Pain or swelling in the legs or arms can significantly change your lifestyle. If your leg or arm pain is coupled with a pre-existing medical condition that affects blood clotting, if you are overweight or smoke, if you had a recent fracture in your pelvis, hips or lower extremities – you might be at risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). This illness occurs when a blood clot forms deep in the body and partially or completely blocks blood flow through the vein.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) impacts an astonishing number of people each year. While the exact number of cases is unknown, the CDC estimates that around 900,000 people experience symptoms of DVT every year. Patients develop DVT when a blood clot, called a thrombus, forms in a large vein, usually in the leg. This can lead to partial or completely blocked circulation and can be dangerous for some. Different issues can cause DVT; it’s important to recognize the symptoms and are familiar with risk factors to see if DVT could be an issue in your life.
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Spring break is right around the corner and many people love to escape the cold for warmer climates. However, if you suffer from vein problems, you could be in danger when you travel. Don’t let varicose veins ruin your spring vacation – follow these steps to keep your veins healthy! [Read more…]
Venous leg ulcers are the most common form of ulcers affecting the lower extremities. They represent severe venous disease and can be the end-stage of chronic venous insufficiency. Venous ulcers occur most commonly at the ankles and involve an open wound, as well. [Read more…]
A thrombus is a medical term for a blood clot and when one develops in one or more of the deep veins in your body, you get deep vein thrombosis. DVT most often occurs in the leg and can cause leg pain or swelling, but it also can occur with no symptoms — one of the reasons it is so dangerous. [Read more…]
Although the major, holiday-induced travel season has come and gone, deep vein thrombosis remains a big issue for select individuals. Flying or traveling by train or car in cramped, uncomfortable conditions can result in more than a neck ache for some travelers. “Economy class syndrome” is a term that has been coined to describe deep vein thrombosis, a serious health complication that arises from long, stagnant periods of inactivity in crowded seating areas. Although some people have health conditions that predispose them to developing this condition, there are some preventative measures that can be taken to avoid deep vein thrombosis. Allow the experts at Summit Skin & Vein Care of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to explain these precautions in detail.
Lengthy periods of stagnation can cause leg discomfort and, worse, deep vein thrombosis. The restriction of healthy blood flow can cause a deep-vein blood clot. Deep-vein blood clots can become a potentially fatal issue if it is dislodged into the lungs upon the return to normal blood circulation. When this happens, a pulmonary embolism can occur, which sometimes causes death. While health conditions like pregnancy, obesity, and heart disease can increase a person’s risk for the development of deep vein thrombosis, this condition knows no limits. In the right circumstances, even the healthiest of individuals can fall victim to deep vein thrombosis.
Staying fully hydrated is key to your comfort and safety while traveling. Dehydration can cause your blood to thicken, making you more susceptible to the development of serious blood clots like deep vein thrombosis. As a rule of thumb, avoid alcoholic beverages and drink lots of water as your travel.
Crossed legs restrict your blood flow, whereas uncrossed legs enable the free flow of blood throughout your circulatory system. When your legs are confined, keep them flat to help promote good blood flow.
Even the most cramped conditions usually have space for you to flex your feet up and down while you are seated. This activity helps move your calves, prompting healthy blood flow throughout your body. In addition, taking a stroll down the aisle every so often is another way to restore normal blood flow.
The stretching of veins during prolonged periods of inactivity throughout travel are another factor that increase your chances of blood clots like deep vein thrombosis. The solution? Wearing graduated compression stockings can help prevent idle, leg-induced vein stretching that sometimes causes deep vein thrombosis.
Before you travel again, be sure to think about ways you can proactively protect yourself from deep vein thrombosis. This condition is serious and it should be avoided at all costs. Need assistance? Summit Skin & Vein Care of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is here to help.
Suffering from deep vein thrombosis or another vein-related health condition?
Contact Summit Skin & Vein Care of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to learn about our vein quick scan and other services by calling (816) 533-4398.
If you’re diagnosed with a vein disease, such as spider veins, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, or chronic venous insufficiency, one of your first questions might be what causes vein disease, or how might I have prevented this?
There are several causes for vein disease, or risk factors that increase your chances of developing a vein disease. Although some causes are factors we can’t change, like gender, age, or ethnicity, others are lifestyle choices that can be adjusted to decrease the chance of vein disease. Understanding what causes vein disease will help protect you against spider and varicose veins, blood clots, and more.
Citizens of industrialized nations like the United States are more likely to develop vein disease due to their more sedentary lifestyle. Riding in cars and sitting at a computer are more common in these nations, and since remaining in one position for a long period of time — whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying down — leads to vein disease like varicose and spider veins. The longer you remain in one position, the more likely you are to develop vein disease.
Another cause of vein disease? Lack of ankle mobility. Your calf muscles work as a pump, pushing blood against gravity from your legs to your heart, and when you move your ankles, your calves pump better. An immobile ankle increases your chances of getting a vein disease.
As you grow older, you increase your chance of getting a vein disease. Smaller issues that began earlier eventually progress into more serious problems. As our bodies lose collagen, our vein walls break down and lose elasticity, causing the walls to stretch and leak. This leads to vein disease like varicose or spider veins.
Although senior citizens do have a 50% greater chance of suffering from venous insufficiency than younger people, they do not have different success rates after venous treatments. Thus, even if you are elderly, treating your vein disease should still work well.
Gene mapping has revealed a genetic component to venous disease, suggesting that vein disease is hereditary. Though more research needs to be done in this area, if someone in your family has varicose or spider veins, you are likely to get them as well. Be aware of your family medical history to know if it might cause vein disease.
Race is another factor that causes vein disease. Studies have shown a higher occurrence of varicose veins in Caucasians than those of Asian, Hispanic, and African American descent.
Gender is another risk factor for vein disease. Women are 2 ½ times more likely to develop varicose or spider veins than men, mostly due to female hormones like progesterone, which cause vein walls to stretch. During pregnancy, women have high progesterone levels that cause vein disease. When the veins are stretched for 9 months during pregnancy, they may never return to their original size.
Although some causes of vein disease obviously can’t be helped — gender, ethnicity, family history, and age, namely — those associated with our lifestyle can be adjusted.
If your job requires you to stay seated or standing in the same position for long periods of time, get up and move. If you are on bed rest, flex your ankles frequently. Ladies, limit your time in high heels, as they inhibit ankle mobility and thus cause vein disease. While pregnant, wear graduated compression stockings to encourage healthy circulation.
If you have any of the above risk factors for vein disease and you live in Kansas City, Summit Skin & Vein Care can help identify and treat your vein disease.
Contact Summit Skin & Vein Care at (816) 533-4398 today for more information or to schedule an appointment!
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