The symptoms of inferior vena cava collapse are low blood pressure also known as hypotension, rapid heart rate (tachycardia), and dizziness or shock.
The circulatory and heart signs of inferior vena cava collapse include:
Low blood pressure where not enough blood returns to your heart.
Fast heart rate where the heart beats faster to try to pump enough blood.
Dizziness or fainting from low blood flow to the brain.
And shock, where severe cases of inferior vena cava collapse mimic low volume shock with cold hands and cold feet.
An inferior vena cava collapse can also cause leg swelling as fluid builds up in your lower body and legs as well as abdominal swelling from fluid collecting in the belly area also known as ascites and surface veins on your belly or legs might get larger.
And shortness of breath where you have trouble breathing or you may also have low oxygen also known as hypoxia.
If you experience any severe dizziness, chest pain or signs of shock, you should get to the ER right away.
The function of the IVC also known as the inferior vena cava is to transport oxygen poor blood from your lower half of your body back to your heart.
The inferior vena cava is the largest vein in the human body.
Your inferior vena cava collects and gathers the blood that is deoxygenated from your legs, feet, pelvis and your abdominal organs, which includes everything below your diaphragm.
The inferior vena cava then delivers this deoxygenated blood directly into your right atrium, which is the upper right chamber of your heart.
Then your heart pumps the blood to your lungs to pick up fresh oxygen and the cycle repeats.
Your inferior vena cava is around 4 inches long and nearly 1 inch wide to handle the high volumes of blood.
And unlike the smaller veins in the body, the inferior vena cava does not contain any internal one way valves.
And blood movement upward toward your heart is also largely assisted by the changes in pressure and contractions of your diaphragm when you breathe.
Your inferior vena cava is located on the right side of the body and runs vertically along the right side of your spine and your abdominal aorta.
The superior vena cava carries blood from the head, neck, arms, and chest.
The inferior vena cava carries blood from the legs, feet, and organs in the abdomen and pelvis.
The most important veins in the body are the inferior vena cava, the superior vena cava, and the pulmonary veins.
Together, these large vessels handle all the blood flow returning to your heart.
The Pulmonary Veins are also some of the most important veins in the body.
Unlike almost every other vein in the body, these four special veins carry fresh, oxygen-rich blood from your lungs straight back to your heart.