From swollen ankles to leg cramps and flaky skin – the 10 signs of Donald Trump's painful diagnosis revealed

The Sun

18-07-2025

DONALD Trump has been diagnosed with a painful vein condition after photos showed the president with swollen ankles and bruised hands.
The president, 79, was given a thorough examination by White House medics, which revealed he had chronic venous insufficiency.
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The common condition occurs when leg veins become damaged over time and can't work as they should, causing blood to pool in the legs.
This increases pressure in the leg veins, leading to symptoms like ankle swelling, leg cramps, ulcers and flaky skin.
Recent images of Trump at a FIFA Club World Cup 2025 football match on July 13 prompted a surge of speculation about his health.
A seated picture of the president where his trousers had ridden up revealed swelling in his ankles.
Bruising was also spotted on Trump's right hand, which appeared to have been covered up with makeup.
Speaking to reporters, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said had Trump noticed "minor swelling in his lower legs" in recent weeks.
Chronic venous insufficiency affects about one in 20 adults, and the risk increases with age, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Leavitt described it as a 'benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70".
The press secretary said Trump's medical examination had revealed no other serious health issues.
'Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease," Leavitt said.
Facts on peripheral artery 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.'
Leavitt added that Trump was not in any pain from the condition.
She also sought to downplay the bruising on the president's hands, saying they were caused by irritation from 'frequent handshaking,' coupled with his aspirin regimen.
Chronic venous insufficiency happens due to damage to in the leg veins, slowing down blood flow from the legs back up to the heart.
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The condition can cause mild symptoms at first but, over time, it can interfere with your quality of life and lead to serious complications, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Without treatment, it can increase pressure in the legs, causing tiny blood vessels in the leg to burst.
This can give skin in the legs a reddish-brown hue and also make it more vulnerable to injury is bumped or scratched.
Here are 10 telltale symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency to know.
Achy or tired legs
Burning, tingling or 'pins and needles' sensation in your legs
Cramping in your legs at night
Discoloured skin that looks reddish-brown
Oedema (swelling) in your lower legs and ankles, especially after standing a while or at the end of the day
Flaking or itching skin on your legs or feet
Full or heavy feeling legs
Leathery-looking skin on your legs
Ulcers (open sores), usually near your ankles
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that become visible under the skin, usually in the legs.
They happen when the valves that control the flow of blood in your vein do not work properly.
This causes blood to build up and put pressure on the vein, which makes it swell and twist.
How is chronic venous insufficiency treated?
Being overweight, having a family history of chronic venous insufficiency or suffering blood clots or injuries to your legs can up your risk of the condition.
Having high blood pressure, smoking and not exercising enough can also be risk factors.
Lifestyle tweaks can help with managing chronic venous insufficiency.
This can include taking up walking or other forms of exercise to improve blood flow in your legs.
It's recommended that you don't sit or stand for too long, so getting up and moving as often as you can can be helpful.
Foot and ankle flexing exercises may also help.
Elevating your legs for up to 30 minutes can ease swelling and discomfort in your legs, as can things like compression stockings.
You may also be prescribed medication to improve blood flow.
You may find you develop poor circulation as you get older.
It is also linked to having a heart or circulatory disease, or a risk factor for them like high blood pressure or obesity.
This is because these conditions affect your blood vessels, making them narrower and stiffer.
This in turn makes it more difficult for blood to flow through them, especially to body parts a long way from the heart like your hands, legs and feet.
They include:
Atherosclerosis - caused by a build-up of fatty plaques in your artery walls, causing them to harden and narrow until blood cannot pass properly from your heart to the rest of your body.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) - caused by a build-up of plaques on the walls of your arteries, and usually happens in your legs and feet
High blood pressure - this can damage the walls of the arteries, as well as putting strain on the walls increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and PAD.
Heart failure - this is when your heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should.
Diabetes - high sugar levels in your blood can damage your blood vessels over time, which in turn causes the build-up of fatty plaques that narrows the blood vessels.
Obesity - excess weight can increase your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, which can lead to poor circulation.
Raynaud's disease - this is a common condition where blood stops flowing properly to your fingers and toes due to stress or cold temperatures.
Source: BHF