/This information is for education only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
Understanding deep vein disease
Get to know how to recognize your condition and what you can do to be better prepared to address it.

What Is deep vein disease?

Deep vein disease is a general term used to describe problems that affect the deep veins — the large veins located deep inside the body, most often in the legs. These veins carry blood back to the heart. When deep veins become blocked or damaged, blood can struggle to flow normally. This can lead to symptoms such as swelling, pain, or heaviness and may cause long-term vein problems in some people.1,2  

Millions of people are living with deep vein disease. The good news is there are treatment options for the various kinds of deep vein disease. 

~1 in 1,000

people in the U.S. are affected by deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) annually3

There are many things that may contribute to or increase the likelihood of developing deep vein disease.

  • Reduced movement or blood flow
  • Recent hospitalization or surgery
  • Previous blood clot (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism — a clot that travels to the lungs and creates a sudden blockage in a lung artery). Prior history of a clot greatly increases future risk.
  • Chronic vein disease or varicose veins (enlarged, twisted, and swollen veins that usually appear as blue or purple rope-like structures under the skin of the legs and are caused by weakened or damaged vein valves)
  • Heart failure or inflammatory conditions
  • Cancer or cancer treatment
     

  • A family history of blood clots
  • Long periods of sitting or immobility (long flights, car trips, bed rest)
  • Older age
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
     

There are different kinds of deep vein disease

Healthcare providers may use different terms to talk about possible conditions, depending on the cause and how long the problem has been present. Included here are terms that represent conditions which all fall under deep vein disease. The more you know, the better prepared you can be when talking to your doctor.

How deep vein disease affects the body

Healthy leg veins have one-way valves that help keep blood moving upward toward the heart. If valves are damaged or a vein is partly blocked, blood can flow backward or pool in the legs. This can increase pressure in the veins and contribute to swelling, discomfort, skin change and — in more advanced cases — hard-to-heal leg wounds.2,6,7

Woman sitting on a sofa holding her lower leg in discomfort

Common symptoms

Deep vein disease may interfere with everyday activities and affect your quality of life, which can worsen as symptoms become more severe.8

Common symptoms include:

  • Leg or ankle swelling
  • Aching, pain or cramping in the legs
  • A feeling of heaviness or fatigue in the legs
  • Skin discoloration, thickening or itching
  • Open sores (ulcers) near the ankles in more advanced cases

If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your doctor who may refer you to a vascular specialist for a complete diagnosis.

Know your symptoms

When you visit your doctor, have information about your condition handy so you can better understand and discuss possible treatment options.
Doctor speaking with a patient seated on an exam table

Treatment options for deep vein disease

Deep vein disease can have a significant impact on your health and quality of life. The good news is that there are a variety of treatment options. Treatment depends on the cause, symptom severity and whether your condition is new (such as DVT) or long-term. The goals are to improve blood flow, reduce symptoms and prevent complications.

Compression therapy
Compression stockings can help reduce swelling and improve symptoms.2,7

Movement and exercise
Regular activity (such as walking) helps the leg muscles pump blood to the heart.7,9

Leg elevation
Raising the legs when resting can help reduce swelling for some people.6

Blood thinners (anticoagulants)
These medicines are commonly used to treat DVT and help prevent existing clots from getting bigger and new clots from forming.10,11

Catheter-directed treatments
For selected patients with extensive DVT, some patients may be evaluated for catheter-based procedures to treat certain blood clots. A catheter procedure is an outpatient procedure that is a minimally invasive way for your doctor to provide treatment to open or remove blockages in a vein.

Treatment of vein narrowing or compression
In selected cases, procedures such as vein stenting may be used to help keep a vein open and improve blood flow. It involves inflating a small balloon (venoplasty) via a catheter to widen the vein, followed by placing a tubular support (stent) to aid healing or relieve a blockage.

Which doctors treat deep vein disease?

There are different kinds of doctors who treat various deep vein diseases, and depending on your condition, more than one may be involved. Which doctors you will see depends on the suspected cause and the severity of your symptoms.

Primary Care (Family Medicine/Internal Medicine)

Primary care doctors often recognize symptoms, order initial tests (such as ultrasound) and coordinate referrals to specialists.

Vascular Medicine

Vascular medicine doctors focus on diseases of blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and often manage long-term care for chronic venous disease and managing risk factors.

Hematologist

Hematologists (blood specialists) may be involved when you have repeated clots, a suspected clotting disorder, or need long-term blood-thinning management.

Interventional Radiologist

Interventional radiologists use imaging (such as ultrasound) to perform minimally invasive procedures for certain vein problems, including selected treatments for clots or blockages.

Vascular Surgeon

Vascular surgeons diagnose and treat vein disorders and can evaluate patients for medical management and procedures when needed.

Which doctor should I see first?

Primary care:
Many patients typically start with primary care or urgent care if symptoms are not sudden or severe (such as leg heaviness, swelling by the end of the day, aching, skin changes).

Urgent care or emergency room:
Depending on severity of your symptoms, you can consider urgent care or the emergency room.

Specialist:
An evaluation and basic testing can help determine treatment, or if a referral to a specialist is most appropriate.

Your physician may consider a specialist if:

  • You have a known history of DVT/PTS or chronic venous insufficiency and symptoms are affecting daily life: consider vascular medicine or vascular surgery.
  • You have a known vein blockage/narrowing or have been told you may need a procedure: consider vascular surgery or interventional radiology.
  • You have recurrent clots, a strong family history of clots or were told you may have a clotting disorder: consider hematology.

This information is for education only and is not intended to provide medical advice.

Doctor discussion guide

With this discussion guide, you can be better prepared to discuss your condition and possible treatment options with your doctor.

Resources: get connected, stay informed

There are numerous patient forums, advocacy organizations and sources of information that can help you connect to information, education and communities with people just like you.

Facebook support groups:

Pulmonary Embolism/DVT/VTE Support Group
Blood Clot Support, Education and Awareness: (National Blood Clot Alliance) Team Stop the Clot
DVT/PE/PTS/RVT – Thrombosis: Blood Clots Support Group
Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness

Information:

Mayo Clinic
Cleveland Clinic
Gore Medical: Understanding Venous Disease
  1. Deep venous disease. Society of Interventional Radiology. Updated September 2024. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.sirweb.org/for-patients/conditions-and-treatments/deep-venous-disease/
  2. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Cleveland Clinic. Updated July 17, 2022. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16872-chronic-venous-insufficiency-cvi
  3. Heit JA, Cohen AT, Anderson FA; VTE Impact Assessment Group. Estimated annual number of incident and recurrent, non-fatal and fatal venous thromboembolism (VTE) events in the US. Blood. 2005;106(11):910. doi:10.1182/blood.V106.11.910.910
  4. Venous thromboembolism data & statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/blood-clots/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
  5. Data and statistics on venous thromboembolism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published January 27, 2025. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/blood-clots/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
  6. Chronic venous insufficiency. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-venous-insufficiency
  7. Douketis JD. Chronic venous insufficiency and post-thrombotic syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated January 2026. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/cardiovascular-disorders/peripheral-venous-disorders/chronic-venous-insufficiency-and-post-thrombotic-syndrome
  8. Kahn SR, Hirsch A, Shrier I. Effect of postthrombotic syndrome on health-related quality of life after deep venous thrombosis. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162(10):1144-1148. doi:10.1001/archinte.162.10.1144
  9. What is chronic venous disease? American Venous Forum. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.venousforum.org/patients/what-is-vein-disease/what-is-chronic-venous-disease/
  10. What is venous thromboembolism? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Updated September 19, 2022. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/venous-thromboembolism
  11. Douketis JD. Deep venous thrombosis. MSD Manual Professional Version. Updated January 2026. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/cardiovascular-disorders/peripheral-venous-disorders/deep-venous-thrombosis-dvt#Etiology_v940941
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