hi im worried for my boyfriend
he's got these veins, on his legs and they are sore, they flare up, are tender just to touch and he says they are really sore. he said they become really purple, (change color)
he's had them for a few months, but have got worse, he didnt used to have them he said (when he used to go to the gym) he also wears really thick socks, ive told him they are bad for him and cut off his circulation. he used to stand for long perdios.
i took him to the doc yesterday and he said it could be phlebitis (inflammation of veins) but ive read that this condition is almost always followed by a blood clot.
im worried that he may get a blood clot/DVT?
the problem is he is not registered with a doctor (we moved) (the doc who seen him yesterday was an independat one and couldnt refer him)
we have to wait 2 weeks to see if he can register with my practice as theyre books are closed.
im worried though, what do we do? Did the doc who saw him yesterday prescribe anything ... anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and blood thinner. Was any bloodwork done?
The blood clots are there for a reason and you need to find underlying cause; yes, these clots can move to deep vein thrombosis which is life-threatening; you need complete workup, including blood testing.
Find a walk-in clinic, go to the emergency department ... do something and do not rest until you find out why the blood clots are forming. Come back and let us know what you learn. Who said that there *are* clots?
Doctors do not prescribe anti coagulants without being sure it's necessary. Report It
Take him to A+E ASAP he may need IMMEDIATE anti coagulation therapy. If ti`s the veins that are sore it`s probably phleabitis but if it`s a pain in the centre of the calf get to A+E straight away it`s a blood clot. take him to the nearest hospital and see what they can do. this sounds pretty serious, and you are right about the socks, they will only make things worse.
to avoid a blood clot, there are a few thigns you can do until he gets registered to a gp: eat less fast food, and eat more garlic. garlic is an anti-coagulant, will thin the blood and fight against a clot. drink plenty of water.
hope you are able to sort this out quickly x Be aware of the signs of a blood clot. If he exhibits any of these symptoms, then seek emergency care immediately; otherwise, wait until he can get into the care of a regular physician. Any chance the independent could see him over the waiting period to get your BF registered?
For additional info on Thrombophlebitis:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thrombo... Have him take one aspirin tablet every day and drink plenty of water. You can buy aspirin tablets, around 100mg to prevent clotting. The crucial piece of advice is missing from the above - he should keep his legs moving and not sit for long periods - especially with his legs crossed.
Anyway, just because he has pronounced veins does not mean he is about to develop a DVT. I have pronounced veins and I'm on anticoagulant therapy (for a DVT) - so I'm about the last person to develop a DVT now. The two do not necessarily go together.
However, there are some pretty big signs if there is a DVT.
When walking, the calf muscle becomes swollen and painful, which is relieved by resting. A walk of about 10 yards will cause the pain. A rest of about 1 minute will allow the swelling to go down. You can tell if this is happening as well by using a tape measure to measure BOTH calfs at their widest point. Make a note and then get him to walk 10 or 20 yards. Then measure them again. If there is a significant differnece - that's a danger sign. Also, use your hands to compare the heat of each calf. If one is hotter than the other - that is a bad sign, too.
If there is no blood clot - a vist to A&E will not produce much in the way of a diagnosis one way or the other (unless there are signs as above) unless a blood clot has formed. It's very difficult to identify who will and will not develop a blood clot in the future. The best thing to do is be prepared for one - and in the case of a DVT - you feel it big time in the calf muscles.
With a PE (Pulmonary Embolism) - it ranges from a dull ache in the chest or back - which can be easily detected by a doctor having a listen to the lungs - through to a very severe pain in the chest or back, combined with extreme shortness of breath, which if suspected should be dealt with by a 999/911 call immediately.
So, on the one hand - don't worry yourself silly at this point - but do keep an eye on things - and if he experiences any of the above - do most certainly go directly to A&E - as fast as possible. Don't wait to see if it'll get better. As said above, a DVT (clot) that breaks free can result in a PE - and it's the PE that's the real danger.
For people who develop a DVT, the diagnosis is usually confimed by a venogram - a bit like an x-ray - where a 'dye' is injected into the foot and then the venogram will show where there is a clot.
Treatment is a few days in hospital on a drip of low molecular weight heparin combined with a loading dose of warfarin (both are antocoagulants) followed by a maintenance dose of warfarin. They'll do blood tests to see if they can identify the cause of the blood clot (which isn't easy and can take months - expensive tests), and eventually decide whether or not to continue with warfarin therapy.
A DVT treated this way usually subsides within a couple of weeks.
The reason they keep the patient in hospital is to administer heparin (which will help break down the clot) and to be sure that no PE develops. It is very important to check with a doctor. People die of blood clots everydayl | 