Leg pain, if persistent, is a severe issue. What causes leg pain determines whether the condition is severe or not.
Having leg pain makes walking or even standing challenging, making day-to-day activities difficult or even impossible.
If you are facing severe leg pain, then you can contact Dr. Eugene Tanquilut in Tinley Park. His team of vascular surgeons has expertise in treating pain due to vascular complications.
The list of causes of leg pain can be never-ending, but significant issues include damaged or abnormal vein valves, leading to varicose veins or spider veins. If the artery supplying the organ is blocked, it could lead to the death of the tissue due to ischemia.
How severe is your leg pain?
To determine the severity of the leg pain, one should first know the cause of the leg pain.
In the case of an abnormal vein valve, the blood accumulates in the veins and does not return to the heart. This condition leads to varicose veins, which cause severe leg pain while walking and standing for long hours. This type of leg pain is considered to be serious. If you see blue-colored veins popping out in your leg in a web-like manner, you should consult a doctor.
In the case of blocked arteries, the tissue does not receive an adequate amount of blood. It is also called peripheral arterial disease and is caused due to fat build-up in the artery, causing stenosis of the artery and limiting the blood flow. This condition often causes weakness, numbness, and pain.
Leg pain is also caused due to muscle injuries, broken bones, excessive stress to the muscles of the leg, and damage to the tendon, ligament, and soft tissues of the leg. Some of the causes mentioned above of leg pain resolve independently, while some require medication or surgery.
With a precise diagnosis, the leg pain can be classified into severe and general.
When do you know that your leg pain is serious?
In the case of varicose veins, once you start feeling severe pain, swelling, and heaviness in the leg. These signs indicate that the issue is getting serious and it requires medical attention. Doctors can treat this issue with the help of sclerotherapy.
In the case of blocked arteries, when you feel that your leg is numb or you cannot feel your toes, it’s getting difficult to perform daily activities like walking and jogging, and change in color, these symptoms indicate that you need immediate medical attention before the tissue in the leg dies, and doctors remove it surgically.
In case of leg pain due to muscle fatigue or any general reason, if the pain does not fade on its own in a few days of rest, you should consult a doctor.