Chronic Venous Insufficiency Is a Common Problem

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Has your podiatrist told you that you are living with Chronic Venous Insufficiency? It’s a problem for many people. Read on to learn more.

In order to understand CVI, you must first understand a bit about your body’s circulatory system and how it works. Every time your heart beats, it sends bright red oxygenated blood throughout the body via the arteries. The body uses the oxygen carried by red blood cells and then returns the dark, oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart via the veins.

Moving the blood back to the heart from the extremities – especially from the legs and the feet – is a challenge. These parts of your body are farthest from the heart and, unless you’re lying down, the veins in your legs are battling against gravity. To assist the process, the muscles in your legs gently squeeze the deep veins and help them to stay open. One-way valves called flaps keep the blood moving as it should. When the muscles relax, the veins close. The blood is prevented from flowing in reverse. This process is called the venous pump. When the venous pump fails, blood pools in the legs. The walls of the veins weaken and the flaps become damages. This is CVI.

What puts you at risk of CVI? Many factors, including excess weight and obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, pregnancy, and a job that requires you to stand or sit for long periods of time.

If you develop CVI, you may notice:

  • swelling

  • a sensation of tightness in the calves

  • blue, bulging varicose veins

  • extremely dry, scaly, itchy skin

Your board-certified podiatrist can treat your CVI. Common approaches include compression stockings, injections, and outpatient surgery.

Here at The Texas Foot Specialists, Dr. Bruce Miller and Dr. Gregory Mangum provide expert and specialized care to address all of your foot and ankle needs. From conservative to advanced surgical treatments, you can always count on us for quality and compassionate care. Contact us online to make an appointment at one of our conveniently located offices in Sugar Land, Pasadena or Houston.