Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) are other chronic conditions related to or caused by veins that have become diseased or abnormal.
CVD problems may include the following:
- Varicose veins and spider veins;
- Leg Swelling and Leg Pain;
- Chronic venous insufficiency;
- Leg skin changes;
- Leg ulcers;
- Phlebitis;
- Vascular Malformations.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are dilated, thickened, elongated and twisted blood vessels that don’t control blood flow as they are supposed to do. In some cases, they’re small spider veins and may appear thread-like. In other cases, the veins may appear as bigger grape-like clusters under the skin. Varicose veins occur more often in women than men, especially during pregnancy, during the last 14 days of the menstrual cycle, and in people who have a job requiring standing for long periods of time.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
- Aching pain
- Easily tired legs
- Leg heaviness
- Swelling in the legs
- Darkening of the skin (in severe cases)
- Numbness in the legs
- Itching or irritated rash on the legs
- Risk Factors
Treatment
There are several procedures that can be used alone or in combination to treat varicose veins. A few of these include:
- Sclerotherapy: a doctor injects the veins with a solution that causes the vein to close and then blood is directed through healthier veins. This is a common treatment option but may require multiple treatments.
- Laser surgery: heat from a laser beam eliminates spider veins, but does not harm the skin. It is usually less effective than sclerotherapy for varicose veins in the legs and side effects can include bruising, blistering and discoloration.
If left untreated, varicose veins will enlarge and worsen and, as a result, the symptoms will become more severe. Additional health problems can result, including:
- Severe venous insufficiency, a severe pooling of blood in the veins that slows the return of blood to the heart. This can lead to the conditions deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
- Sores or skin ulcers.
- Ongoing irritation, swelling and painful rashes on the legs.