A Louisiana Vein Doctor Explains What Wikipedia Can't Tell You About Swollen Legs and Ankles

Wikipedia, the free-access, free-content Internet encyclopedia, is a remarkable success story. Despite the fact that it is non-profit and that there are no paid editors, its 35 million articles in 288 different languages have developed a reputation for being "mostly accurate." As a result, many people in the general public have gotten into the habit of looking up general medical questions on Wikipedia. In some cases, this can be a valid "first stop" in your search to find out about a disease or condition you are trying to learn about. But in this article, we'll try to make the case that you shouldn't rely on Wikipedia (or any other online medical resource) entirely, because they may not give you the whole story.

What happens when you look up "swollen legs & ankles" on Wikipedia?

Well, you get a couple of pages of information that is fairly accurate, but only up to a point. For example, the article suggests that swollen legs and ankles are mainly caused by water retention caused when fluid leaks from the capillaries into surrounding tissue. While this is true on the surface, the article doesn't say much about the actual cause of this water retention, suggesting that it's common in pregnancy and often due to lack of exercise. Again, while this is true, the only real treatment for what Wikipedia characterizes as mere water retention is the use of diuretic medications.

This ignores the most common cause of swollen legs & ankles – vein disease

What the best vein doctors in Louisiana would tell you about swollen legs and ankles is a little different, which is that they are often caused by a vein disease called chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI. CVI is the most common cause of varicose veins, but it also causes swelling, which can quickly escalate and become so painful that it can become debilitating and prevent you from walking.

Trying to treat such a condition with diuretics will likely do nothing to reduce the swelling, and may even do harm, because temporary relief might tempt people who suffer from CVI into procrastinating and not seeking the professional New Orleans vein treatment they need. CVI and varicose veins don't just "go away" or "get better on their own" – they get worse.

So if you have swollen legs and ankles, contact a real Louisiana Vein Doctor

Don't risk your overall health by relying on a useful but limited crowd-sourced Internet encyclopedia. Instead, pick up your phone and call Dr. Randall S. Juleff at 985-892-2950 and let the experts at La Bella Vita Laser and Vein Center help.

Author Bio: Noted Louisiana vein doctor Randall S. Juleff discusses the common problem of swollen legs and ankles.

For more information: www.labellavitavein.com

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