition but since you will be seeing the good doctor early, treatment may be swift.
Time is only one of the factors Dr. Lawrence will consider when treating. The other factors are:
- Your Specific symptoms
- Your Age
- Your Tolerance to medication and procedures
- Your venous ultrasound findings
From the above factors, Dr. Schmetterer will strategize the correct treatment for you that will effectively improve venous blood flow – this is foremost as venous insufficiency is a condition that impacts blood flow.
These are some of your vein disease treatment options, the doctor will determine the best one for you.
- Compression Stockings: these special stockings are elastic and are used to apply pressure at the ankle and lower leg. They improve blood flow and reduce leg swelling.
- Medication: these can be prescribed early to address the effects, such as diuretics that draw extra fluid from your body through the kidneys, blood thinners, and pentoxifylline which improves the healing of leg ulcers caused by venous insufficiency.
- Sclerotherapy: This is utilized for many patients suffering from venous insufficiency. During the procedure, the damaged vein is injected with a chemical foam that closes off the vein so that the blood flows to nearby healthier veins. It is used to treat small to medium-sized veins.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy: an outpatient procedure during which your doctor numbs certain spots on your leg and make create small openings to remove the damaged veins. This is rarely necessary since the advent of effective sclerotherapy medications.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: a procedure in which a small catheter is inserted into a vein, closing the vessel with radiofrequency energy.
- Venaseal closure: a procedure in which a catheter is inserted into a vein and a cyanoacrylate medical adhesive (super glue) is administered to close the abnormal vein.
If you are experiencing symptoms and feel that your legs are not at their best then book your consultation. Come in early enough and implement your own methods to improve blood flow and curb the symptoms. You can do this by sitting less and walking more while wearing compression socks.
Speak to Dr. Lawrence Schmetterer — the Leading Vascular Surgeon of Choice in Northeast Ohio
Dr. Lawrence Schmetterer is a vascular surgeon and vein expert based in Youngstown, Ohio. With his wide knowledge base and expertise in veins and Vascular Treatment, he can help you through this treatment to close your damaged veins and restore healthy circulation to your legs.
To find out how you can make varicose veins and venous insufficiency a thing of the past, get in touch with us today.
