Venous stasis is a long-term inflammatory skin condition, happening when blood pools in the legs due to poor circulation. It mainly affects those with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where veins struggle to return blood to the heart. You might also hear it called stasis dermatitis, gravitational dermatitis, or venous eczema.
If you’re dealing with venous stasis, you could notice your legs swelling, skin discoloring, varicose veins appearing, and experience symptoms like itchiness, dryness, and scaling. Usually, treatment includes wearing compression stockings or bandages to help manage pain and swelling, and sometimes a minor surgical procedure might be necessary.
In the U.S., about 15 to 20 million individuals over 50 have venous stasis. The condition stems from blood pooling in the legs due to bad circulation, leading to increased pressure in leg veins. This pressure affects the skin, triggering venous stasis symptoms.
Symptoms of venous stasis tend to set in slowly and worsen if left untreated. They usually start gradually but can progress significantly over time.
The condition arises when blood pooling in the legs occurs due to weakened or damaged veins—often because of chronic venous insufficiency, where your leg veins don’t function well. Normally, valves in your leg veins keep blood moving toward the heart, but in chronic insufficiency, these valves get damaged, causing blood to flow backward, pooling in the legs, and leading to venous stasis symptoms.
Certain risks increase the likelihood of developing chronic venous insufficiency and ultimately venous stasis. Other conditions or injuries impacting blood flow in the feet can also contribute to developing venous stasis.
To diagnose venous stasis, your doctor typically examines your skin and medical history. They might inquire about heart conditions, blood pressure medications, or recent leg injuries and surgeries to assess the situation. Sometimes, just a clinical exam and medical history suffice for diagnosis, but other times, additional testing such as ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs might be needed to check for damaged veins or rule out blood clots. Allergy tests might also be conducted to see if an allergic reaction is causing your symptoms.
While venous stasis can’t be cured, symptoms can be managed and even improve over time. Treatment focuses on reducing swelling and pain while enhancing blood flow. The approach varies based on your specific symptoms and their severity.
Initially, doctors usually recommend treatments for leg swelling. Compression therapy, which involves wearing bandages or stockings, helps relieve leg pressure due to blood pooling. Anti-inflammatory creams like corticosteroids may also be applied before putting on compression wear. Simple activities like walking and elevating the legs above the heart for short periods can also promote better blood flow.
Using an Unna boot, a type of compressive bandage, is another option. It involves applying a wet gauze that hardens over time. As it solidifies, it stabilizes the calf muscles and enhances blood flow. The gauze may be medicated with substances like calamine or zinc oxide to help heal wounds caused by venous stasis.
Medications for managing pain, itchiness, and dryness might be prescribed to ease symptoms. Intense pulsed light therapy, using laser light to correct skin discoloration, might also be considered. This may require multiple sessions, but some have seen significant improvement or even full resolution in skin tone after treatment.
Minor surgeries can be performed to ease venous stasis by addressing chronic venous insufficiency. Preventative measures focus on managing chronic venous insufficiency to avoid venous stasis.
Venous stasis is related to heart and blood conditions, such as blood clots, high blood pressure, and heart failure. It can also lead to complications, including contact allergies and superinfections, where skin breaks allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause infection. Left untreated, venous stasis tends to worsen, but with timely diagnosis and treatment, complications can be minimized.
Staying active, exercising, and following a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet can help manage your condition and enhance quality of life. Physical therapy might be suggested to structure a suitable exercise regimen. Although venous damage is irreversible, treatments like compression therapy, medications, and exercise can greatly relieve your symptoms.
Having had a previous blood clot in the leg increases the risk of developing venous stasis. If chronic venous insufficiency isn’t addressed, it can lead to severe complications like cellulitis, hemorrhages, chronic pain, and deep vein thrombosis.
