Washington: The White House has said that President Donald Trump’s swelling of the leg and bruises on his right hand is nothing to worry about after photographs showed Trump with swollen ankles and makeup covering the affected part of his hand.
Officials explained that the swelling is caused by a regular vein state, while bruises are from shaking hands too often.
The spokesman for the White House Karoline Leavitt, who read a letter from Trump’s doctor during a press briefing said, said both questions were benign. His swelling in the leg is caused by a “ordinary” vein state, while bruises on his hand are from shaking many hands, she told journalists.
Doctors have excluded any serious health problems and said the US president is enjoying excellent health.
The declaration aimed to end a flurry of online speculation that the 79-year-old president may be suffering from a more serious health problem based on the images.
After the briefing, the White House released the letter from an American naval officer, Trump’s doctor Sean Barbabella, confirming that Trump had undergone a series of tests on the concerns.
Barbabella said that an ultrasound on the president’s legs “revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and ordinary state, especially in individuals over 70 years.”
He noted that there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial illness.
Further studies found no signs of heart failure, kidney write -down or systemic disease, Barbabella added.
Leavitt also confirmed that Trump did not experience any discomfort from the condition.
Barbabella explained that bruises on Trump’s right hand were “in accordance with minor softness irritation from frequent handshakes and the use of aspirin taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.”
“President Trump remains in excellent health,” he concluded.
Kwame Amankwah, chief of vascular surgery at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, said chronic venous insufficiency typically affects the lower legs where veins struggle to return to blood back to the heart.
It is generally treated with compression stockings and lifts the legs, he said.
“Even without heart disease, the condition must be controlled. If not controlled with compression and height, it can lead to severe swelling and stomach ulcers, requiring more significant treatment,” added Amankwah.
Todd Berland, director of outpatient vascular interventions at Nyu Langone Health, said chronic venous insufficiency “has no overall influence on expected life expectancy. It is a quality of life, not a matter of amount of life.”
Trump underwent a full physical examination on April 11 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington. Doctors reported that he had a normal heartbeat and no major health concerns.
