What causes thrombophlebitis?
Any condition that causes irritation of the vein can cause phlebitis. The most common causes of superficial phlebitis include: – blood clots – varicose veins predisposes one to blood clots – Intravenous catheters: sometimes in hospital, the IV solutions and chemicals used are irritating to the vein and cause phlebitis. In all cases, the needle catheter has to be removed and placed elsewhere. – trauma – Self injection with dirty needle. This is a common scenario in drug addicts who use dirty needles which are shared. – Pregnancy not only cases varicose veins but often in the breast feeding female, the breast may develop tender veins on the surface of the breast (mondor’s disease). – long flights – prolonged standing What are the symptoms of superficial thrombophlebitis? The symptoms generally depend on the degree of inflammation and extent of vein involvement. In general most individuals will complain of: Pain: Pain is a constant feature at the site and may be throbbing in nature. It ra
