On Your Feet All Day? What Every Teacher Should Know About Varicose Veins
Heart Vascular & Leg Center
April 23, 2025
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a circulatory system problem that occurs in the deep veins of your legs. Anyone who’s developed any stage of vein disease is at risk for developing this potentially life-threatening condition, but knowing your risks will help you get medical treatment at the first sign of trouble.
At Heart Vascular & Leg Center, our expert team of vascular, wound, and podiatry specialists understands how serious deep vein thrombosis can be, which is why we offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment tools for our patients in the Bakersfield, California, area. Here’s what you need to know about DVT, and who’s at risk for developing it.
Vein disease is a progressive condition affecting the venous side of the circulatory system loop. Your arteries carry oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body; your veins return deoxygenated blood to the heart.
The veins have a more challenging job, working against the downward pull of gravity. One workaround they use is muscle contractions in the calf and thigh that squeeze the veins and push the blood upward. Another workaround is to use a series of small, one-way valves that close once the blood passes through, preventing backflow.
Unfortunately, vein walls and valves can be damaged by injury or, more commonly, by the force of high blood pressure. They can’t close completely, causing sluggish blood flow and backflow that pools around the valves. That state is known as chronic venous insufficiency, and its most readily apparent effect is engorged, colored swellings on the calves and thighs — varicose veins.
Varicose veins usually affect the superficial veins, so they’re often prominent on the legs. In some people, small clots may develop in these veins, a condition called thrombophlebitis. More importantly, if the sluggish blood flow affects veins deep in the leg tissue, it can cause a sizable blood clot that may block the vein partially or entirely — deep vein thrombosis. Clots can also develop if your veins are narrowed due to plaque if you spend most of your time sitting or on bed rest following surgery..
Beyond the danger of having a clot block blood flow through the vein, the real threat of this condition is if the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. If it blocks a pulmonary artery, it’s called a pulmonary embolism (PE) — a life-threatening condition.
According to the CDC, DVT only causes symptoms in about 50% of people who have it. The symptoms include:
Signs the clot has broken free and is causing a PE include:
If you experience the signs of PE, call 911 or go to your local emergency room ASAP!
DVT treatment aims to stop the clot from getting bigger and prevent it from breaking free. Your treatment may include:
Heart Vascular & Leg Center physicians also perform thrombectomies, surgical procedures that remove the clotted blood from your vein. Usually, we reserve this procedure for large clots or those causing damage to nearby tissue.
To reduce your risk of developing DVT, the doctor may recommend sclerotherapy, a minimally invasive procedure that destroys the damaged vein. They inject a saline solution into the affected vein. It irritates the walls, causing them to swell and then collapse. Your body routes the blood to nearby healthy veins, and the diseased vein is flushed out over time by your lymphatic system.
If you notice varicose veins on your legs, it’s time to come into Heart Vascular & Leg Center for an evaluation to determine if it’s progressed to DVT. To get started, call our office at 661-443-5524 to schedule a consultation or book online today.
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