Phleboliths are small, round calcifications that occur within the veins, usually found in the lower pelvis area. These are exceedingly common and are for the most part not a real concern for your health. Still, if you have phleboliths it might be worth taking note of them. After all, even though phleboliths themselves are harmless, they are often a sign of some kind of other disease gripping the body. Usually they are only discovered when taking an x-ray for some other reason. They are caused by a myriad of reasons which include pressure in veins, varicose veins, bowel movements, liver disease, and others.
Most of the time you will go through life without ever knowing or caring whether you have phleboliths or not. Regardless, symptoms do sometimes manifest in some way or another. First of all there can sometimes be some pain in the pelvis area, the lower back, or the abdomen. This pain tends to be very similar to the pain of a kidney stone—in fact it is often difficult to tell a phleboliths and a kidney stone apart with just an x-ray. Thrombosis is another symptom of phleboliths which can cause the blood to slow down. It is rare that you would notice this on your own though. Phleboliths can also cause a varicose condition in the veins in your pelvic area. You may also have some noticeable discomfort in your kidney or bladder area. This symptom should especially be noted because this could help identify the specific location of the phlebolith.
Treatment for phleboliths is actually rather easy. A warm washcloth applied to the problem area help greatly. The affected area should also be elevated above the heart whenever possible. That way, less blood is forced through this area. Also, when you visit the doctor, you will also most likely be prescribed anti-inflammation medications which are important in treating this condition.
For the most part phleboliths are rather harmless. That said, if you do discover that you have one it is best to get it treated, mostly because that could prevent some complications that may come up further along down the line. Symptoms very rarely come out but whenever they do, they should be treated right away. If you want to prevent phleboliths from forming just do several things: avoid prolonged periods of inactivity, avoid tight clothing, and drink lots and lots of fluids to stave away dehydration.
