Internal Medicine

These are the symptoms you can tell if you have phlebitis

introduction

The most common case of inflammation of the veins, also called phlebitis, is inflammation of the superficial veins of the arms and legs.
In rarer cases, the deeper veins can also be affected.
The cause of the inflammation can be a varicose vein disease (varicosis).

Thrombosis, an insect bite, a previous injection or an indwelling venous catheter that has been in place for several days can also be causes.
Conversely, phlebitis can also lead to thrombosis of the affected vein.

Typical symptoms of phlebitis

classic signs of inflammation, such as pain in the affected leg or arm, reddening, swelling and overheating
a palpable hardening over the affected vein section, as well as a reddish or bluish protrusion of the vein
Significant restriction of movement of the affected leg or arm
Feeling sick with weakness, fatigue and fever
Itching over the affected vein
In the worst case, especially with frequent phlebitis, an open leg, i.e. a poorly healing ulcer, can develop

Read this article to learn about that Duration of symptoms of phlebitis to experience

Where do the symptoms appear?

The classic symptoms of phlebitis occur directly on the affected arm or leg.
The extremity hurts from pressure and movement, is swollen and reddened.

Depending on whether superficial or deeper vein sections are affected, it is possible to feel a hardening over the inflammation.
If the inflammation progresses, general symptoms can also appear.
Affected people feel sick, like an emerging flu, and develop a fever.

The most frequently affected vessels are the superficial veins of the arms and legs, as mentioned above.
But pelvic veins and even neck veins can also be affected.
In newborns, as a special form, inflammation of the umbilical vein can occur if the umbilical cord was not cut in a sterile manner.

You might also be interested in these articles:

Phlebitis in the arm
Phlebitis in the leg

Redness

A common symptom of phlebitis is reddening of the affected limb.
It occurs very variably and can be completely absent, especially in the case of inflammation of the deep veins.
Often the reddening shows up in the form of a cord along the affected vein.
This can also be knotty and thickened.
However, extensive reddening also occurs.
The redness often appears as one of the first symptoms.

A reddened extremity can have a number of other causes in addition to phlebitis.
Therefore, other symptoms that indicate phlebitis must always be observed.

overheat

In addition to reddening, many patients also report significant overheating of the affected extremity.
The leg or arm can feel hot both subjectively to the patient and to the examiner when palpating and comparing with the healthy extremity. The overheating, like the reddening, is caused by increased blood flow to the leg or arm, which is typical for an inflammation.

Even in the case of a warm part of the body, attention must be paid to additional symptoms in order to narrow down the diagnosis.

swelling

In the context of inflammation, swelling, like redness and overheating, is one of the classic symptoms.
It is also caused by increased blood flow to the affected area and fluid escaping from the vessels into the tissue.
In the context of a phlebitis, there is often no or only slight swelling of the inflamed extremity at the beginning.

However, this can also increase as the disease progresses.
Significant swelling of a limb can indicate inflammation in a deeper vein.

Pain

Pain is one of the most important symptoms of phlebitis.
The affected extremity often hurts even at rest.
However, the pain can worsen significantly under strain.

In addition, touching and applying pressure directly over the inflamed section of the vein can be particularly painful for those affected.
The painful nature of phlebitis can vary.
Many patients report burning and drawing-stabbing pain.

Feeling sick

As the phlebitis progresses, some patients feel increasingly ill.
Again, this symptom is a typical body response to inflammation.
Affected people report tiredness, exhaustion and reduced resilience, as many know it from an emerging flu-like infection.
This feeling is intensified if there is also a fever or a slightly increased body temperature (subfebrile temperature).

A feeling of illness does not necessarily occur in the context of a phlebitis.
In the case of locally limited inflammation, this symptom can often be completely absent.

fever

Fever can also be a symptom of phlebitis.
Like the emerging feeling of illness, this symptom does not necessarily have to occur.
Often it only occurs in the context of advanced or extensive inflammation of the veins.
Some patients do not develop a fever in the strict sense of the word but only react with subfebrile temperatures (body temperature between 37.5 and 37.9 ° C). Especially when the fever rises, many patients complain of freezing and a clear feeling of illness.

Find out how you can use home remedies to lower your fever here:
How can you lower a fever?

Bluish-red discoloration of the skin

Particularly in the case of a deep phlebitis, the affected extremity can sometimes become bluish-red.
Occasionally, the blood vessels running under the skin can become visible.
Patients also report a palpable and painful cord deep in the inflamed extremity.

Superficial phlebitis usually show up more as locally limited redness.
Here, too, however, a strand can appear, which accordingly has to be felt rather superficially.

Open leg

The open leg, also called ulcer cruris, is a poorly healing ulcer, which usually occurs on the lower leg.
It can occur especially in patients with recurrent phlebitis due to a venous outflow disorder.
The venous blood builds up in the leg.
Small wounds on the leg are poorly cared for by the body and an ulcer develops.

The open leg is usually not a symptom of active phlebitis.
This symptom can only be found in exceptional cases and in patients with frequent phlebitis.

Also read the article: Phlebitis in the leg.

itching

In addition to the symptoms already mentioned, some patients with phlebitis also complain of itching.
Itching is a common symptom, especially in the context of superficial inflammation.
But itching can also occur in patients with deep phlebitis.
If deep veins are affected, there is often significant swelling of the affected extremity.
If this persists for longer, slight skin changes occur, which can trigger the annoying itching.