Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency: What is the condition behind his swelling legs?
After cameras captured what appeared to be a bruise on Donald Trump’s right hand earlier this week during a meeting with the press, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the president’s recent medical diagnosis.
Leavitt told reporters at a July 17 briefing that Trump had undergone medical tests to examine leg swelling and bruising on the back his hand and had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, this condition, otherwise known as CVI, happens when your leg veins become damaged and can’t work as they should.
“Normally, valves in your leg veins keep blood flowing back up to your heart,” the clinic’s site reads.
“But CVI damages those valves, causing blood to pool in your legs. This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers.”
Chronic venous insufficiency signs and symptoms include:
- Achy or tired legs.
- Burning, tingling or “pins and needles” sensation in your legs.
- Cramping in your legs at night.
- Discolored skin that looks reddish-brown.
- Edema (swelling) in your lower legs and ankles, especially after standing a while or at the end of the day.
- Flaking or itching skin on your legs or feet.
- Full or heavy feeling in your legs.
- Leathery-looking skin on your legs.
- Ulcers (open sores), usually near your ankles. If they’re very painful, they may be infected.
- Varicose veins.
The disease is very common, and usually affects people over the age of 50, with the risk going up the older someone gets, the site adds.
At 79 years old, Trump is the second oldest person to serve as president of the United States and the oldest ever to begin a term as president.
But Leavitt told reporters Thursday that he remains in “excellent health” and wasn’t in pain.
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” Leavitt said, reading off a note from Trump’s physician.
“All results were within normal limits.”
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