Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)
(Part 3)
What are the stages of chronic venous insufficiency?
The stages of venous disorders range from 0 to 6.
“Venous disorders” is a general category for many possible issues with your veins, including CVI.
The stages are based on clinical signs, which are things your provider can see or feel when they examine your legs.
Venous disorder stages include:
* Stage 0: No signs that can be seen or felt. You may feel symptoms like achy or tired legs.
* Stage 1: Visible blood vessels, including spider veins.
* Stage 2: Varicose veins at least 3 millimeters wide.
* Stage 3: Edema (swelling) but no skin changes.
* Stage 4: Changes to your skin’s color and/or texture.
* Stage 5: Healed ulcer.
* Stage 6: Acute (active) ulcer.
You’ll be diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency if you’re at stage 3 or above.
In other words, having varicose veins doesn’t mean you have CVI.
But varicose veins are a sign of blood flow problems that could get worse over time. So, it’s important to tell your provider about any new varicose veins you notice. (To be continued)