If you have pain and discomfort in your legs or you are at risk for leg vein problems, you may want to track your symptoms on the SecondsCount Leg Vein Symptoms Log, and share it with your doctor. He or she will take the following steps to see if you have a problem with the veins in your legs and diagnose your condition:
- Review your medical history - Venous disease runs in families, and it can be caused by environmental factors, too, such as recent surgery. A close review of your medical history will alert your doctor to these and other potential risk factors for venous disease.
- Give you a physical exam - In addition to checking your pulse, blood pressure, temperature and possibly ordering blood tests, your doctor will also check the color and texture of your skin and for any sores, signs of infection, varicose veins or spider veins.
- Perform a hand-held Doppler ultrasound test to listen to blood flow.
- Order a duplex ultrasound to look at the structure of your veins and look for any problem affecting the flow of blood through your veins. An ultrasound is a painless test that uses sound waves to create images. It is often used to diagnose vein problems by showing both superficial and deep veins, how your blood flows through your body, if blood flow is blocked or flowing in the wrong direction (venous reflux), and if valves are working.
- Use venography, or an x-ray of the veins.
- Take venous pressure measurements.
If you have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, such as trouble breathing or coughing up blood, you may be given the following tests:
If you have been diagnosed with vein problems you are at greater risk for developing vein problems in the future. So it is important to do what you can to stay healthy, continue to take any medication as directed by your doctor and have regular check-ups to identify problems with the veins that can be treated before they cause more serious problems.