Venous insufficiency- Prevention and treatment

Why does chronic venous insufficiency occur? What are the main factors that favor its appearance? Increased sedentary lifestyle in western society, high life expectancy, obesity, and prolonged orthostatic make venous diseases a high incidence today.

Venous diseases affect between 10 and 40% of the adult population, especially in the lower extremities, according to the latest studies. Chronic venous insufficiency affects 50% of the population that is over 50 years old. The venous system of the human body is outlined below.

Symptoms in venous insufficiency

The patient affected by venous insufficiency must assume that even by taking preventive measures, his condition is chronic and evolutionary. Therefore, the Venous Insufficiency Symptoms and manifestations that are detailed below will appear over time:

Stage 1

  Increased relief and increased coloration in the veins. We observe cylindrical, saccular, and reticular varicose. The patient usually has no discomfort.

Stage 2

 Orthostatic symptoms appear severe pain, heaviness or cramps in the legs, itching, and tingling, pain that worsens when standing, pain that improves when lifting the legs and swelling in them.

Stage 3

It is characterized by dermatological manifestations: blackish-brown pigmentation in the malleolus, alteration of the capillaries, itching, and atrophy in the skin.

Stage 4

The skin has been eroded, resulting in a varicose ulcer that usually drains pathological tissue. For its healing, a strong compressive bandage, drainage, and thorough cleaning of the wound are recommended, since it is vitally important that the ulcer is not infected.

Conservative and preventive treatment

Conservative and preventive Chronic Venous Insufficiency Treatment contemplates the following strategies:

Generic measures

They try to counteract the factors that aggravate venous insufficiency.

Physico-postural measures

To physico-postural measures, rest with elevation of the lower extremities is recommended; lymphatic drainage performed by a professional and hydrotherapy that combines showers with cold water and massages.

Compressive measures for venous insufficiency treatment