Medical Questions » Arteries and Veins Questions » Question No. 78
| Question: | I have been told that I am suffering from thromboses in my leg that are very painful, and are not being helped by an ointment or tubular bandage. What can I do to stop these? Do you suggest having the veins stripped? |
| Answer: | There are two types of thrombosis (clot) that can occur in the veins of the leg— those that develop in the deep veins inside the muscle, and those that develop in the superficial varicose veins.
The deep blood clots arc very serious and require long-term medication to prevent sometimes fatal complications. The superficial thromboses are rarely serious, but arc often a significant nuisance.
Varicose veins that develop a thrombosis can be treated by liniments, strapping and anti-inflammatory drugs (eg. Indocid and others) that reduce the inflammation. Most of these clots can also be prevented by taking half an aspirin a day every day for years. This simple measure may solve the problem for you. Low doses of stronger anti-clotting drugs may be used if the aspirin is unsuccessful. Wearing support stockings, not standing still for long periods, and exercising the legs regularly can all help to prevent superficial thromboses.
Stripping the veins will certainly stop clots in those veins, but not all varicose veins can be removed, and the problem may recur in the small number that remain. |
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