Factors that increase the risk of developing DVT include:

Factors that increase the risk of developing DVT include:

Major surgery

Immobility, such as being in the hospital and long travel

Recent injury

Increased estrogen, from birth control pills, pregnancy, and certain medications

Certain chronic medical illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer

Previous DVT

Age (risk increases as age increases)

Obesity

Smoking

Know the symptoms of DVT and PE:

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

About half of people with DVT have no symptoms at all. For those who do have symptoms, the following are the most common and occur in the affected part of the body (usually the leg):

Swelling

Pain

Tenderness

Redness of the skin

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

If you have a PE, you might:

Find it hard to breathe

Have a faster than normal heart beat

Have chest pain or discomfort, which usually worse with a deep breath or coughing

Cough up blood

Have very low blood pressure or lightheadedness, or black out

If you have any of these symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.

Five steps you can take to protect yourself:

When sitting for long periods of time, such as when traveling for more than four hours:

Get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours.

Exercise your legs while you're sitting by:

Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.

Raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.

Tightening and releasing your leg muscles.

Drink plenty of water, and avoid drinking anything with alcohol or caffeine in it.

Move around as soon as possible after having been confined to bed, such as after surgery, illness, or injury.

If you are at increased risk, talk to your doctor about wearing graduated compression stockings (sometimes called "support hose" or "medical compression stockings").

If you are at increased risk, talk to your doctor about medication (anticoagulants) to prevent or treat DVT.

Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and don't smoke.

CDC Activities

CDC is conducting research to learn more about risk factors for DVT and the effects of thrombophilia (inherited risks for DVT) on pregnancy. In addition, CDC funds a research network of specialized thrombosis and hemostasis centers, as well as a health promotion and wellness initiative to provide people with information about how to prevent DVT and its complications.

CDC Division of Blood Disorders

Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism, CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008

Travelers' Health

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month

Deep vein thrombosis (also called DVT or blood clots) occurs when a blood clot forms in a large vein. Part of a clot may break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE) and, possibly, death. Take simple steps to protect yourself.

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) are a major public health problem in the United States. Estimates suggest that 350,000 to 600,000 Americans have a DVT or PE each year, and that at least 100,000 people die as a result. Many of those who have a DVT or PE also have complications that can greatly impact their quality of life.

Everybody should know the risk factors, symptoms, and steps they can take to protect themselves.

Factors that increase the risk of developing DVT include:

Major surgery

Immobility, such as being in the hospital and long travel

Recent injury

Increased estrogen, from birth control pills, pregnancy, and certain medications

Certain chronic medical illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer

Previous DVT

Age (risk increases as age increases)

Obesity

Smoking

Know the symptoms of DVT and PE:

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

About half of people with DVT have no symptoms at all. For those who do have symptoms, the following are the most common and occur in the affected part of the body (usually the leg):

Swelling

Pain

Tenderness

Redness of the skin

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

If you have a PE, you might:

Find it hard to breathe

Have a faster than normal heart beat

Have chest pain or discomfort, which usually worse with a deep breath or coughing

Cough up blood

Have very low blood pressure or lightheadedness, or black out

If you have any of these symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.

cdc

DVT Awareness

Are You At Risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Deep vein thrombosis (also called DVT or blood clots) occurs when a blood clot forms in a large vein. Part of a clot may break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE) and, possibly, death. Take simple steps to protect yourself.

 March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) are a major public health problem in the United States. Estimates suggest that 350,000 to 600,000 Americans have a DVT or PE each year, and that at least 100,000 people die as a result. Many of those who have a DVT or PE also have complications that can greatly impact their quality of life.

Everybody should know the risk factors, symptoms, and steps they can take to protect themselves.

Factors that increase the risk of developing DVT include:

• Major surgery
• Immobility, such as being in the hospital and long travel
• Recent injury
• Increased estrogen, from birth control pills, pregnancy, and certain medications
• Certain chronic medical illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer
• Previous DVT
• Age (risk increases as age increases)
• Obesity
• Smoking

Know the symptoms of DVT and PE:

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

About half of people with DVT have no symptoms at all. For those who do have symptoms, the following are the most common and occur in the affected part of the body (usually the leg):

• Swelling
• Pain
• Tenderness
• Redness of the skin

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

If you have a PE, you might:

• Find it hard to breathe
• Have a faster than normal heart beat
• Have chest pain or discomfort, which usually worse with a deep breath or coughing
• Cough up blood
• Have very low blood pressure or lightheadedness, or black out

If you have any of these symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.

Five steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. When sitting for long periods of time, such as when traveling for more than four hours:

• Get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours.
• Exercise your legs while you're sitting by:
  • Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
  • Raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.
  • Tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
  • Drink plenty of water, and avoid drinking anything with alcohol or caffeine in it.

1. Move around as soon as possible after having been confined to bed, such as after surgery, illness, or injury.
2. If you are at increased risk, talk to your doctor about wearing graduated compression stockings (sometimes called "support hose" or "medical compression stockings").
3. If you are at increased risk, talk to your doctor about medication (anticoagulants) to prevent or treat DVT.
4. Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and don't smoke.

CDC

Vein Problems

Vein Problems Related to Varicose Veins

A number of vein problems are related to varicose veins, such as telangiectasias (tel-AN-juh-ek-TA-ze-uhs), spider veins, varicoceles (VAR-i-ko-seals), and other vein problems.

Telangiectasias

Telangiectasias are small clusters of blood vessels. They’re usually found on the upper body, including the face.

These blood vessels appear red. They may form during pregnancy and often are found in people who have certain genetic disorders, viral infections, or other medical conditions, such as liver disease.

Because telangiectasias can be a sign of a more serious condition, see your doctor if you think you have them.

Spider Veins

Spider veins are a smaller version of varicose veins and a less serious type of telangiectasias. Spider veins involve the capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body.

Spider veins often show up on the legs and face. They usually look like a spider web or tree branch and can be red or blue. They usually aren’t a medical concern.

Varicoceles

Varicoceles are varicose veins in the scrotum (the skin over the testicles). Varicoceles may be linked to male infertility. If you think you have varicoceles, see your doctor.

Other Related Vein Problems
< Other types of varicose veins include venous lakes, reticular veins, and hemorrhoids. Venous lakes are varicose veins that appear on the face and neck.

Reticular veins are flat blue veins often seen behind the knees. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins in and around the anus.

NIH

Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS)

What is Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS)?

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a congenital circulatory disorder characterized by hemangiomas (abnormal benign growths on the skin consisting of masses of blood vessels), arteriovenous abscesses, and varicose veins, usually on the limbs. The affected limbs may be enlarged and warmer than normal. Fused toes or fingers, or extra toes or fingers, may be present. Bleeding may occur, often as a result of a rectal or vaginal tumor. The cause of the disorder is unknown. A similar port-wine stain disorder in which individuals have vascular anomalies and limb enlargement is Sturge-Weber syndrome. These patients may experience seizures and mental deficiency.

Is there any treatment?

There is no cure for KTS. Treatment is symptomatic. Laser surgery can diminish or erase some skin lesions. Surgery may correct discrepancies in limb size, but orthopedic devices may be more appropriate.

What is the prognosis?

KTS is a progressive disorder, and complications may be life-threatening.

Temporal arteritis

(also called giant cell arteritis or cranial arteritis)

Temporal arteritis is a common chronic inflammatory disease of large blood vessels occurring primarily in people 50 and older. It most often involves narrowing and sometimes blockage of the arteries that bring blood to the brain. Doctors will diagnose temporal arteritis if at least three of the following symptoms are present:

new, severe headache

visual disturbances

pain in the jaw or tongue when chewing or swallowing

tenderness in the temporal arteries (the arteries that run across the temples on either side of the head) or the scalp

Fever, weight loss, and neck or muscle pain can occur, usually in the early phase of the disease. Individuals may also have arthritis; carpal tunnel syndrome; fatigue; and weakness, paralysis, or numbness in isolated muscles. The disease is usually limited to one to two years and is rarely fatal.

Abrupt but reversible blindness is the most dramatic complication of temporal arteritis. About one in ten individuals with temporal arteritis will develop blindness in one eye, preceded by visual disturbances. Once one eye is affected, three out of four individuals will go on to lose vision in the other eye, most in two weeks or less.

The main goal of treatment for temporal arteritis is to prevent blindness. Most individuals respond well to steroid drugs, such as prednisone and methylprednisolone, but they must be carefully monitored. Long-term use of steroids can cause harmful side effects, such as collapsing vertebrae, muscle pain, diabetes, cataracts, and infection.

Primary angiitis of the CNS (granulomatous angiitis)

The symptoms of this rare disorder develop slowly. Symptoms include headache and encephalopathy-like symptoms such as dementia and tremor. Stroke, TIA, and seizures can occur. Treatment includes steroid and immunosuppressive drugs, such as prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. It is fatal if left untreated.

Takayasu's disease

This disease affects large arteries such as the aorta, which brings blood to the arms, legs and head. It primarily strikes individuals of Asian descent and predominantly affects females under the age of 40. The main symptoms are fainting and visual disturbances and it may also cause stroke. Although the disorder is serious, the prognosis is positive: more than 90 percent of those diagnosed with Takayasu's disease survive beyond a decade after diagnosis. Steroid drugs are used in the early phase of the disease, but some individuals become steroid-resistant and have to switch to cyclophosphamide or low-dose methotrexate.

Periarteritis nodosa

The onset of this rare and serious disease is generally between the ages of 40 and 50, but it can occur at any age. Men are three times more likely to develop the disease than women.

Symptoms can mimic those of many other diseases, but the most common initial complaints are fever, abdominal pain, numbness or pain in the legs and limbs, weakness, and unexplained weight loss. As the disease progresses, the kidneys may fail and high blood pressure may develop rapidly. Certain drugs (for example, those in the sulfa family), vaccines, bacterial infections, and viral infections have been associated with the onset of the disease. Damage to the PNS is more common than damage to the CNS, but if the disease does involve the CNS, damage to brain and spinal cord tissue can occur.

The disease is treated aggressively with high doses of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclophosphamide. Eighty percent of individuals who receive appropriate treatment are alive five years later. Untreated disease is often fatal, ending in heart failure, kidney failure, or failure of other vital organs.

nih

Fibromuscular Dysplasia

What is Fibromuscular Dysplasia?

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is the abnormal development or growth of cells in the walls of arteries that can cause the vessels to narrow or bulge. The carotid arteries, which pass through the neck and supply blood to the brain, are commonly affected. Arteries within the brain and kidneys can also be affected. A characteristic “string of beads” pattern caused by the alternating narrowing and enlarging of the artery can block or reduce blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke or mini-stroke. Some patients experience no symptoms of the disease while others may have high blood pressure, dizziness or vertigo, chronic headache, intracranial aneurysm, ringing in the ears, weakness or numbness in the face, neck pain, or changes in vision. FMD is most often seen in persons age 25 to 50 years and affects women more often than men. More than one family member may be affected by the disease. The cause of FMD is unknown. An angiogram can detect the degree of narrowing or obstruction of the artery and identify changes such as a tear (dissection) or weak area (aneurysm) in the vessel wall. FMD can also be diagnosed using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultrasound.

Is there any treatment?

There is no standard protocol to treat FMD. Any treatment to improve blood flow is based on the arteries affected and the progression and severity of the disease. The carotid arteries should be tested if FMD is found elsewhere in the body since carotid involvement is linked to an increased risk of stroke. Patients with minimal narrowing may take a daily antiplatelet such as an aspirin or an anticoagulant to thin the blood and reduce the chances that a clot might form. Medications such as aspirin can also be taken for headache and neck pain, symptoms that can come from FMD. Patients with arterial disease who smoke should be encouraged to quit as smoking worsens the disease. Further treatment may include angioplasty, in which a small balloon is inserted through a catheter and inflated to open the artery. Small tubes called stents may be inserted to keep arteries open. Surgery may be needed to treat aneurysms that have the potential to rupture and cause bleeding within the brain.

What is the prognosis?

Currently there is no cure for FMD. Medicines and angioplasty can reduce the risk of initial or recurrent stroke. In rare cases, FMD-related aneurysms can burst and bleed into the brain, causing stroke, permanent nerve damage, or death.

NINDS

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Synonym(s): Encephalotrigeminal Angiomatosis

What is Sturge-Weber Syndrome?

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a neurological disorder indicated at birth by seizures accompanied by a large port-wine stain birthmark on the forehead and upper eyelid of one side of the face.  The birthmark can vary in color from light pink to deep purple and is caused by an overabundance of capillaries around the trigeminal nerve just beneath the surface of the face.  Sturge-Weber syndrome is also accompanied by the loss of nerve cells and calcification of tissue in the cerebral cortex of the brain on the same side of the body as the birthmark. Neurological symptoms include seizures that begin in infancy and may worsen with age. Convulsions usually happen on the side of the body opposite the birthmark and vary in severity.  There may be muscle weakness on the same side.  Some children will have developmental delays and mental retardation; most will have glaucoma (increased pressure within the eye) at birth or developing later.  The increased pressure within the eye can cause the eyeball to enlarge and bulge out of its socket (buphthalmos). Sturge-Weber syndrome rarely affects other body organs.

Is there any treatment?

Treatment for Sturge-Weber syndrome is symptomatic.  Laser treatment may be used to lighten or remove the birthmark.   Anticonvulsant medications may be used to control seizures.  Surgery may be performed on more serious cases of glaucoma.  Physical therapy should be considered for infants and children with muscle weakness.  Educational therapy is often prescribed for those with mental retardation or developmental delays.  Doctors recommend yearly monitoring for glaucoma.

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What is the prognosis?

Although it is possible for the birthmark and atrophy in the cerebral cortex to be present without symptoms, most infants will develop convulsive seizures during their first year of life.  There is a greater likelihood of intellectual impairment when seizures start before the age of 2 and are resistant to treatment.

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NINDS

Vasculitis Syndrome of the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems

Synonym(s): Temporal Arteritis, Cranial Arteritis, Giant Cell Arteritis

What is Vasculitis Syndromes of the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems?

Vasculitis is an inflammation of the vascular system, which includes the veins, arteries, and capillaries.  Researchers think that inflammation is due to a faulty immune system response. Vasculitis can cause problems in any organ system, including the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems.  Vasculitis disorders, or syndromes, of the CNS and PNS are characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in and around blood vessels, and secondary narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels that nourish the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves.

A vasculitis syndrome may begin suddenly or develop over time.  Symptoms include:

headaches, especially a headache that doesn’t go away; fever; feeling out-of-sorts; rapid weight loss; confusion or forgetfulness leading to dementia; aches and pains in the joints and muscles; pain while chewing or swallowing; paralysis or numbness, usually in the arms or legs; and visual disturbances, such as double vision, blurred vision, or blindness

Although these disorders are rare, there are many of them.  Some of the better understood syndromes are:  temporal arteritis (also called giant cell arteritis or cranial arteritis), Primary angiitis of the CNS (granulomatous angiitis), Takayasu’s disease, Periarteritis nodosa, Kawasaki disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, Wegener’s granulomatosis, systemic lupus erythematosis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and Behcet’s disease.

Is there any treatment?

Treatment for a vasculitis syndrome depends upon the specific diagnosis.  Most of the syndromes respond well to steroid drugs, such as prednisolone.  Some may also require treatment with an immunosuppressive drug, such as cyclophosphamide.

What is the prognosis?

The prognosis is dependent upon the specific syndrome, however, most of the syndromes are fatal if left untreated.

NINDS

What Is Peripheral Arterial Disease?

Peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) occurs when plaque (plak) builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood.

When plaque builds up in arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis (ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis). Over time, plaque can harden and narrow the arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.

P.A.D. usually affects the legs, but also can affect the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your head, arms, kidneys, and stomach. This article focuses on P.A.D. that affects blood flow to the legs.

Normal Artery and Artery With Plaque Buildup

The illustration shows how P.A.D. can affect arteries in the legs. Figure A shows a normal artery with normal blood flow. The inset image shows a cross-section of the normal artery. Figure B shows an artery with plaque buildup that’s partially blocking blood flow. The inset image shows a cross-section of the narrowed artery.

Overview

Blocked blood flow to your legs can cause pain and numbness. It also can raise your risk of getting an infection in the affected limbs. It may be hard for your body to fight the infection.

If severe enough, blocked blood flow can cause tissue death (gangrene). In very serious cases, this can lead to leg amputation.

If you have leg pain when you walk or climb stairs, talk to your doctor. Sometimes older people think that leg pain is just a symptom of aging. However, the cause for the pain could be P.A.D. Tell your doctor if you're feeling pain in your legs and discuss whether you should be tested for P.A.D.

Smoking is the main risk factor for P.A.D. If you smoke or have a history of smoking, your risk for P.A.D. increases four times. Other factors, such as age and having certain diseases or conditions, also increase your risk.

Outlook

If you have P.A.D., your risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, and transient ischemic attack (“mini-stroke”) is six to seven times greater than the risk for people who don’t have P.A.D. If you have heart disease, you have a 1 in 3 chance of having blocked leg arteries.

Although P.A.D. is serious, it’s treatable. If you have the disease, it’s important to see your doctor regularly and treat the underlying atherosclerosis.

P.A.D. treatment may slow or stop disease progress and reduce the risk of complications. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medicines, and surgery or procedures. Researchers continue to explore new therapies for P.A.D.

NIH

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