Vein deficiency, more accurately referred to as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), occurs when the veins in your legs struggle to efficiently return blood to your heart. Essentially, the normal one-way flow of blood upwards from your legs is compromised.
Understanding Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
- Normal Vein Function: Healthy leg veins contain valves that open to allow blood flow towards the heart and close to prevent backflow.
- The Problem in CVI: In chronic venous insufficiency, these valves become damaged or weakened. This allows blood to pool in the legs instead of efficiently returning to the heart.
Reference: Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when your leg veins don't allow blood to flow back up to your heart. Normally, the valves in your veins make sure that blood flows toward your heart. But when these valves don't work well, blood can also flow backwards.
Contributing Factors
While the reference clearly defines the problem, here are some contributing factors:
- Valve Malfunction: As mentioned, damaged or weakened valves are the primary cause.
- Blood Clots (Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT): A history of DVT can damage the valves in the veins.
- Other Conditions: Conditions like obesity, pregnancy, and prolonged standing or sitting can contribute to CVI.
Potential Consequences
If left untreated, CVI can lead to various symptoms and complications:
- Swelling in the legs and ankles
- Pain or aching in the legs
- Skin changes, such as discoloration or ulcers
- Varicose veins
In Summary
Vein deficiency, or chronic venous insufficiency, means your leg veins aren't effectively pumping blood back to your heart due to faulty valves, which can cause blood to pool in your legs.
