Thursday 25 October 2012

6 Facts about Superficial Thrombophlebitis


  1. There are two types of phlebitis. superficial which is close to the skin, and deep vein which is in your deep veins. superficial is not that serious of a case, and can be taken care of with little self care. deep vein on the other hands needs to be seen by the doctors to prevent stroke or a life threatening situation from happening.
  2. In most cases Thrombophlebitis can be prevented. in many cases hospitals start getting patients to move after surgery fairly quickly to prevent clots from forming. if the patient cannot be mobile, they use blood thinners to prevent such things from occurring. leg exercises, and quieting smoking can also help in the aid of not getting blood clots.
  3. some of the treatments for blood clots are to prevent future thrombosis from occurring. in some cases, some patients may require hospitalization. the vast majority of people that do have deep vein Thrombophlebitis will be treated at home. sometimes they will be prescribed medicine to relieve pain. sometimes anti-coagulant is given to the patient.
  4. there are some drugs through the intravenous that is being studied my medical doctors and researches to see if it can aid in dissolving blood clots. this only applies to patients that have had a blood clot in lest then 48 hours. any patient with more then 48 hours of blood clot cannot use this because there will be a scar tissue left in the vein.
  5. if you are having pain in your vein, it may be a sign of phlebitis starting to form. you should immediately visit the doctor and see what are some of the possible treatments you may have done. do not ignore the pain as it can cause a lot more issues down the road. some indications of phlebitis occurring is that the skin becomes discoloured, red and swelling starts to happen.
  6.  having a check performed for a vein insufficiency for anyone who has varicose veins or has had Thrombophlebitis in the past is a great practice! they will fully examine your veins. this can be treated if found soon enough and diagnosed properly. the treatments now days are fairly simple and the patient can have a very speedy recovery. 

I Have Thrombophlebitis, Should I Be Worried?

Many people develop Thrombophlebitis in the legs. Thrombophlebitis is when a blood clot is formed and leads to swelling in the vein. it may also be present in more then one vein. Superficial Thrombophlebitis is when the vein is near or close to the skins surface, while on the other hand a deep vein Thrombosis is present in veins that are deeper into the body. Only when the clot is deeper into the veins (deep vein Thrombosis) it is considered a health risk. there are problems when this happens. For example the clot can be moved and travel to the lungs, it can block a main artery. For this sole purpose speaking with a doctor regarding the issue is highly advised.

having major health issues with superficial thrombophlebitis, is very rare, however if the clot is found in the deep veins can lead to deep vein thrombosis. If the clot is in the deep vein, medical attention should be received immediately due to the fact that this can be a life-theatregoing experience.

now if you want to treat superficial thrombophlebitis, you can try applying heat to the area, raising the leg or even purchasing some of the over the counter medication. if the issue is in the deep veins, treatments include blood thinning medication, medication to dissolve the clot, socks stockings to give the legs better blood flow, a filter, clot removal and in worst case scenarios, by-pass surgery.

you can always try certain procedures to prevent your self from getting clots. for example when in an air plane get up and walk around the cabin once in a while, while driving take a break, stretch your legs and keep the blood flow moving.


What is Superficial Thrombophlebitis

For those of you that dont know Superficial Thrombophlebitis, it is basically a common disorder that consists of the vein being inflamed. in which a thrombus will develop. these veins are close the skin and close to the surface. In many cases when a superficial vein has a thrombosis it will most likely have phlebitis.

Many times it has been reported that Superficial Thrombophlebitis usually only occurs in the legs and below the waist, but it has also been reported in some cases in the the penis and sometimes the breast. Superficial Thrombophlebitis can also occur anywhere that has had previous inter-venous, for example the neck or the arm.

In very few cases, Thrombophlebitis can get into the deep venous system, which is the system that carries the major blood vessels to the heart. Once there, the damage that will be done to the deep venous veins leads to pulmonary embolism which can be lethal and have an increased chance of death.

What are some of the cuases?
Superficial Thrombophlebitis can occur almost spontaneously, mainly in the lower part of the body. it is also said that it can be caused due to damage from trauma or sports,  stasis, or even somtimes change in the sticky-niss of the blood.

With every case of Superficial Thrombophlebitis, the patient usualy sees redness and tenderness where the course of the vein that is affected is. this is mostly followed by swelling. in very few cases bleeding can also occur.

What are the treatments?
In every case you should promptly visit the emergency and have them to a variety of tests to make sure that the Superficial Thrombophlebitis is not in your deep veins. the actual treatment for Superficial Thrombophlebitis is made for patients so they can have better comfort and to prevent future attacks. Most emergency's will do a dopler ultra sounds to make sure that the blood clot is not in your deep veins and give treatments after.