Is Your Husband Secretly Suffering from Venous Insufficiency?

Venous Insufficiency, or the disorder that often leads to the formation of painful spider and varicose veins in the legs, may be more prevalent in women, but it affects a decent percentage of men as well — up to 35 percent, in fact.

“Men tend to wait until the medical problem is more advanced … when it interferes with work or their tennis court.”

And while this disorder can change the way you live and the way in which you view your body, diagnosing and treating it is remarkably easy.

Treatment options for venous insufficiency are typically noninvasive and painless, yet they can improve quality of life drastically.If you’re worried that the man in your life could be suffering from this condition that can also lead to more uncomfortable medical issues such as skin ulcers and swelling, look for the common signs and symptoms that point to the onset.

Recognizing the Signs of Venous Insufficiency

Venous Insufficiency is often accompanied by one or more symptoms:

• Varicose Veins
• Itching
• Swelling
• Skin discoloration
• Skin Ulcers
• Leg Muscle Cramps
• Fatigue

It’s caused by the pooling of blood in the veins of the legs that are intended to carry blood back to the heart. When everything is working properly, valves inside your veins work to keep the blood pumping in the direction it should go, but in the instance of venous insufficiency, the valves fail, the blood pools or may even flow backward, and unsightly varicose veins and their accompanying painful and itchy discomfort can result.

And once damage to veins occur, it cannot be corrected without professional medical intervention. The experts at Vein Specialists of Illinois are standing by to help heal your loved one from the pain and embarrassment that accompanies venous insufficiency.

Causes of Venous Insufficiency

Several factors can contribute to venous insufficiency, including high blood pressure and previous bouts of deep vein thrombosis, or the formation of blood clots inside deep veins. Other factors may also play roles:

• Being Overweight
• Getting Little Exercise
• Smoking
• Aging
• Family History
• Experiencing Leg Trauma

And while most cases of Venous Insufficiency occur in women — twice as many as occur in men, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information — a large portion of the male population is still at risk. This is why it’s so important to encourage loved ones to seek treatment if you suspect venous insufficiency may be at play.

Addressing Venous Insufficiency in Men

Men are typically more reluctant to seek out medical treatment. According to Dr. Stephen Sorenson, “Men tend to wait until the medical problem is more advanced … when it interferes with work or their tennis court.” For this reason, it’s important to broach the topic with the man in your life if you suspect there may be a problem. Encouraging your husband, son or significant other to seek early diagnosis and treatment for venous insufficiency could spare them a future filled with pain and discomfort.

Venous insufficiency, especially when it reaches the chronic stage, is unsightly, painful and inconvenient, and once vein damage occurs, it only grows worse over time. Compromised veins become incapable of pumping blood back to the heart. In addition, they contribute to increased pressure in the surrounding veins, causing the condition to spread. In order to stop venous insufficiency in its tracks, you must encourage the man in your life to take that important first step and seek easy treatment.

Treatment for Venous Insufficiency

Treatment options for this problem are nearly painless. Dr. Stephen Sorenson of Vein Specialists of Illinois brings decades of experience to the non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of this uncomfortable and often unsightly condition. Using simple duplex ultrasound technology, the specialists at VSI can measure the speed of blood as it moves through legs. Using these results, your doctor will determine whether additional images such as arteriography on venography are needed.

Treatment options include medication, sclerotherapy — injecting a chemical into the vein to close it off, allowing the blood to reroute — or in some advanced cases, simple surgical intervention. The ultimate goal of treatment is to address underlying major vein problems to improve the quality of life of those affected and to keep the condition from spreading throughout the leg.

Schedule an Appointment Now!

Make your appointment with Vein Specialists of Illinois today! While millions of Americans suffer with this painful condition daily, many never take that first step in seeking help. Don’t let itchy, unattractive spider and varicose veins ruin the way you live your life when relief is just a simple office visit away. Call (847) 468-9900 or use our Online Form to schedule a consultation today.