WHAT IS CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY?
Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease primarily caused by weak, worn, or damaged valves in the veins of the legs. It causes swelling (edema) of the legs. It can also cause sores on the legs, especially in the area of the ankles. How does it occur? The arteries pump blood from the heart and the veins return blood to the heart. Veins, unlike arteries, have little muscle tissue. Veins require the muscle in our feet and legs to return the blood, against gravity, to the heart. To help this process, the veins have a series of valves in them that prevent back flow. The valves in your veins may be weak or worn. When these valves are not working well, the blood has difficulty moving upward ad pools in the lower part of the leg. Prolonged increased pressure in the veins causes the valves to stretch out, making them unable to close properly. As a result, the blood flows back into the other veins and pools in the tissue of the legs, causing swelling. It can also cause small veins in the skin t
Chronic venous insufficiency refers to a condition in which there is ongoing venous valve malfunction resulting in venous reflux. Symptoms can include edema (swelling), skin discoloration (stasis discoloration) that occurs specifically in the ankle area, and possible venous ulcer formation. Chronic venous insufficiency can also occur as a result of post-phlebitic syndrome.
Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition that affects the veins of the body and blood flow. To understand the condition, it is important to understand how blood flows in a person’s body. The arteries are responsible for transporting blood, which contains oxygen, to all parts of the body from a patient’s heart. However, the flow of blood doesn’t stop there. Instead, the veins have to transport the blood, now deprived of its oxygen, back to its starting point–the heart. Sometimes the veins become damaged or too weak to move the blood back to the heart efficiently. When this occurs, the condition that develops is referred to as venous insufficiency. When it occurs for a long period of time, it is referred to as chronic venous insufficiency. Leg muscles have an important role to play in pushing blood back towards the heart. When a person is standing up, the leg veins have a harder job because of the effects of gravity. In such a case, the veins must rely on help from the muscles to mov
