What is phlebitis in the arm?
An inflammation of the veins in the arm, also called phlebitis, is an inflammation of the venous blood vessels. The inflammation usually occurs locally and leads in particular to inflammation of the vein wall. The phlebitis can occur on the arms as well as on the legs.
One also distinguishes phlebitis by the location of the veins – both superficial veins and deeper veins can be affected. The location of the inflamed vessel provides information about the cause of the inflammation. The cause can be, for example, an injury to a superficial blood vessel, which causes a harmless inflammation. However, a thrombosis of the deeper lying vein can trigger a serious inflammation, which should be clarified by a doctor.
The symptoms
The symptoms of phlebitis in the arm are very varied and can be of varying degrees of severity. The phlebitis is often conspicuous by the fact that it causes pain in the affected area. In most cases, the pain increases as soon as pressure is applied to the area.
The skin can also become tense over the affected area. The inflammatory reaction usually leads to reddening of the skin. If a superficial arm vein is affected by the inflammation, the redness can even be observed along the course of the vein.
In addition, overheating of the skin may occur. If you place your hand on the affected area, you can feel a significant difference in temperature to the surrounding skin. If the phlebitis is caused by varicose veins, the vein itself appears swollen and thickened. Sometimes small nodules can also be detected in the course of such a vein.
The causes
The causes of phlebitis in the arm can be very diverse. It can be a spatially limited, harmless inflammation. However, a thrombosis can also form, which can lead to serious complications.
If an inflammation of the arm vein occurs, the trigger may be a medical intervention, for example. This includes, for example, blood collection, but also the insertion of a so-called vascular access (for example an intravenous cannula), which is placed over the vein to administer an infusion. In this type of puncture, the insertion of a vascular access can lead to the spread of germs.
These germs lead to a local inflammatory reaction. However, the infusion itself, which flows into the vein via the vascular access, can also cause an inflammation, as it leads to irritation of the vein wall. Furthermore, thrombosis should not be ruled out.
The cause may be, for example, bacterial inflammation of the arm vein. If varicose veins are present in the arms, the risk of thrombosis is significantly increased. An inflammation of the veins in the arm can be triggered by medical interventions, among other things.
These are mainly inserts of vascular accesses, such as intravenous catheters or puncture needles (for taking blood samples). To place these vascular accesses, the skin must be punctured. This leads to a small, spatially limited injury to the skin.
Germs can now be carried into the vessel through this puncture and cause an inflammatory reaction. To prevent this, however, the skin should be thoroughly disinfected and only sterile material should be used. Despite these precautions, however, germs can be carried over.
The inflammation then manifests itself as reddened and overheated skin, which can also cause a burning sensation. If it is a mild inflammation with mild symptoms, the inflammation heals within a few days. However, a bacterial thrombosis can also develop, which can then lead to serious complications.
Venous inflammation of the arm can also be caused by the administration of chemotherapeutic agents via a vascular access (e.g. intravenous cannula). If a vascular access is placed, a thin plastic tube of the indwelling venous cannula remains in the vessel. This access can then be used to administer drugs, such as chemotherapeutic agents, in the form of an infusion.
Since these drugs are highly effective, they can cause irritation of the vein wall. The vein wall can swell and become red. However, the reaction cannot be prevented if the chemotherapeutic agent has to be administered through a vein.If there is severe pain, some patients may consider an alternative vascular access, such as a port, where the irritation of the vessel is often less severe.
An insect bite on the arm can certainly cause an inflammatory reaction that also affects the veins. An insect bite can cause injury to the skin. In addition, there is an allergic reaction of the skin around the bite site, which also causes an inflammatory reaction.
Bacteria can now enter the vessel through the bite. The body now tries to fight these pathogens and releases messenger substances that trigger an inflammation. This results in swelling, overheating and reddening of the skin. In some cases itching can also occur. Usually an insect bite triggers a harmless inflammation of the vein, which is limited to the bite site.
