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Doctor insights on: Venous Insufficiency

Vein pooling: Veins return blood to the heart. Cvi occurs when there is reduced flow or pooling in leg veins, causing leg swelling, inflammation, & ulceration. The most common cause is when the one-way valves don't work well, leading to venous reflux, or back flow, with blood pooling in the veins. This can result from genetic predisposition, pregnancy, injuries or blood clots. See a vein specialist for help. ...Read more

Varicose veins: Varicose veins, swelling and possibly brownish discoloration of the legs. Pain and discomfort may also be associated. If you have any of these symptoms you should see your doctor and ask for vascular surgical opinion. ...Read more

Talk to your doctor.: A combination of knowing your health history, performing a physical exam, and performing/reviewing lab results would be best in helping you in this situation. The best thing to do is see your doctor. ...Read more

Venous insufficiency: Generally speaking a vascular surgeon as well as a rehabilitation doctor can help with this. The exercises for most people include movements that activate the calf muscles (e.g. Slow ankle pumps) to improve the venous return to the heart. Increasing the amount of time with the legs elevated as close to or above the level of your heart will also help passive drainage. ...Read more

Ultrasound: A duplex ultrasound that looks for the presence of reflux in the superficial and deep system of veins is the most useful test for venous insufficiency. ...Read more

Terminology: It's unclear why you may have been told you have venous insufficiency. True "chronic venous insufficiency" implies some of the following: leg swelling, discoloration, eczema to hardening of the skin of the lower leg , and/or a leg ulcer, all because of veins with poor valve function leading to increased pressure in your veins. One can have spider veins without "chronic venous insufficiency. ...Read more

Neuropathic pain: Autonomic peripheral dysfunction usually causes an involuntary dilation of arterioles with flushing, sometimes pain. a sympathectomy or injection is useful to control. Venous insufficiency results from damage to vein valves, allowing gravity to pull blood downwards. Saphenous vein removal can result in nerve damage and pain, but not usually autonomic. Also, too tight stockings can cause pain. ...Read more

See an expert: This is not a simple problem to answer here- some might say wear stockings, or get some treatment. This needs a diagnosis and then treatment. A surgeon who specializes in vein therapy is best to guide that therapy and answer. ...Read more

See vein specialist: Your best choice is to see a vein specialist and be evaluated. Then you can get a recommendation that is specifically tailored to your needs. You will need a venous ultrasound evaluation to see if you have any underlying vein trouble that isn't visible at the surface. If you do and you have symptoms, treatment should be considered. Otherwise, compression stockings might be considered. ...Read more

2:1 Drug Rx: These are two different disease processes. Venous insufficiency is treated most often without medication but with compression. With your ra, you may feel uncomfortable with the compression that may require some compromise (a palliative approach) between yourself and your clinician. ...Read more