Why does vein phlebitis occur on the arm? Treatment, diagnosis, causes and symptoms of this disease will be discussed below.
Basic information
What is vein phlebitis on the arm (only a doctor should treat this pathology)? According to experts, phlebitis is called inflammation of the site of venous walls, which occurs for various reasons. We will talk about them later.
What can be caused by the disease?
In medical practice, vein inflammation is more common on the lower extremities. A predisposing factor for the development of such a pathology is varicose veins. However, it should be noted that varicose veins never affect the vessels of the hands. Therefore, inflammation of the veins on the upper extremities occurs for other reasons.
Doctors say that the following violations lead to the development of such a pathological process:
- The tendency (increased) to thrombosis, which can be transmitted not only by inheritance, but also develop throughout the patient's life.
- Change in blood coagulation.
- Immunity reduction.
- Slow passage of blood through the blood vessels. Typically, this condition is noted with functional heart failure and its various pathologies.
Why does vein phlebitis occur on the arm, the treatment of which will be described below? The trigger mechanism for the development of such a pathology is damage to the walls of a blood vessel or the ingestion of an infectious pathogen.
Other reasons
Violation of the integrity of the venous walls can also be traumatic. For example, post-injection phlebitis. The likelihood of developing such a pathology is especially high when a dropper is placed, the needle of which for a sufficiently long time injures the inner layers of the vein.
Also, the veins of the hands are slightly injured in diseases of the osteoarticular system. This is due to the fact that many blood vessels pass through narrow openings in bone formations. Their changes lead to the fact that the holes narrow or the vein compresses any pathological bone protrusion. Prolonged traumatization ultimately causes the development of phlebitis.
Infections
How to eliminate vein phlebitis on the arm? Antibiotic treatment is prescribed only if the cause of this pathological condition is infection. Usually this occurs as a result of the penetration of a banal flora into the vein, including hemolytic streptococcus.
Vascular infection with bacteria can occur just before the development of phlebitis. The entrance gate for such microorganisms is the pharynx. Therefore, very often, inflammation of the veins develops immediately after tonsillitis, laryngitis or pharyngitis.
According to experts, in the patient’s body, the infection can be constantly present in the form of pyelonephritis, chronic tonsillitis, caries, etc. When the blood characteristics change and the immunity decreases, the pathogen begins to look for the most vulnerable places, after which it causes inflammation.
Symptoms of the disease
How to recognize phlebitis of a vein on a hand? Treatment of this disease should only begin after contacting a doctor and making the correct diagnosis.
Usually, inflammation of the venous walls is accompanied by severe edema, pain, and redness of the soft tissues surrounding it. It is also possible to increase the body temperature of the patient.
With damage to deeper vessels, redness may not be observed. Quite often, phlebitis on the upper limbs is mistaken for inflammation of the fingers, joints of the hand, elbow or neuritis of the ulnar nerve. This is due to the fact that the wall of the vein is usually inflamed near the osteoarticular system, and redness and swelling are diffuse.
Other symptoms
To recognize phlebitis of a vein on a hand, you should first turn your attention to the nature of the pain. Quite often, it becomes intense when lowering the upper limb. This is due to blood flow to the affected part of the vessel. In this case, painful sensations are abscessive, tugging and pulsating in nature, while neuritis and arthritis are characterized by their constant intensity.
You should also pay attention to the time of increasing pain. It does not calm down when the hand is immobilized and very often intensifies at night.
It should be noted that with phlebitis of the veins the skin of the upper limb changes. The area of the resulting edema may be cyanotic or crimson. If inflammation was spread along the vein, red stripes appear. By the way, the temperature of the skin around the focus becomes lower. This is due to impaired blood flow.
Consequences of the disease
With the development of such a disease, it must be remembered that inflammation of the blood vessel can cause a blood clot. If the latter exfoliates from its attachment site, then with the flow of blood it can enter the heart cavity and clog the lumen of the most important arteries. Also, a blood clot can interfere with the flow of blood at the site of inflammation, which ultimately leads to tissue necrosis and gangrene.
In connection with all of the above, it should be noted that all efforts must be made to combat this pathology. It is strictly forbidden to treat phlebitis with folk remedies and especially ignore it.
If the inflammation spread along the vein, then urgent hospitalization of the patient is necessary.
Favorable conditions for eliminating the disease (prevention)
Treatment of phlebitis after a catheter, as well as other reasons, must begin with the creation of optimal conditions for the elimination of inflammation. To do this, you must:
- More often give the upper limb an elevated position. This procedure will facilitate the outflow of blood and contribute to the removal of pain.
- Gently bandage the limb with an elastic bandage, which will greatly facilitate the work of the venous wall, which will exert less effort in order to push blood through. It should also be noted that the bandaging process significantly reduces the severity of tissue edema. Use an elastic bandage immediately after waking up the patient, holding his hand upright. It is forbidden to squeeze tissues, as this will disrupt the blood flow. From time to time, the bandage must be removed. In this case, the hand should be held in a raised position.
- Constantly apply cold to the focus of inflammation (compress on the arm). It will slow the development of inflammation and prevent the spread of infection, and also deactivates it.
- When phlebitis, it is extremely important to observe a drinking regimen that will help thin the blood and relieve intoxication.
Method of treatment
It is impossible to treat phlebitis competently without the right choice of pharmacological agents. As a rule, with this pathology, drugs that belong to the following groups are used:
- Venotonic and affecting the rheological characteristics of the blood, as well as the state of the vascular walls. This group includes drugs such as Troxevasin, Trental, Eskuzan. Their price is quite acceptable, so almost everyone will be able to purchase such drugs.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs that help reduce or relieve pain intensity, as well as relieve inflammation. As such a drug, any NSAID can be used (for example, Ibuprofen, Meloxicam, Diclofenac, etc.).
- Antibacterial drugs. Such medicines include: sulfonamides, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, macrolides and others. They are prescribed only if phlebitis on the arm has arisen due to infection.
Also, in a hospital environment, drugs are actively used that thin the blood and prevent the formation of clots. They do this under the strict control of blood counts (for example, Curantil No. 25).
Use "Troxevasin", "Meloxicam", "Trental", "Diclofenac" and "Eskuzan", the price of which does not exceed 500-600 rubles, should only be prescribed by the phlebologist. It should also be noted that the treatment of the disease in question is a rather lengthy process.
After the completion of drug therapy, discomfort in the affected area of the arm (vein), as well as edema in the surrounding area and redness, can persist for a very long time (up to several weeks).
The objective symptoms of improving the patient's condition are a decrease in the intensity of pain and the severity of redness, as well as the normalization of the patient's body temperature.