What are the symptoms of Venous Insufficiency aka Venous Reflux?
• Heavy, tired, burning or aching legs especially at the end of the day • Cramping in the calves (Charley horse) • Restless legs especially at night • Swelling in the ankles that goes away in the morning • Numbness or tingling in the lower legs and feet • Itching or irritated rash in the lower legs • Thickening and darkening of the skin around the ankles that progresses upward • Tiny blood vessels around the ankle that burst open and bleed spontaneously • Open ulcers that do not heal for long periods of time • All of the symptoms typically progress and worsen throughout the day, making it difficult to stand or sit for long periods, and cause poor sleep Q. What are Varicose Veins? A. Veins are vessels that return blood from the legs back up to the heart. Healthy veins work against the force of gravity using one-way valves that allow upward blood flow, but not downward flow. Varicose veins develop due to loss of valve function that allows blood to flow back down the leg. Over time, they
