President Trump has revealed he has chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that affects about half of all adults.
While the name may sound alarming, heart and vascular experts say it is generally a benign condition.
Venous insufficiency occurs when the veins in the legs have trouble pushing blood back to the heart.
Symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency
This can cause symptoms like swelling, varicose veins, aching, cramping, throbbing, leg fatigue, restless leg, or heaviness in the legs, and in some cases, skin changes or ulcers if left untreated.
“The press secretary called it benign, which honestly, I would agree with in most cases. But if left unchecked it could potentially lead to something more dangerous such as ulceration,” said Dr. Khaled Khalaf, an interventional cardiologist with Vital Heart & Vein. “But again, as long as there’s no skin changes, swelling is one of the biggest things initially as well as varicose veins. So, I would classify it as benign and actually very common.”
It can also be related to people who stand for long periods.
Treatments for chronic venous insufficiency
Dr. Stuart Harlin with UT Health Houston said the condition is more prevalent in women than men and treatment focuses on staying active.
“Any way you move the muscles in your calves can attract and help push blood back to your heart against gravity,” Dr. Harlin said.
He recommends activities like walking, swimming, biking, yoga, and Pilates to help manage symptoms.
For those with more severe symptoms, minimally invasive procedures are available that can close off problematic veins and improve blood flow.
“The therapies now are all entirely non-invasive or minimally invasive catheter-based procedures. We put a little widget inside the vein and close off the offending valves. Those are done almost entirely in office-based procedures for people to go home right after they’re done. Those are very successful for people who need intervention,” Dr. Harlin said.
“The way that I do it is using a technology called VenaSeal. We put a little bit of super glue in there,” Dr. Khalaf said. “It literally takes 15 to 20 minutes per vein."
If your legs feel heavy or swollen after a long day, experts advise elevating your legs, moving regularly, and wearing compression stockings.
If you notice pain or skin changes, be sure to consult your doctor.
