Acute deep vein thrombosis or DVT, is a common condition that occurs in the legs of men and women of all ages. It causes leg swelling, pain and can limit walking. The larger the blood clot, the greater the number of veins that are damaged and the more severe are the symptoms.
Do your legs hurt when you walk? Have your activities or work duties become limited due to painful leg cramps? Do you or someone you know suffer from a non-healing wound or ulcer? You may have Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD is a progressive disease of the arteries that limits the circulation to your legs and feet. This is what people refer to as “blockages in the arteries”, “plaque”, or “hardening of the arteries”. The medical term is “atherosclerosis”.
Varicose veins are enlarged and twisted veins, often manifesting as dark blue or purple in color, near the surface of the skin and usually seen on the legs and ankles. Varicose veins may appear enlarged and protrude from the surface of the skin. Some even display a worm-like appearance just beneath the skin. Weakened valves are the cause of varicose veins and they typically develop over time. Normally, the one-way valves in a vein keep blood flowing up the leg and back toward the heart. When those valves don’t work as well as they should, blood pools in your legs and pressure builds up.
