Don’t be Vein! Get Your Legs Out of Pain!
When does leg pain require medical attention?
Painful legs can occur as a result of different conditions affecting the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and skin. It is important to differentiate between the causes of leg pain. While it is easier to identify pain from injuries, arthritis or infections, a very common cause of leg pain is often ignored due to lack of information. For instance, how does one know if their progressive leg pain is actually due to chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)? CVI is a progressive medical condition that worsens over time, affecting the veins of the legs and often leading to painful varicose veins. Let’s discuss the identifying symptoms to help you determine if you need to seek medical attention.
How you will know
Symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency include:
• swelling of the legs or ankles (edema)
• pain that gets worse when you stand and gets better when you raise your legs
• leg cramps
• aching, throbbing, or a feeling of heaviness in your legs
• itchy legs
• weak legs
• thickening of the skin on your legs or ankles
• skin that is changing color, especially around the ankles
• leg ulcers
• varicose veins
• a feeling of tightness in your calves
It is important to stay informed. Any of the mentioned symptoms could indicate that you have vein disease that needs to be addressed before it progresses any further.
Are you at risk?
An estimated 40 percent of people in the United States have CVI. It occurs more frequently in people over age 50, and more often in women than in men. Although anyone could possibly be at risk for developing CVI, if you have the following risk factors, you are more likely than other people to develop the disease. The most important risk factors are:
• Heredity (a family history of varicose veins)
• Extended periods of standing or sitting
• Pregnancy
• Inactivity
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clots)
• Age over 50
It’s all in the family
Chronic venous insufficiency is hereditary, you may not have any symptoms now, but if you have a family member who suffered from varicose veins and venous insufficiency then you may be at risk. If you are an individual who is prone to having vein disease, here are some preventative steps you can take:
• Don’t sit or stand in one position for long stretches of time — get up and move around frequently.
• Don’t smoke and if you do smoke, quit.
• Get regular exercise.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.
(These steps are not to be taken in place of medical advice and attention. These are simply precautionary guidelines for those who are predisposed to varicose veins an CVI.)
If you have leg pain, it is best to see a medical professional sooner than later. Dr. Sassan Kaveh at the Alpha Vein Clinic specializes in leg pain and can evaluate your symptoms to determine if your pain is in fact due to CVI. Dr Kaveh can diagnose and treat your leg pain conveniently in a comfortable office setting with the most minimally invasive treatments if needed. Call the Alpha Vein Clinic today and come in to see our compassionate staff for an examination and consultation. Treating the vein disease in your legs can finally rid you of your leg pain. Your legs will thank you for it!
Alpha Vein Clinic
Vein Clinic Las Vegas
3150 N. Tenaya Way Ste. 400
Las Vegas, NV, 89128
(702) 430 7661
Dr. Sassan Kaveh
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