Venous Disease  

Venous disease refers to all conditions related to or caused by veins that become diseased or abnormal. Venous disease is common and affects nearly 15 percent of the adult population. Mild venous disease is typically not an issue for most patients, but as venous disease worsens, can result in crippling chronic venous insufficiency.

In what is considered normal circulation, arteries carry oxygen rich blood from the heart to the body with veins returning the blood to the heart. Veins have one-way valves along their length to keep blood flowing. As muscles contract, blood is squeezed forward through the veins. When muscles relax, valves shut to prevent blood from flowing in reverse.

Types of veins in your legs include superficial veins, communicating veins and deep veins. Superficial veins lie just below the skin and carry 10 to 15 percent of the blood in your legs. Superficial veinscommunicating veins, which drain into deep veins. Deep veins lie inside the muscles (remember muscles are responsible for pumping) and carry 85 to 90 percent of the blood back to the heart. If the vein walls become weak or damaged, or if the valves are stretched or injured, the system stops working normally and the blood begins to flow backward when the muscles relax. This creates unusually high pressure in the veins, resulting in even more stretching, twisting, and swelling of veins. The abnormal veins with their sluggish blood flow create disorders known as venous disease. Blood flow restriction can be caused by several factors, including plaque buildup and clotting due to injury.

Thrombosis (blood clots) can be present in either the superficial or deep veins. Clotting can occur spontaneously after injury (bumping the leg) or in previously clotted varicose veins. Superficial clots tend to be very tender to touch and often accompanied by a red area along the course of the vein. Thrombosis of the deep veins (DVT, thrombus) results in a partial or complete blockage of the blood flow in the vein involved. These tend to be less painful, but produce swelling of the leg below the area of the clot.

A blood clot of the deep system, unlike one in the superficial system, is of major concern and must be treated as soon as possible. It is possible the clot could break off and travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolus), if not recognized and treated.

Signs of Venous Disease:
      Pain and edema of one arm or leg
      Sudden chest pain or shortness of breath
      Coughing of bloody sputum
      Non-healing ulcer at the ankle

Risk Factors of Venous Disease:
      Surgery or trauma
      Immobilization
      History of blood clot
      Smoking
      Obesity
      Pregnancy
      Malignancy (cancer)
      Varicose veins

Diagnosis of venous disease can be done by performing ultrasound of the veins of the arms or legs. Your physician can then advise you of treatment options.