Phlebitis - causes and signs of phlebitis

There are several types of the disease:

• endophlebitis - the inner lining of the vein becomes inflamed;
• periphlebitis - the outer lining is affected;
• panphlebitis - all linings are damaged.

The main stages of the pathology development:

• Acute - has a vivid clinical picture, causing a lot of suffering to a person and significantly limiting his motor activity.
• Chronic - proceeds more mildly. Periods of exacerbation alternate with periods of remission.

Causes

Common factors include the following:

• traumatic injury (for example, with a long-term presence of a catheter, an ineptly made intravenous injection);
• infectious lesion (mainly staphylococcal, streptococcal nature);
• long-term stress (during heavy physical labor, pregnancy, childbirth);
• chemical burns from certain pharmaceuticals;
• allergies (in particular to insect bites);
• hereditary vascular weakness.

Most often, inflammation of the venous wall occurs as a complication of existing varicose veins of the lower limbs.

Artificially provoked inflammation also occurs, the appearance of which is a planned stage of such a method of combating varicose veins as sclerotherapy. This type of disease is called aseptic phlebitis.

Symptoms

Characteristic manifestations are increased fatigue and pain when walking, redness of individual areas of the skin, swelling. Local body temperature tends to increase. In chronic cases, discomfort symptoms bother even at rest.

It happens that inflammation of the vascular wall is combined with the concomitant formation of a thrombus. It blocks the lumen of the vessel, causing its partial or complete occlusion (blockage). This disease is called thrombophlebitis.

Diagnostics

1. To establish a correct diagnosis, as well as to identify blood clots or embolisms, such a diagnostic measure as Dopplerography (ultrasound duplex scanning) is widely used.

A qualified in-person consultation with a phlebologist often allows you to accurately determine phlebitis.

Treatment

Uncomplicated phlebitis can be successfully treated with conservative therapy. Tablets are prescribed that have a complex therapeutic effect on the arteriovenous system: micronized fractions of diosmin, cardio aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid. Against the background of their intake, the rheological properties of the blood (viscosity, fluidity) improve, the tendency to thrombosis decreases, and the tone of the venous wall increases.

Venotonic creams and gels containing heparin, diosmin, troxerutin, and escin are used externally. They effectively eliminate the inflammatory process, swelling, and pain, improve venous outflow and microcirculation.

Physiotherapeutic methods give good results: laser therapy, ultrasound phonophoresis, and electrophoresis with drugs. Many patients are helped by hirudotherapy: applying medical leeches to sore spots.

Thrombophlebitis is treated surgically in most cases. Thrombectomy is performed: surgical removal of the formed thrombus in order to restore normal blood flow. In difficult situations, when thrombus formation occurred in a varicose vessel, it is also removed. Such a radical decision is made by the surgeon to avoid further thrombosis.

There are modern medications in the form of injection solutions that directly promote the resorption of formed thrombi and actively prevent the formation of new ones. These include sulodexide, a substance obtained from the mucous membrane of the pig intestine.

Prevention

It is necessary to give the legs a full rest. With severe swelling and heaviness in the limbs, unloading positions are useful. These include placing the legs on an elevation above the level of the heart and getting on all fours.

Persons with cardiovascular pathology are recommended to undergo angioprotective courses twice a year. In order to detect varicose veins in the early stages, you should make an appointment with a phlebologist if you have any alarming symptoms that suggest this diagnosis.