Do you suffer from a venous disease without knowing it?

Swiss ankles, swelling, night cramps … These banal and familiar symptoms for 7 out of 10 Belgians can be those of a chronic venous disease (MVC). Dr. Janine Quaniers, vascular surgeon at the Citadel regional hospital center in Liège, teaches us not to neglect them.

Let’s start with a reminder of the functioning of the blood circulation. The blood ejected from the heart is conveyed by the arteries to our organs, to which it brings oxygen and nutrients, taking care of carbon dioxide and waste. Arrived at the ends, it is recovered by the veins, which bring it back to the heart, this return being facilitated by the natural functioning of the muscles. Disoxygenated blood is then sent to the lungs, where it recharges oxygen. In the legs, the venous circuit is organized in 2 interconnected networks: the superficial venous network and the deep venous network, the latter being provided with anti-return valves, the valves, to prevent blood from falling in the feet under the effect of gravity.

What is chronic venous disease?

It is the result of a dysfunction of the blood system: “The veins lose their elasticity and their tone,” explains the Dr. Quaniers, the valves closed anymore, blood stagnates in the bottom of the legs – this is called venous stasis – and the MVC sets up. “

What are the symptoms?

The main ones are:

• heavy legs, especially at the end of the day
• feelings of tingling, itching and/or burns in the legs
• Nocturnal muscle cramps
• The appearance on the legs of varicose or telangiectasies – blue, red or purple veinules, often grouped in star – or even varicose veins, abnormally dilated veins, visible under the skin
• Edema, characterized by swelling of the calves, ankles and/or feet.

More complicated in summer?

Indeed, summer is a test because the veins expand under the effect of heat. If this is your case and you have no other symptoms the rest of the year, there is no need to worry. On the other hand, if you present one or more symptoms of the MVC regularly, react: “MVC is not a simple aesthetic problem, but a real chronic pathology, insists the Dre Quaniers. The earlier you will talk to your general practitioner or a specialist (phlebologist, angiologist, vascular surgeon …), the less you will be able to worsen.”

What are the risk factors?

They are multiple and varied:

• “Heredity, explains the Dr. Quaniers. One child, one of the parents, with varicose veins at 30% risks in addition to developing a MVC and, if his 2 parents are carrying it, 80% more risk!”
• The genre is also important: even if the MVC does not spare men, hormonal fluctuations and pregnancies make women its favorite victims.
• Age is also in question, although, contrary to popular belief, the MVC can reach from 30 or 40 years, even sometimes at 15 or 20 years!
• The professions that impose a standing position (hairdresser, cook, nurse, etc.) or seat (truck driver, prolonged computer, also promote the disease.
• “But the best allies in the MVC are excess weight and sedentary lifestyle, notes the Dr. Quaniers. At the first consultation, many patients in excess weight, even obese, affirm: ‘I have poor circulation.’ What reassures them, but does not mean anything.

Even in case of proven chronic venous disease, apply the prevention advice: watch your weight, stay in motion and practice walking daily, alternating with a sport of your choice.

Relieve and treat the MVC goes through several tracks:

• Wearing stockings or compression tights: This method may seem overwhelmed, but it really improves the symptomatology and reduces the risk of edema.
• The Veinotonics (synthetic or natural): They increase the tone of the venous walls and contribute to the absorption of edema. If you plan to spend your next vacation in a hot country, take it in your luggage!
• Sclerotherapy: It consists in injecting a sclerosing product into varicose veins. “This technique is not only for aesthetic purposes, notes the DRE quériers. Recurrences of varicose veins after an operation can be processed by sclerotherapy.”
• Surgical treatments: They are now done by endowment: a probe is introduced in the saphenous veins, by laser or radiofrequency, to treat them by thermal effect. “It is also possible to stick the walls of the vein with cyanoacrylate, specifies the Dre Quaniers. It is done under local anesthesia – no incapacity for work, immediate resumption of sport – and the results are excellent: there is no longer any reflux of blood and the varicose veins disappear almost spontaneously.”
• Massages: Practiced by a specialized physiotherapist (e) or by yourself, at home, with a press of pressotherapy, to stimulate venous return.

And in case of pregnancy?

“Above all, explains the Dr. Quaniers, talk about your desire for pregnancy to your doctor, especially if you already present a significant varicose pathology. In such a case, I always propose to operate varicose veins before pregnancy: new surgical techniques allow it, and it avoids complications thereafter. Even in the absence of varicose veins, moreover, specific management is recommended, with the wearing of compression stockings to reduce the risk of phlebitis and, if necessary, the placement of patients under Daflon during the second and third quarters: it relieves effectively. ”

On a trip?

Any mode of transport which requires you prolonged immobilization in a seated position can worsen your MVC. So do not hesitate to consult your doctor before departure. If you take the plane, wear compression stockings to counter the risks of phlebit, opt for loose and comfortable clothes, and remember to hydrate yourself and get up regularly, atmospheric pressure variations that can cause significant dehydration.

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