13, 4, 2020

Easter Dinner & Leg Pain: What’s the Correlation?

2021-11-04T19:53:27-07:00

After a holiday, patients frequently complain about leg pain. Especially, holidays where hours of cooking are involved like Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, Passover, etc. Some people who may have mild venous reflux disease, may not notice any symptoms until they are standing for hours- like during cooking. Over the years, we always hear from patients that their legs were aching and fatigued after cooking. The reason for this is venous reflux disease causes backflow of blood. The blood pools in the legs and the pooling of blood causes sensations of heaviness, fatigue, aching, and even night cramps and restlessness. Ankle swelling may also be more prominent. Elevating the legs allows the blood to flow in the correct direction and reduces the pooling of blood and symptoms. Wearing compression stockings during cooking can be helpful to reduce symptoms. Also when standing upright for hours, it is helpful to do calf pump raises.

Diagram of healthy and diseased vein valves

Leaky vein valves allow blood to pool, causing leg pain, heaviness, and fatigue.

Easter Dinner & Leg Pain: What’s the Correlation?2021-11-04T19:53:27-07:00

19, 6, 2014

7 Signs of Venous Disease

2021-11-05T11:14:23-07:00

#1 A feeling of heaviness or fullness in the legs that gets worse as the day progresses.

#2 Leg fatigue and tiredness in the legs, which also becomes worse by the end of the day and after prolonged standing or sitting. Some patients describe their legs as being ‘full of energy in the morning but are tired by the evening. For example, after a long day at work, Disney land, or the grocery store, you may feel like you need to run to a chair to recline and elevate your legs.

#3 Leg swelling, mostly affecting the ankles. Your legs may be normal in the morning but you notice swelling or that your shoes are tight by the end of the day.

#4 Leg pain. This can occur generally, or along a varicose vein, especially those that run on the outside of the leg or behind the knees. Some patients report localized pain along the vein that feels like burning or throbbing. Leg pain that is worse during exercise may indicate a different problem.

#5 Night cramps. These are cramps usually in the calf or thighs that occur only at night.

#6 Restless Legs: a feeling of restlessness during the night, that may interrupt sleep. You may have to get out of bed to walk around and move your legs.

#7 Noticeable bulging, twisted veins called varicose veins

symptoms

7 Signs of Venous Disease2021-11-05T11:14:23-07:00
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