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