Are you worried about your vein health, or have you been diagnosed with a form of vascular disease? In the midst of a global crisis, it can be hard to decide what to do when you’re faced with a medical need that might not be “essential.”
At Bloomfield Vein & Vascular PLLC in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Dr. Diego Hernandez is committed to providing appropriate vein and vascular care, even in times of national crisis. Urgent medical needs should still be addressed, including essential vascular care.
We’ve created a set of guidelines to help you navigate the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and other health authorities, and understand what care is essential and what is not.
When COVID-19 was deemed a severe threat, “non-essential” services were closed. This meant that anything not considered “essential” was put on the back burner, even if it was health-related. Now, medical clinics are reopening for regular care in phases across the country, but you may still be wondering if you should reschedule or postpone treatment for “non-essential care.”
How do you tell whether or not your medical need is essential? Some of the services we offer could indeed be deemed “non-emergent” or “cosmetic” in accordance with government guidelines. However, we also offer many more services which are crucial to the health of our vascular patients.
If your issue is non-life threatening and won’t lead to other health issues if you aren’t seen right away, it may be categorized as “non-emergent.” Your doctor can make recommendations for you to follow at home to keep your issue from getting worse.
Non-emergent vein and vascular care can include unsightly spider veins, varicose veins, or mild swelling of the legs, and more. Check with us if you have major swelling or discomfort that is acute enough that you can’t sleep at night.
Emergent vascular health needs may need immediate attention. This could include some diabetes-related vascular problems. If you have non-healing wounds in your feet or legs, it is advisable that you allow us to evaluate you properly. Delaying care can lead to more significant problems. Lack of pain does not necessarily mean that something is not wrong. Diabetes changes the way that you perceive pain, which is why diabetes is so dangerous. If your feet are cold, discolored, or if a wound persists more than 2 weeks without healing, it is best if you allow us to assess you -let us be the ones that make the determination as to whether your condition warrants immediate or urgent attention, or whether it is reasonable for us to monitor it.
If you start having symptoms related to peripheral artery disease (PAD) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it’s important you make an appointment as soon as possible. These could lead to more severe complications. How do you know if you are experiencing symptoms related to these conditions? If you are experiencing constant pain in your feet, particularly at night, and you feel that the only way to get relief of your pain is by dangling the leg over the bed or chair, you may have severe restrictions of blood flow, or what is known as hardening of the arteries or PAD. It is important that you seek an evaluation for this condition, which we term rest pain, because lack of treatment may lead to an amputation.
If you have experienced sudden development of lower extremity swelling, affecting one extremity in particular, and this is associated with discoloration and/or pain, you may have a blood clot, DVT. We now understand that COVID-19 might lead to the development of blood clots. If you feel that this is of concern to you, please contact our office so that we can guide you in regards to your treatment options. It is best to let us evaluate you so that we can advise you as to whether your condition requires urgent intervention or if it is reasonable to monitor it.
Have questions? Feel free to call your vein and vascular specialist at Bloomfield Vein & Vascular at 248-218-0278 and request an appointment. For your convenience, we have the ability to conduct telemedicine consults, which would allow us to safely evaluate you in the comfort of your home. You can also reach us at info@bloomfieldveinandvascular.com to request an appointment.
