Word parts
What it means
The veins of the legs have one-way valves that keep blood moving up toward the heart. When the valves are damaged, often after a blood clot or years of standing or obesity, blood pools in the lower legs. Over time this causes swelling, brownish skin around the ankles, aching legs, varicose veins and slow-healing ulcers, usually near the inner ankle.
For the nurse
Teach the client to raise the legs above heart level when resting, wear compression stockings as ordered, walk regularly and avoid standing or sitting for long periods. Protect the skin of the lower legs from injury.
At a glance
| Spanish | insuficiencia venosa |
|---|---|
| Also written | chronic venous insufficiency |
Related terms
edema
Swelling caused by extra fluid trapped in the body's tissues.
deep vein thrombosis
A blood clot in a deep vein, most often in the leg or pelvis.
varices
Swollen, twisted veins, most often in the lower esophagus or the stomach, or in the legs.
compression stocking
A tight elastic stocking that squeezes the leg, most firmly at the ankle, to help blood flow back toward the heart.