#phlebitis

What is thrombosis? Thrombosis is a medical condition characterized by the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, obstructing the normal blood flow. It can occur in veins (referred to as venous thrombosis) or arteries (referred to as arterial thrombosis). What are the symptoms of thrombosis? The symptoms of thrombosis can vary depending on the location and severity of the clot.…

Regular Treatments for Varicose and Spider Veins

okay my dears, this is something thats pretty common but i don’t see discussed a lot. granted, it’s more common on older ppl but prevention goes a long way. 

before i start i will say that i am not a doctor. the info here was based on google, my own experience, and information my angiologist gave me during visits. if you suspect you may have phlebitis and/or dvt (deep vein thrombosis), or think you are at high risk, please go see a doctor for a proper diagnosis asap.

i’m a 25-year-old woman that was diagnosed with phlebitis and at high risk of deep vein thrombosis (dvt). these conditions are actually not that common at this age (my angio said that most of his patients with these are middle-aged), but i am/was at high risk since some minor veins in my legs were located in odd places and/or not working at full capacity pretty much since birth.

what is happening here is that the veins in mainly the legs (and in rare cases, the arms) are having trouble pumping the blood back up to the upper body, so they start to swell in certain places and spots start to appear on the skin like this

(behold, my leg. it has more spots on the back.)

the pinkish-red spots are the most recent ones (a two weeks or a bit less), the brownish ones are the oldest (started to appear ~3 months ago). the older spots have run their course at this point and won’t really give much trouble anymore thanks to the treatment.

when spots being to appear, they are pink-red and start to hurt when applied a bit of pressure. the area also is itchy as hell (please don’t scratch it). if you apply pressure with your hand or fingers, you will feel a bit of a lump.

note: if your legs/arms start to swell, that mite be an edema and prolly means the whole thing is progressing. please go to a doctor asap.

so, you may ask, that sounds kinda awful, but can it get worse?

answer is: depends. if treated early, the spots will run their course and dissappear after a couple months of treatment. if not, it can progress to dvt.

the dangers are:

-higher risk of blood clots

-if untreated, the spots can turn into ulcers

-the clots can cause pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal

-more varicose veins

okay, sooooo, the fuck can i do? am i at risk?

good question! even if you are young, there are many things you can do for prevention!

First of all, you can be at high risk for the following reasons:

a) are obese

b) have hormonal issues (women and ppl with hrt are at higher risk)

c) have varicose veins

d) have health problems (or your family has a medical history) related to the circulatory system

e) have health problems (or your family has a medical history) related to blood clotting 

As for prevention

1. Weight: As someone who is overweight, i know how shitty it is to live with people concern-trolling, using health as an excuse when they really mean appearance, and doctors ignoring your concerns with non-weight related issues (happened to me once when i went to a doctor for bronchitis). it sucks and fat-shaming a real thing that needs to stop. however, more weight means more pressure on the lower veins and harder time for the blood to go back up. the goal here is not to be skinny, but to be more aware of your own weight if you are at higher risk). my angio has told me that i don’t need to be skinny, just try to eat healthy and avoid obesity.

2. Compression stockings, socks, pantyhose, holy shit: These will be your besties if you are under treatment, or just are in prevention mode. 

it is important, tho, to be super careful with the level of pressure of the stockings. Higher levels of pressure are more expensive and harder to find in common stores.

Pressure is measured in mmHg (milimeters of mercury) 

*8-15 mmHg are the mildest and the best if you wanna use them but are not at high risk. These are great if you spent long hours sitting down or standing up in one place. They are also good for traveling and during a pregnancy. Wear them for a couple hours a day, or during at work of you sit down/stand up in one spot during your shift. Your veins will love you for it.

*15-20 mmHg are also mild, and good if you are at high risk or you are starting to develop varicose veins.

*20-30 mmHg are the kind i wear, and what people start to use when phlebitis starts to kick in. pressure can go up to 30-40 and 40-50. from this point onwards it is better to talk to a doctor or angiologist to see what pressure level works best (tho, even then, 40-50 are for super extreme cases).

also, it is very important to check your calf, ankle and feet measurements when picking a size (brands will usually provide a chart) because pressure does not apply equally to all parts under the stocking. if you are tall, have large feet, or big calves (me on that last one), places like amazon sell plus sizes and stockings with wider calves.

3. Raise your legs: this helps blood flow a lot. when sitting down, find something (a bed, table, another chair) to raise them for a bit. 

For example, when i go to sleep, i do this

it is not super high, but it keeps my feet up while sleeping. if you are at work/don’t have enough space, try to stand up and stretch your legs for a minute or two every one or two hours.

4. Exercise: exercise helps with blood flow as well. walking, swimming, and biking (either regular or stationary bike) are the best kinds of exercise.

Keep in mind, tho, if you have already been diagnosed with phlebitis, dvt, or a similar circulatory condition, weight-lifting and squats may do more harm that good (yoga is controversial, opinions vary from “avoid” to “do it but stick to the basics”. the goal is to aid blood flow, and some execises such as weight-lifting can add more pressure to the veins. in my case, i am restricted to just walking, swimming and biking. 

5. Eat healthy: Lots of salt and fat can be bad when blood has trouble going up. If you really need help, there are many online resources for healthy eating, or consult a certified dietitian for a diet plan tailored to your tastes and needs.

6. Avoid high heels: they are terrible. stick to low heels and flats, use medium once in a blue moon. if you really like high heels, then maybe save them for a special occasion or holiday.

okay yeah, that’s the gist of it. here are more resources

in any case, please take care and be careful. prevention goes a long way.

I think I mentioned that I had hip surgery last week. My recovery has been going pretty well. I’ve has a few mishaps. Last week, for example, I accidentally pulled on one of my sutures & it loosened. The next day1 I found out that it was barely staying in when went with my mom to physical therapy & asked Erin2 to check it out for me.3 While she went to find a band-aid, it worked its way the rest of the way out. Since then, that incision has had a little yellow discharge, which I’ve told the orthopedist’s team, but has done well otherwise. Everything has been goin well. The only hard part is a hard spot in my left arm. 

Calling it a spot is a misnomer. It’s a hard, raised area stretching from my wrist to my elbow. It runs right along the vein that my IV from surgery was put in. Somehow they inflamed that entire segment of my vein. It’s a bit sore, red, and warm, but the family doctor thinks it’s just a little phlebitis.4 I should be okay. 

It’s just a little bizarre for me to know exactly where the vein is now. 

Thursday ↩

A physical therapist who has worked with me for 3 or 4 years. ↩

She’d once told me that they could check or even remove stitches. ↩

Phlebitis is literally the inflammation of a vein. ↩

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Designated Fatty March 21, 2017

Sharp & Achy July 9, 2015