Blog Archive

Smoking is well-known for causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and many other cancers. But you may not know there’s another dangerous side effect of smoking, and that’s the harm it inflicts on your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system). How harmful is it? Smoking causes 1 in...

There are many reasons you might have swelling in your lower legs, ankles, and feet, but they’re all associated with one of two primary causes: inflammation or edema. Swelling caused by inflammation arises after you sustain an injury. Edema swelling is a fluid buildup in your legs or abdomen. Fluid...

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...

Rope-like, twisted, bulging, blue and purple leg veins commonly known as varicose veins are incredibly embarrassing for most people. Varicose veins are also visible signs of an underlying vein problem that can lead to serious complications. Are you tired of varicose veins and ready to seek treatment? If so, it's...

Why is deep vein thrombosis (DVT) so dangerous? There’s one simple answer: DVT causes 60,000 to 100,000 deaths every year. As a specialist in vascular disease, Kishore K. Arcot, MD, FACC, at Memphis Vein Center, has extensive experience diagnosing and treating DVT before it turns into a life-threatening condition.  But...

Caring for cuts and wounds at home is natural. Giving your body time to heal rather than visiting your primary care provider for a minor problem makes sense. But if you have a leg ulcer (oozing or not), taking a wait-and-see approach is the worst thing you can do. Leg...

Chest pain is the top sign of heart disease and a red flag alerting you to a current or looming heart attack. But chest pain doesn’t always come from a heart problem. There are many noncardiac causes of chest pain, and in more than half of all cases, the culprit...

Treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD) does more than relieve leg pain. Early treatment prevents infections and gangrene that lead to severe complications and possibly the need for a lower leg amputation. As a vascular specialist, Kishore Arcot, MD, FACC, at Memphis Vein Center performs in-office diagnostics to identify PAD...

Leg ulcers are incredibly dangerous because they won’t heal without medical care. Instead of healing, they keep getting larger, putting you at risk for serious complications. As a specialist in vascular medicine, Kishore K. Arcot, MD, FACC, at Memphis Vein Center protects your health, providing the advanced treatments needed to repair the underlying condition...

Women can spend years going to gynecologists and other doctors, searching for the cause of their chronic pelvic pain. All too often, their doctors can’t find the underlying reason for their pain. So women keep suffering. The problem is that many doctors don’t look for pelvic congestion syndrome, even though...

Pain caused by heart disease may be mild or severe, dull or sharp, and remain constant or come-and-go. Heart attacks don’t cause the same type of pain for everyone. And did you know that you can have a silent heart attack (one that doesn’t cause symptoms)? Yes, it’s confusing. At...

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the primary cause of a condition called pulmonary embolism. After heart attacks and strokes, pulmonary embolisms are the third most common cause of death due to cardiovascular disease. And that’s why Kishore Arcot, MD, at Memphis Vein Center encourages you to seek help as soon...

You may be familiar with diabetic foot ulcers, but you might not be aware that diabetes also dramatically increases your risk of developing leg ulcers. Whether they appear in your foot or leg, ulcers are open wounds that keep enlarging. Without medical treatment, ulcers often cause severe infections and tissue...

You may decide to get rid of bulging, twisted varicose veins on your legs because you’re tired of being embarrassed to wear shorts. Or maybe you suffer from leg pain, swelling, or tired legs as a result of varicose veins. They’re both good reasons to seek treatment that eliminates the...

Do you struggle with ongoing pelvic pain even though you don’t have a gynecologic condition? If so, there’s a good chance you have pelvic congestion syndrome, because it accounts for a third of all cases of chronic pelvic pain. The most important thing to know about pelvic congestion syndrome is that you don’t...

When chest pain and nausea occur together, they’re usually signs of a gastrointestinal or heart condition. If they’re related to your heart, they’re a red alert indicating a possible heart attack.  In this blog, Kishore K. Arcot, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, RPVI, at the Memphis Vein Center explains the conditions that cause chest pain...

Let’s face it: Varicose veins are downright unattractive and embarrassing. To top off their negative impact on your appearance, these purple-blue, bulging, twisted veins can cause pain, itching, and aching. But that’s not where the problems stop. Varicose veins are much more than a cosmetic problem. They are the visible signs that...

Swelling and pain in your left leg is a classic sign of May-Thurner syndrome, a condition that needs prompt treatment to restore circulation and prevent complications. By the time you have symptoms, there’s only one way to get optimal relief, and that’s by treating the underlying cause. Kishore K. Arcot, MD, at Memphis...

The obvious sign of a leg ulcer is the wound on your lower leg or foot, but you may have early signs before the ulcer appears. There are two types of leg ulcers with different appearances. As a vascular specialist, Kishore Arcot, MD, at Memphis Vein Center quickly determines the cause of your ulcer, provides...

Office work seems to be an unlikely source of health problems. But spending your days sitting or standing takes a toll on your leg veins. As a vein care specialist, Kishore Arcot, MD, at Memphis Vein Center can give you tips for preventing the problems associated with sitting and standing....

Have you ever heard of pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS)? Chances are you haven’t. And that means the first thing many women don’t know is that the condition exists. It’s important to be aware of PCS because it’s a common problem, and it causes one-third of all cases of chronic pelvic...

A leg ulcer may not seem like it’s related to your heart, but the two are closely associated by vascular disease. They also share another connection: You should never wait to seek care for either condition because they can both lead to life-threatening complications. Whether you face one or both concerns, you...

Of all the concerns you may have about pregnancy, chances are you don’t worry about blood clots. Yet your risk of developing a blood clot is five times higher compared to when you’re not pregnant. And unfortunately, venous blood clots cause 9% of pregnancy-related deaths. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the most common venous...

An estimated 40% of American adults have chronic venous insufficiency. That means you have a good chance of developing venous disease, yet you may not have symptoms alerting you to the problem.  The best way to protect your health is by learning the risk factors. If you discover you have a high...

Chest pain doesn't always originate in your heart. But it's the top symptom of heart disease, the most common sign of a heart attack, and a red flag alerting you to other potentially serious problems.  For these reasons, you should never ignore chest pain, especially if it keeps returning. Board-certified...

More than a third of adults sleep less than the seven hours they need to refresh their body and maintain optimal health.  Most adults are familiar with the loss of concentration, irritability, and fatigue they feel when they don’t get enough sleep. But most aren't aware that too little sleep...

Lymphedema commonly occurs after cancer treatments. But the same type of swelling is also one of the first signs of vascular disease in your legs. No matter what causes lymphedema, it's important to seek help as soon as possible. Without prompt treatment, the swelling can lead to serious complications, including...

Pregnant women are prepared to deal with morning sickness, fatigue, and heartburn. But few know that pregnancy increases their risk of vein disease. At the Memphis Vein Center, board-certified cardiologist Kishore Arcot, MD, specializes in preventing and treating vein disease, including the conditions that often begin during pregnancy. In this...

Women who struggle with chronic pelvic pain seldom seek the help of a vein specialist. Yet a vein condition called pelvic congestion syndrome accounts for a third of all cases of chronic pelvic pain. If you struggle with ongoing pelvic pain and your gynecologist has ruled out problems with your...

Most people seek treatment for varicose veins when they want to improve their appearance or when the large, bulging veins cause leg pain, itchy legs, or leg swelling. But there's another reason to consider treatment: Varicose veins are early signs of an underlying vein disease that can lead to serious...

Wouldn’t it be great if your body sent obvious warning signs alerting you to early-stage heart disease? Unfortunately, that’s not the way your body works. While there are warning signs, by the time you feel them, your cardiovascular disease has gone beyond the early stage. But there’s still hope. You...

Leg ulcers pose a serious threat to your health. These wounds don’t heal on their own. Even with treatment, they can last for nine months or longer. And they get progressively worse, putting you at risk for skin and bone infections. Vascular disease is the cause of leg ulcers, but...

May-Thurner syndrome is a blood vessel condition that most often affects young women. They may end up with a confusing combination of leg and pelvic pain and wonder if the two symptoms are connected. You can’t know for sure that you have May-Thurner syndrome until you see a vein specialist...

As a general principle, you should always have chest pain evaluated by our cardiac and vascular specialists at Memphis Vein Center. Cardiologist Kishore Arcot, MD, quickly runs diagnostic tests, identifies the source of your pain, and initiates the treatment you need. But chest pain isn’t always associated with a heart...

Getting treatment for deep vein thrombosis is not negotiable. Even if you have mild symptoms, it’s essential to seek help because this condition can turn into a life-threatening crisis. How threatening? Complications from deep vein thrombosis cause 60,000 to 100,000 deaths every year in the United States. You can count...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year, one or two of every 1,000 people have deep vein (venous) thrombosis (DVT). And every year, 60,000 to 100,000 of them die from a DVT complication called pulmonary embolism.  At Memphis Vein Center, board-certified cardiologist Kishore Arcot, MD,...

Varicose veins and Spider veins combined affect about 80% of men and 85% of women in the United States, which means these vascular conditions are prevalent. While spider veins and varicose veins are often lumped together, there are critical differences between the two and many similarities. To help you better...

Puffy ankles. Tight, itchy skin on your calves. Whether you wake up in the morning with these symptoms or you notice them after a long day standing on your feet, you know that swollen legs can be painful and uncomfortable. These are just a few of the most common symptoms...

Could varicose veins be the cause of your unexplained pelvic pain? The symptoms of pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) mimic and overlap with other conditions, making it easy for PCS to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.  If you’re dealing with pelvic pain, you need expert evaluation to reach the proper diagnosis. Rely...

Although varicose veins are often associated with age, the condition can affect anyone at any point in life. About 35% of American men and women suffer from varicose veins.  Varicose veins are bumpy, enlarged, and bulging veins that typically appear on your calves and thighs. Though they create cosmetic flaws,...

Though you may develop chest pain from any number of causes, it’s not a symptom you should ignore, says the Cleveland Clinic. Your chest discomfort may be a sign that you’re having a life-threatening cardiac event. But, it may also be indigestion. Here at Memphis Vein Center, we specialize in...

If you know someone who suffers from lymphedema, you’ve seen how it can be a worrisome and uncomfortable experience – especially if the symptoms are severe. If you’re not familiar with lymphedema, it’s a condition that causes swelling in your arms, fingers, legs, and/or toes. The swelling is generally limited...

If you develop a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), especially if it’s in your left leg, you could’ve had a condition called May-Thurner syndrome for months or years and not known it. In many patients with DVT, May-Thurner syndrome is revealed after the fact, explaining why they were at risk for...

Minor cuts and scrapes are a regular part of life. You were likely young when you began to take your body’s amazing healing abilities for granted. That injury stopped bleeding, formed a scab, and eventually disappeared, leaving no sign that anything ever happened.  You may notice the process gets slower...

The American Heart Association reports that chest pain is one of the top 10 reasons for a trip to the emergency room. In fact, in one recent review of hospital visits, more than 7.5 million people sought emergency care for chest pains. While you never want to disregard pain in...

Varicose veins look like dark red or purple lines twisting across your skin. Varicose veins are most commonly found on your lower body and are often increasingly present as you age. Many people find their varicose veins unsightly and embarrassing, but not many know they could pose a health risk....

When you think about plaque buildup in your blood vessels (atherosclerosis), you may automatically think about the arteries in your heart. But those aren’t the only blood vessels at risk of the narrowing or blockage caused by the accumulation of plaque along the walls.  The blood vessels that supply blood...