Leg fatigue and warning signs of lower extremity venous insufficiency in women

Venous insufficiency of the lower extremities is a decline in the function of the lower extremity venous system to return blood to the heart, leading to blood stagnation in the leg area, hemodynamic changes and deformation of tissues. around. The disease usually progresses slowly, is not tumultuous, is less dangerous, but interferes much with daily activities and work.

The disease has been identified to be related to a number of factors affecting the function of the one-way valves of the peripheral venous system. Damage to these valves is caused by:

– Living and working posture: having to stand or sit in one place for too long, being sedentary, having to carry heavy loads, etc., creating conditions for blood to be pushed down the legs, increasing pressure in the veins in the legs, for a long time. gradually damage the one-way venous valves.

– People with multiple pregnancies, multiple births, obesity, chronic constipation, lack of exercise, smoking, a diet low in fiber and vitamins… also make the disease worse.

– Degeneration of valves in the elderly.

– Venous thromboembolism.

Warning signs

In the early stages, the symptoms of the disease are usually faint and transient. Patients present with foot pain, heaviness in the feet, sometimes feeling that they are wearing shoes that are tighter than usual.

– Leg fatigue and mild edema appear when standing for a long time, sitting a lot

– Cramps in the evening

– The feeling of being pricked, paresthesia like ants crawling in the lower leg at night

– Many tiny blood vessels (in the early stages, only tiny veins can be seen, especially in the ankles and feet). These symptoms are often not obvious or disappear at rest because the veins in the extremities are not dilated much, sometimes they are not, so the patient pays little attention and is easy to ignore.

In the advanced stage, the patient’s feet begin to show swelling in the ankles or feet. The lower leg area appears to change skin color, a manifestation of dystrophy due to long-term venous stasis. Varicose veins cause pain and tightness in the legs, blood escapes out of the vessels, causing leg swelling. This phenomenon does not go away with rest, in more severe cases, you can see large and clear varicose veins on the skin often, bruised blood patches on the skin …

Disease prevention

– Change in working and living habits: Avoid prolonged standing or sitting motionless.

– When traveling by car or by plane, you need to stretch your legs often for blood circulation.

– Drink a lot of water

– Wear supportive socks

– Lose weight when excess

– Use drugs to prevent deep vein thrombosis when indicated.