The “easy answer” to why vein experts in Chicago and elsewhere consider deep vein thrombosis (DVT) so serious is to be found in the statistics about it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DVT affects up to 600,000 Americans a year, of whom up to 60,000 die of related pulmonary embolisms (PE). More Americans die of DVT/PE every year than die from AIDS, breast cancer, and automobile accidents combined. A deeper – and more disturbing – answer lies in the fact that DVT is a “hidden killer” that (unlike some other forms of vein disease) manifests no visible symptoms, so most of the people with DVT don’t even know that they have it.
What do Chicago residents need to know about deep vein thrombosis?
DVT is a condition in which the large, deep veins of the legs become damaged (as the result of disease, damage caused during surgeries, medications, and other causes) and begin to form blood clots or thrombi along their cell walls. Even if these clots remain in place, they restrict proper blood flow and weaken your immune system and deteriorate your overall state of health. But the real danger occurs when these blood clots break loose from where they formed and travel through the veins to other areas of the body. If they travel to the brain, they can cause strokes, which are the third largest cause of death in the US. More commonly, however, the clots travel to the lungs, where they block one or more of the major arteries and cause a pulmonary embolism.
Why do our Chicago friends need to know more about DVT now?
Because DVT “hides” in your veins and often does not manifest symptoms, most of the people with DVT don’t know they have it. As a result, they don’t get treatment for these blood clots, and pulmonary embolism is often the result. The CDC has found that 10-30% of people diagnosed with DVT die of PE within a month, because the doctors caught the condition too late. That’s a pretty scary fact, and should in itself inspire you to get a DVT screening.
But in addition, your DVT risk increases dramatically if you have other risk factors like smoking, obesity, and inactivity. Smoking is the biggest risk, but being overweight drastically also increases your DVT risk, and the big surprise in recent studies is the danger of inactivity. Sitting too much has been tied to increased risk for many diseases, but it is an even bigger risk when it comes to DVT, because sitting for long periods of time impairs circulation in your legs.
Don’t worry about deep vein thrombosis…do something about it
While all of these dangers and risks are real and should be taken seriously, there is good news with regard to DVT. As the result of advances in medical technology in the last few decades, vascular doctors in Chicago can diagnose DVT in using painless and non-invasive methods in about an hour. Using Doppler ultrasound to look beneath the surface of the skin, vein experts can locate blood clots if they are present, and if they are, they can remove them using endovenous laser therapy and other techniques.
But the key to all of this is having a DVT screening. So call the best vein doctor in Chicago today at 773-283-7887 and schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Ramon Castro. In a very short time he can accurately assess the state of your venous health. If vein disease is present, he can present you with the available options to treat it; it it’s not, he can offer diet, exercise, and lifestyle advice to help you prevent it. So call Chicago Vein Care Center today and lets us help you enjoy your life free of vein disease. If you’d like more information on DVT and other vein diseases, see our website at www.yourveinexpert.com.