Venous insufficiency: what it is and how it manifests itself

Venous insufficiency is a circulatory disorder that consists in the difficulty of the blood to go up towards the heart; those suffering from this disorder may experience swelling and heaviness in the legs and often have varicose veins or more serious disorders, such as thrombi and ulcers.

Since the complications can also be very serious, it is important that those who have a predisposition to the onset of the disease or show the first symptoms of the problem, in addition to contacting their GP , implement some strategies to reduce the symptoms and keep to mind the problem; For example, it is possible to combine the intake of drugs for venous insufficiency of the lower limbs , under the advice of your doctor, with some targeted exercises able to give well-being to the legs and ankles.

Venous insufficiency: what it is

Veins play an important role in the well-being of the organism; while the arteries take care of transporting the oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the periphery of the body, reaching all the organs, the veins play a complementary role, that is, they bring the blood, now full of waste, back to the heart, to oxygenate it and put it back in a circle. In some cases, however, not everything goes as it should.

In fact, it can happen that the walls of the veins lose tone or that the valves, which should prevent the blood from returning, no longer function correctly; in both cases, the blood will not be able to rise and will settle in the veins of the legs , giving rise to venous insufficiency.

How it manifests itself

Venous insufficiency can have varying degrees of severity and, consequently, a wide range of symptoms. When the problem is minor, the affected person may feel a sense of heaviness in the legs , associated with swelling, which can also affect the ankles and feet, and pain.

As the problem worsens, varicose veins, tingling and itching can occur , up to the appearance of bruised-looking hyperpigmented skin areas and ulcers, caused by the lack of oxygenation and nourishment of the tissues. Finally, there may be the formation of venous thrombi .

Venous insufficiency: who affects

Venous insufficiency can affect both sexes and at any age, but is more common among women over 50 .

Among the factors that can favor the onset of the problem are:

• the lack of movement
• spending many hours standing
• obesity
• pregnancies
• the smoke
• the family predisposition.

The normal aging process of the veins can also cause a weakening of the structure, resulting in the development of venous insufficiency. In some cases, a previous deep vein thrombosis is at the root of the problem.

What to do if you are concerned about suffering from venous insufficiency

Venous insufficiency is a serious disease that must be addressed as soon as possible in order to avoid worsening and complications. To find a remedy, do-it -yourself is absolutely inadvisable ; instead it is useful to contact your doctor as soon as possible, who will be able to indicate the tests to undergo to find out if you actually suffer from this problem. Secondly, once a certain diagnosis has been obtained, the doctor will always decide on the most suitable treatment.