Your Guide to Understanding Vein Health

Venous disease refers to several conditions affecting your veins. Veins use one-way valves to carry oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. The valves keep blood moving in the right direction by opening to let blood go through, then closing to be sure it can’t flow backward.

When the valves become weak or damaged, they allow blood to go backward. As a result, blood builds up in the vein below the valve, which creates abnormally high pressure.

The pressure from accumulating blood, causes additional stretching of the vein walls and valves, allowing more blood to remain in the vein. With more swelling, valve damage, and excess blood, venous disease develops.

These are a few of the most common problems treated at the vein center at Phoenix Heart:

• Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Chronic venous insufficiency generally refers to blood pooling in your veins due to weakened or damaged valves. This condition leads to other complications such as skin ulcers that don’t heal and varicose veins.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Thrombosis is an inflammation of a vein that develops due to a blood clot. Deep vein thrombosis is a very serious problem because the blood clot can break loose, lodge in your lungs, and block blood flow.
• Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS): PTS develops when deep vein thrombosis damages the valves or vein wall. This damage remains and causes ongoing venous problems after the DVT blood clot is treated.