Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced earlier this week.
The unexpected statement candidly disclosing the 79-year-old American President’s health issue came after concern from people began noticing that his ankles were swollen and hands were bruised.
Rumours and theories began swirling after the Republican leader attended the Club World Cup final on Sunday (13 July) in New Jersey.
Trump sparked debate for a whole different reason when he placed himself front and centre to lift the trophy with winning team Chelsea F.C - but that’s another story entirely.
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When social media users weren’t going back and forth about his antics during the trophy ceremony, they were pointing out the unusual details they noticed about his appearance.
Photos of Trump sitting with wife Melania in their private box at the MetLife Stadium went viral online as people pointed out that the lower segments of both of his legs appeared enlarged.
Within the same week, another photo began circulating which zoomed in on the President’s hand, where a bruise was seemingly covered by concealer.
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So, to stop all the chatter, Leavitt decided to just address both issues head-on and tell the world what was actually going on.
She explained that Trump’s swollen ankles are because he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which is a blood circulation issue.
And when it comes to the bruising, in an earlier statement, Leavitt said it was caused by none other than constant hand-shaking - yes, you read that right.
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Her statement on the swelling read: "In the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today.
“In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. In keeping with routine medical care, and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House medical unit.”
She added: "The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies, bilateral lower extremity, venous doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency … a common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70."
"Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease… An echocardiogram was also performed and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function, no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness were identified additionally."
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What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Also known as CVI, it occurs when your leg veins become damaged and then struggle to send blood back up to your heart. This can lead to blood pooling in the lower legs and, you guessed it, swelling.
It’s quite common and impacts one in 20 adults, according to Cleveland Clinic, with over 50s suffering from it the most and the risk going up the older you get.
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Symptoms include achy or tired legs, burning, tingling or ‘pins and needles’ sensation in your legs and cramping in your legs at night.
Discoloured skin and swelling in your lower legs and ankles, especially after standing a while or at the end of the day, are also listed as common warning signs.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the most common cause of chronic venous insufficiency, however, as Leavitt pointed out, Trump doesn’t suffer with this.
Chronic venous insufficiency is mainly treated with lifestyle changes such as weight management and exercise, and compression therapy - which can include wearing the likes of bandages and stockings to help the blood flow and ease swelling.
Topics: Donald Trump, Health, Melania Trump
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Madison Burgess