ELM Edge
Phlebitis: Facts & Fallacies
in the river where it starts to bend. It’s at this juncture that the water becomes turbulent because liquid can’t change direction smoothly. The swirling reverse-current that is created is known as an eddy.
I What does this have to do with veins? When the blood is
flowing up the leg in a deep vein, and then due to venous reflux it turns and starts going back down toward the feet in a superficial vein, “eddies” are created at the intersection of the deep vein and the superficial vein. Phlebitis almost always starts at a juncture where there’s turbulence.
Phlebitis describes a condition in which a vein in the super-
ficial vein system becomes inflamed and swollen. Spontaneous phlebitis happens when there is a sudden onset of vein inflamma- tion. If phlebitis does occur and is not treated in its early stages, thrombophlebitis, or the formation of a blood clot associated with phlebitis, can develop. Think of the whitewater river analogy: at the critical junctions where there is lots of turbulence, the blood in the center of the “eddy” is staying still and any time blood stays still, there is a risk for clotting.
magine a whitewater river. It might be fast or slow moving, but no matter the speed of the river, the water travels smoothly because it’s all flowing in one direction. Now imagine a place
Diagnosis and Treatment
While many physicians have been trained to treat phlebi- tis with antibiotics or anti-coagulation, the proper treatment for phlebitis is to apply heat (NEVER ice) to the area, elevate the legs, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine. Now that more is known about phlebitis, doctors should only prescribe antibiotics if a patient has a fever that is 100-degrees or higher (an indication that the phlebitis might be septic in origin). The only time that anti- coagulation is appropriate is when the thrombophlebitis is within at least two centimeters from the saphenofemoral junction.
What about DVT? Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the
deep vein system. Superficial phlebitis should not be mistaken for a DVT, because with phlebitis, you can almost always see the vein that is involved. Phlebitis often presents like a big, red streak and usually comes with symptoms, whereas DVT sometimes presents with no symptoms.
Preventing Phlebitis
The good news is that all the things that prevent DVT also keep phlebitis at bay; evaluation by a board-certified phlebolo- gist if venous disease symptoms are present in the legs, spider veins, varicose veins, heaviness, achiness, and/or discoloration or changes of the skin.
Avoid prolonged periods of inactivity (such as after surgery or
Nicolaus Bloom Health Coach
nicolausbloom.com 207.749.5952
long stretches of sitting). Staying adequately active and hydrated promotes circulation. Maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet, and don’t smoke. Some doctors recommend an anti-inflam- matory diet, such as the DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). Supplements such as fish oil, horse chestnut seed extract, ginger, and tumeric are natural anti-inflammatory agents.
A powerful, passion-fueled program to get your body, soul and mind fit!
8 ELM® Maine - September/October 2019
Dr. Cindy Asbjornsen is the founder of the Vein Healthcare Center in South Portland, Maine. Certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, she cares for all levels of venous disease, including spider veins, varicose
veins and venous ulcers. You can contact Dr. Asbjornsen at 207.221.7799 or
info@veinhealthcare.com.
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