Venous hypertension

This can be defined as high vein pressure in the leg for an extended time period. The pressure in leg veins ranges from -5 mmHg to over 300 mmHg. The later can occur in leg veins at the moment of impact after jumping off a wall. Normally there are anti-gravitational mechanisms, like the calf-muscle pump or lying down, which keep the vein pressures low. If the calf-muscle pump fails or/and there is reflux or obstruction, then the vein pressures are likely to be high most of the time. Prolonged venous hypertension results in skin changes at the gaiter area. This includes eczema, hyperpigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis and in some cases leg ulceration. These can be reversed, albeit slowly, after correction of the venous hypertension.