Hey, I got CVI! What have you got??
What are the Symptoms of
Chronic Venous Insufficiency?
The symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency include:
Swollen feet, ankles, and calves
Dull aching and pain, especially after a prolonged period of standing
The feeling of "heaviness" or tiredness of the leg (leg fatigue)
Burning sensation
Cramping or charley horse
Itching
Flaking of the skin
*Skin discoloration and darkening
Leg skin that looks and feels leathery
Spider veins, reticular varicosities, and varicose veins
Ulcers or sores, in some advanced cases of CVI
The first sign of CVI is usually swelling in the leg and ankle. This swelling occurs because pooled blood cause abnormally high pressure in the veins. As the pressure increases, vein and arteries in the lower limbs may leak tiny drops of plasma, causing a pale yellow discoloration. Capillaries may also break, giving the skin a localized reddish brown discoloration. If scratched or bumped, discolored skin can break, often resulting in ulcers or sores, which subsequently can become infected.
In some instances, stasis or pooled blood can also cause a symptom of Restless Leg Syndrome, where the person has an irresistible urge to move the leg, especially at night.
As listed above, venous insufficiency can also result in enlarged veins, either small (spider veins), medium (reticular varicosities), or large (varicose veins).
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Treatments of Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Treatment of chronic venous insufficiency includes:
Elevating Your Legs and Peforming Leg Exercises
For mild and early cases of chronic venous insufficiency, elevating your feet above your heart level whenever you are sitting or lying down can help the pooled blood to drain. Elevate your leg for 15 to 20 minutes about 4 times daily.
Unless you are obese, or suffering from heart disease and hiatal hernia, you can also elevate the foot of your bed approximately 9 inches to help blood to drain during the night.
Avoid long periods of sitting or standing. If you are taking long flights, remember to flex and extend your legs, feet, and ankles about 10 times every 30 minutes to facilitate blood flow in the veins.
Compression Stockings
Compression or elastic stockings work by squeezing the vein and helping to keep the blod flowing away from the extremities of the limb and back to the heart.
These special stockings have varying or graduated pressure along the height of the leg, with tighter fit at the bottom of the leg. This is because the ankle and calf veins are under greater pressure than the rest of the leg veins and need more support.
Stockings do tend to give quick relief from chronic venous insufficiency symptoms. However, they have the following drawbacks:
It does not cure chronic venous insufficiency, and the symptoms may get progressively worse over time.
If improperly fitted, elastic stockings can cut off circulation to the lower legs.
These stockings need to be worn all the time and can get uncomfortable throughout the day.
Specially fitted stockings can be expensive and need to be replaced about four times per year.
Prescription Cream
To alleviate the itching and cracking of the skin, your doctor may prescribe an anti-itch cream containing hydrocortisone and moisturizer. To prevent infection, he may also prescribe a zinc oxide cream or an anti-fungal cream.
For skin sores, compression bandages can be applied to protect the skin and promote blood flow. For infected ulcers and cellulitis, antibiotics are prescribed.
Vein Surgery
Depending on the position and depth of the vein, various forms of vein surgeries can be performed to unblock blood clots that form in the vein, bypass faulty veins, as well as to repair faulty vein valves.
Herbal Supplements
Studies have shown that various herbal supplements can be used to naturally treat chronic venous insufficiency. These herbs include:
Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica)
Studies have shown that Japanese pagoda tree extracts, with the active ingredients of rutin bioflavonoids, can improve vein wall tone and strength, increase microcirculation, reduce swelling, improve elasticity, and fix vein permeability. Numerous clinical studies, involving more than 2,000 patients, have shown that Japanese pagoda tree extract can provide substantial relief from the swelling, aching, leg pains, and other discomforts of CVI.
Horse chesnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Horse chestnut has been used for many decades as an herbal preparation for various vein conditions. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve the vein wall tone to facilitate blood flow back to the heart. It is thought to fix microscopic leaks in tiny veins and capillaries, as well as reinforce the strength of the vein walls and promote their elasticity.
A 1996 study involving 240 patients showed that horse chestnut extract is just as effective as elastic stocking in providing relief from the swelling and pain of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.
Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
Butcher's broom extract has been used for many years as a traditional medicine for treating vein disorders. In the 1950s, studies on Butcher's broom discovered that it can strengthen and tone veins, as well as lessening swelling and inflammation.
In treating chronic venous insufficiency as well as varicose veins, butcher's broom has been found to relieve not only leg pains, but also swelling, itching, numbness, cramping, and the "heavy" sensation in the leg.
A Note about Venarin Supplement and cremes - Venarin Supplement contains high-grade Japanese pagoda tree, Horse chestnut, Butcher's broom, and Grape seed extracts. Venarin cremes (two strengths: Venarin Creme Regular Strength & VenarinMax Creme) a natural topical cream that contains Japanese pagoda tree, vitamin E, and vitamin K1.
The combination of Venarin Supplement and cremes are designed to help you achieve and maintain optimal vein health. It will help naturally treat various vein conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency, and provide lasting relief from its symptoms.
To learn more about Venarin, please see:
Chronic Venous Insufficiency Treatment: Venarin Supplement and Creme for CVI
See also:
Chronic Venous Insufficiency Resources
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this website is intended for general reference purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or other medical institutions. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Medical information changes rapidly and while Venarin.com makes reasonable efforts to update the contents on this site, some information may be not be current. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health care provider before starting any new health program or treatment.
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* Since starting my daily walks all of the symptoms except this one have disappeared. Even the spider veins in my foot have vanished. This discoloration is much lighter now than when I first began walking. [/color]