Phlebitis

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Description & Prevention
Simply translated, phlebitis means that the veins in your legs, those closest to the surface, are inflamed. A variation, deep-vein phlebitis, is more serious, says Lenise Banse, MD, a dermatologist and vein expert at the Northeast Family Dermatology Center in Clinton Township, MI. Deep-vein phlebitis affects veins buried deeper and is usually caused by a clot in the affected veins. With thrombophlebitis (inflammation with clotting), matters can get tricky.

What puts you at risk for phlebitis, be it mild or serious?

"Genetics, smoking, and varicose veins," says Toby Shaw, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia. "Also, if phlebitis runs in your family, birth control pills add to your risk, since they can promote blood coagulation, and a clot is coagulated blood."

Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle are your best bets for preventing flare-ups.

"If a clot breaks loose, it could find its way to the lungs or heart, with fatal consequences," says Dr. Banse.