Patient was instructed regarding complications of varicose veins as follows:
- Worsening pain and muscle cramps in the legs with activity and exercise, can limit exercise tolerance and contribute to diminishing muscle tone, further deteriorating the varicosities.
- Sluggish flow with prolonged stagnation of blood in the lower extremities can also result in formation of clots in the lower extremities, which carry the risk of traveling up the limb and getting deposited in vital tissues, thus leading to development of stroke, heart attack, and pulmonary emboli.
- Reduced blood supply to many other oxygen dependent vital organs, such as heart and kidney, over a period of time can result in compromised heart muscle and renal functions, thus resulting in low blood pressure, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and renal failure.
