Thrombosis is the clotting of blood in the veins. If this clotting takes place in the external veins, it is referred to as phlebitis or thrombophlebitis . It is very painful, but often harmless. If blood clots, i.e. thrombosis, form in the deep veins, the venous drainage to the heart is impaired. These so-called deep vein thromboses are very dangerous, as parts of them can be flushed towards the heart and lungs with the risk of a so-called pulmonary embolism, which can still be fatal today.

Phlebitis

Vein inflammation is unpleasant but harmless.

With advanced varicose veins in particular, even minor causes - such as a blow to the leg, prolonged periods of sitting or lying down, etc. - are often enough to cause inflammation of the veins. - are often enough to trigger inflammation of the veins. Treatment consists of plenty of exercise. In addition, a tight bandage applied by a doctor, anti-inflammatory ointments and tablets and, in certain cases, the use of medication to thin the blood can help to alleviate the symptoms. If the pain is particularly severe, it can sometimes be useful to press out the stagnant blood with small stitches after the skin has been made insensitive, e.g. with ice spray. The pain then subsides immediately.

Deep vein thrombosis

Deep v ein thrombosis is much more dangerous than phlebitis.

Its name comes from the fact that a blood clot can form in the deep veins, i.e. those between the muscles and bones, which can literally block the veins. The blood then has to look for detour if it wants to continue flowing towards the heart and finds these in other deep or sometimes even superficial veins. These are the veins that run just under the skin and can then also change into varicose veins as a result of this increased "detour blood flow".

In acute cases of deep vein thrombosis, the leg often swells and becomes bluish and painful. In such cases, a doctor must be consulted immediately in order to make the correct diagnosis. This is necessary to prevent further growth of the thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism occurs when part of the blood clot becomes detached and flows in the blood to the lungs, where it literally "gets stuck". Pulmonary embolism can be fatal if left untreated.

Modern drugs such as heparin provide immediate protection and can avert this danger. The development of this class of medication, which can be injected by the patient as a ready-to-use syringe, has revolutionized the treatment of deep vein thrombosis: Whereas until a few years ago, every deep vein thrombosis was admitted to hospital as an emergency, nowadays deep vein thrombosis and minor pulmonary embolisms can be treated on an outpatient basis using injections alone. In addition to the daily heparin injection, a strong bandage(compression bandage or compression stocking) is applied. After just a few days, you can switch to blood thinning medication (Marcoumar, Sintrom).

Varicose vein bleeding

Even the slightest injury (e.g. when gardening) can cause varicose veins to bleed, especially in the case of pronounced varicose veins.

This bleeding is often very severe and requires rapid action. The therapy is quite simple and can be carried out by anyone:

1. Lay the patient down, hold their legs up.
2. Apply a light pressure bandage around the injured area of the leg using sterile gauze - or a clean handkerchief if necessary. This will stop the bleeding.
3. See a leg specialist as soon as possible to have the veins checked.