Hi, Dr. Adam Goldman here from the Metropolitan Vein Aesthetic Center. In an earlier video, we talked about the acute or sudden onset of a problem in the leg or pain in the leg. And I wanted to talk to you this time about more chronic problems, which, how would you know if it’s a vein problem?
Recognizing Chronic Vein Problems
Often, the pain will develop slowly and very insidiously, and you say, well, could this be a vein? Could this be some other problem? And there’s some ways you can help tell what the problem could be.
The first thing that you want to know is if there are any other findings in the legs. You may have swelling, you may have varicose veins, or visible veins in the leg. You may not see any of this, and you may still have symptoms. Sometimes also the swelling can get bad enough or happen very slowly, and you may not see the varicose veins because they’re sort of covered under the swelling.
Other Symptoms to Watch For
It could be causing other symptoms in the leg besides pain, there could be heaviness. Sometimes, there’s something called restless leg syndrome, which is a feeling or an urge to move the leg around. And sometimes, by tapping it or moving it, you feel more relieved. But all these signs and symptoms can be a problem of venous disease. The other thing that could be causing similar problems is sometimes problems with the artery. Sometimes, problems with the nerve. Sometimes, it’s very hard to tell, and sometimes, people have two or three things going on at the same time.
If you’re having sort of this slow pain syndrome and you’re having discomfort, maybe you feel like the legs, they want to move around on their own, or you feel cramps or you feel pain when you walk or pain with standing.
At-Home Remedies to Try
There’s some things you can do to first try it at home. So one thing you can do is to try to elevate the legs, or if you’re standing for a long time, walk around, try and improve the circulation because as we walk, the muscles contract and push the blood up into the veins.
However, the problem with venous disease is that it does not work very well because the valves are not working. That is not necessarily a good option. But sitting static and sitting down with your legs elevated it will help drain some of that fluid. Some of that pressure, and you should feel better, you can try also at home, is the compression stocking. So they’re sold over the counter on Amazon pharmacies.
Generally you want to use a compression of at least 20 to 30 millimeters of compression. There are lighter ones sold in store, but at least a moderate compression is necessary to see if it will help with symptoms.
When to Seek Medical Attention
And if you put these on and then you feel better, it’s very likely possible it’s vein disease. So how do the doctors tell? Well, when you come to the doctor, we can do an ultrasound and we evaluate the vein system, and we provide tests to see if there are leaks or if there is reflux, what we call reflux when the valve is no longer functioning.
Treatment Options
Often this can be treated conservatively with compression stockings, with elevating the legs. However, if it’s not getting better, there are other treatments that will help improve your symptoms and your lifestyle and allow you to have a more comfortable existence.
Visit Us for an Evaluation
If you have a question and you’re not sure about your legs and you would like to get it evaluated, please come see us at any time. At the Metropolitan Vein Anesthetic Center, you can visit us on the web at www.nymetrovein.com. We accept many insurances and if you don’t have insurance, we will do at least an evaluation for free to at least get some idea of what’s going on. So please come see us and we’d love to help you with your vein or leg problems whenever you need to. Thank you.
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