Are you suffering from a condition called venous insufficiency? If so, you have come to the right place. Please read our frequently asked questions on venous insufficiency and get tips from The Podiatry Institute on how to best relieve problems caused by venous insufficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions: Venous Insufficiency

How do you develop venous insufficiency?

Venous insufficiency is the last – and very problematic – stage of conditions that cause blood clots in the legs, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and thrombophlebitis.

What causes the blood clots that lead to venous insufficiency?

Blood clots in the legs can be caused by any of the following factors:

Sitting in a cramped and immobile position (economy class syndrome) for long periods of time – such as traveling on long flights – can cause blood clots and thus venous insufficiency.
Injuring a vein’s inner lining can cause blood clots and thus venous insufficiency.
Blood excessively coagulating within the vein can cause blood clots and thus venous insufficiency.
Little or no movement following pregnancy or surgery can cause blood clots and thus venous insufficiency.

What kind of problems does venous insufficiency cause?

Venous insufficiency can cause any or all of the following symptoms:

Venous insufficiency can cause severe leg swelling.
Venous insufficiency can cause varicose veins, dilated veins or engorged superficial veins.
Venous insufficiency can cause skin discoloration.
Venous insufficiency can cause fullness, aching or tiredness in the legs

The Podiatry Institute recommends that you seek treatment as soon as you start noticing these symptoms of venous insufficiency. Please note that symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency are worse when standing and walking, and can be relieved with rest.

What is the best way to relieve and prevent venous insufficiency?

If you develop a blood clot in your leg, which puts you at great risk for venous insufficiency, then you need to check into a hospital for treatment. You will need blood thinners to prevent a pulmonary embolism, a serious condition where the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs.

Bed rest and leg elevation are initially required to treat chronic venous insufficiency. You can find many leg elevation products to treat venous insufficiency at FootSmart, including leg wedges and bed wedges and cushioned leg elevators.

Once you are up and moving around again, you will need to wear firm below-the-knee elastic support stockings to help control the swelling from your case of venous insufficiency.

Later on, if you do not wear support stockings to treat your venous insufficiency, you could develop the following symptoms and should see a doctor for treatment:

Skin pigmentation (dark discoloration), especially on the inside parts of the ankle and lower leg, can develop if you do not wear support stockings to treat venous insufficiency.
A rash – scaling and itchy – can develop if you do not wear support stockings to treat venous insufficiency.
Definite development of varicose veins can develop if you do not wear support stockings to treat venous insufficiency.
Breakdown of the skin with fluid weeping out can develop if you do not wear support stockings to treat venous insufficiency.

The key to prevention of the late sequelae of DVT and thrombophlebitis, called chronic venous insufficiency, is wearing supportive hose. FootSmart sells supportive hose to treat conditions like venous insufficiency. Start shopping today to treat your venous insufficiency!

Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions like venous insufficiency provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on musculoskeletal health.