Do you spend most of your day sitting at a desk or computer without moving around much? If so, it’s not a healthy situation because you might be pooling your blood into phlebitis. Phlebitis means vein wall inflammation without clot formation. And this vascular disease is not the same condition as vasculitis or arteritis.
Three major causes for a vein to become inflamed are pooling blood, trauma and a coagulation problem. So sitting without moving can result in blood pooling in your legs. And the legs are the site for which most cases of phlebitis develop.
Phlebitis can lead to a blood clot or be caused by a blood clot where vein inflammation occurs. When this happens, the health condition is referred to as thrombophlebitis. A thrombus may form due to immobilization, injury or local infection.
The major health concern with thrombophlebitis is your blood clot dislodging from the area of phlebitis and traveling to your lungs. This situation is extremely dangerous because it could cause a pulmonary embolism.
Leg pain is the principal symptom of phlebitis and thrombophlebitis. Your pain may emerge from only a certain area in your leg or throughout your entire leg. You may experience these additional symptoms stemming from your vein inflammation as well:
- warmth
- redness
- hardness
- itchy skin
- tenderness
- leg swollen with edema
- throbbing, burning sensation
Symptoms will probably worsen whenever your painful leg is lowered. You may have a fever if your phlebitis is caused by an infectious disease. And sometimes no symptom alerts you to the fact you have an inflamed vein.
Phlebitis may be caused by or associated with:
- tumor
- obesity
- smoking
- varicose veins
- atherosclerosis
- prolonged sitting
- birth control pills
- pancreatic cancer
- sedentary lifestyle
- injury to arms, legs
- pregnancy, childbirth
- long period of bed rest
- blood clotting disorders
- stroke that causes paralysis
- infection in tissue near inflamed vein
- estrogen in hormone replacement therapy
Yet, sometimes the cause of phlebitis and thrombophlebitis isn’t identifiable.
Should your leg pain become substantial enough to instigate a visit with your health care provider, then an assessment is made as to whether your phlebitis is superficial or deep. Treatment to relieve your leg pain symptom caused by superficial phlebitis may include:
- leg elevation
- wear compression stockings
- apply warm compresses several times a day
- take an antibiotic if bacterial infection is involved
- take anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), analgesic medication
If there is a potential that your vein inflammation is thrombophlebitis, then treatment may also include injecting enoxaparin to immediately thin your blood, taking thrombolytics to breakup an existing clot and taking an anticoagulant, such as heparin or warfarin, to prevent a future blood clots.
Being active via walking and not sitting or lying for prolonged periods increases your blood flow to prevent phlebitis and thrombophlebitis. Other healthy lifestyle prevention habits include:
- weight loss
- stop smoking
- exercise regularly
- don’t cross your legs, ankles when sitting
- not wearing garters or tight knee-highs, pantyhose
You’ll substantially cut your risk of vein inflammation if you just get up and walk every hour or so.