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Phlebitis Causes & Risks

Causes

Phlebitis is often caused by:

  • Prolonged bed rest following an operation
  • Paralysis
  • Use of estrogen
  • Lack of exercising your legs over an extended period of time (eg, long airplane trips)
  • Prior episodes of phlebitis
  • Trauma to the lower extremity
  • Cancer malignancy—Certain cancers may put you at risk for a clotting condition. This condition can lead to venous thrombosis. Cancers such as pancreatic , stomach , prostate , and colon cancer, as well as acute leukemia are known to increase clots.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

The following factors increase your chance of developing phlebitis:

  • Sitting for long periods of time, such as on an airplane or being confined to bed rest
  • Health conditions that increase the risk of blood clots
    • These include cancers particularly of the pancreas which is associated with recurrent phlebitis
  • Blood disorders which increase the clotting potential of blood
    • These include Protein C deficiency due to Factor V Leiden (hereditary blood coagulation disorder)
  • Obesity
  • Pregnancy

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