Venous Disease
What is venous disease?
The most common problems that affect veins are blood clots (venous thrombosis) and reflux. There are two main venous systems in your legs: the deep and superficial systems. The deep system does most of the work but the superficial veins are the ones people are most familiar with because they are close to the surface of the skin and easily seen. A healthy vein carries blood from your limbs back to your heart to be re-oxygenated. To do this, the veins in your legs must work against gravity. Small one-way valves in the veins allow this to happen. If the valves are damaged or not working well, sometimes because of a previous blood clot, there is backward flow or reflux. Veins can become enlarged, inflamed and painful over time. Chronic venous disease can lead to skin breakdown (ulcers) and color changes in the lower legs.
