Venous insufficiency occurs when surface veins have trouble sending blood up to the heart from the feet and legs. While arteries get help from the pumping heart, veins push blood — against gravity — using a series of valves. Blood pooling in the veins increases pressure and stretches the veins that may result in venous reflux that can lead to development of spider, reticular, and varicose veins visible below the skin.
Factors that may increase pressure in the veins include family history, overweight or obesity, advanced age, female gender, immobility or inactivity with prolonged standing or sitting, leg injury, pregnancy, smoking, history of blood clots, or taking oral contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy.
Symptoms may include sensations in the leg, such as burning, throbbing, aching, and/or or heaviness, color changes in the skin, and swelling. Long-term symptoms may progress to increasing leg discomfort, ulcers and non-healing sores, and more serious complications with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) formation.
Note individual results may vary secondary to different venous reflux conditions and treatment plans. Each treatment outcome may vary by patient in terms of overall outcomes and duration or length of results.
