What is Venous Hypertension?

To understand Venous Hypertension, you firstly need to grasp the basics of how the body’s blood circulatory system works, so we have tried to explain this in layman’s terms, so that everyone can understand.

Your Heart is the main pumping engine for your blood circulation, it has Arteries that help push the blood away from the Heart and Veins that help it travel back again. The Arteries and Veins are like a map of railway tunnels, in which the blood can travel along and reach all around your body. 

Imagine the Veins being like corridors with lots of sets of double doors that swing open together and close together, to help move and regulate the blood flow and pressure. When the valves (double doors) open, the blood travels through to the next corridor and when they are closed, the blood is prevented from travelling through to the next corridor, helping to regulate the flow.

WHAT IS VENOUS HYPERTENSION?

Venous Hypertension is a high vein pressure, which is caused by weakened Veins in the lower legs. When the Valves in the Veins become damaged and less sufficient at the job they are supposed to do, they cannot open and close as efficiently as they should, and therefore, cannot help to push the blood back to the Heart, as well as they once could.

Blood then begins to pool behind the incompetent valves, which can lead to a considerable increase in the blood pressure in the leg veins. It is worth knowing that high blood pressure as we know it, is relative to the Arteries (blood travelling away from the Heart), which is different from having high blood pressure in the Veins (blood travelling back to the Heart). 

WHO IS AT RISK OF VENOUS HYPERTENSION?

More commonly, it is the older generation that suffer the blight of weakening veins, however, there are also many younger people who are ‘at risk’.

Being overweight, will mean that the veins must work harder under the added pressure from the weight gain, this is also true for Pregnant women, where the veins soften due to hormonal changes and of course, weight gain from the baby growth.

Women do seem to be more at risk than Men due to hormonal changes in the body, such as pregnancy or menopause, as this influences the veins efficiency, however, anyone can be susceptible if they are in a job that requires long periods of standing or sitting for long hours.

SYMPTOMS OF VENOUS HYPERTENSION

The most common symptoms of Venous Hypertension is leg pain, cramps and swelling, some people see a discolouration of the skin, particularly at the ankle or at the site of the pain. Varicose veins may be seen on the surface of the skin and Leg Ulcers can be a sign of more advanced venous disease.

HOW TO TREAT VENOUS HYPERTENSION

Always seek the advice of a medical professional. Your GP should be your first point of contact and they will refer you to a vascular surgeon or relevant specialist.

Depending upon your medical history and the severity of your symptoms, your treatment may require surgery, medicine, compression therapy, elevation, diet, and light exercise.