Varicose Veins Can Cause These Symptoms
Varicose veins appear as swollen, twisted blood vessels that bulge just under the skin’s surface, usually occurring on the legs, feet and ankles.
Although they can be painful or itchy, unsightly or uncomfortable, varicose veins are not usually dangerous except in some rare cases where severe varicose veins can lead to serious health problems, such as blood clots.
Who is more likely to develop varicose veins?
There are certain factors that increase the risk:
- Age - the aging progress can mean vein walls and valves not working as well. For example, veins lose elasticity and stiffen.
- Gender - in the case of females, their hormones can allow the walls of the veins to stretch. In addition, those who are pregnant, taking birth control pills or going through menopause have a higher risk of varicose veins because of changes in hormone levels.
- Family history - genetics can play a part as this condition can be passed down through families.
- Lifestyle - If you spend long periods of time standing or sitting, circulation can decrease. In addition, wearing restrictive clothing, such as girdles or pants with tight waistbands can also decrease blood flow.
- Overall health - there are some health conditions that increase pressure on the veins. These include severe constipation or tumors.
- Smoking - those who smoke are more likely to develop varicose veins.
- Being overweight - this is another factor that puts addition press on blood vessels.
How common are varicose veins?
Unfortunately, approximately thirty three percent of all adults will have varicose veins.
What are the symptoms of varicose veins?
Obviously, the most recognizable sign of varicose veins is a gnarled, blue or purple vein just beneath the skin's surface but other symptoms include:
- Bulging veins - twisted, swollen, rope-like veins that are usually blue or purple, appearing just below the surface of the skin on the legs, ankles and feet and developing in clusters.
- Heavy legs - the muscles in your legs could start to feel tired, heavy or sluggish particularly after exercise or other physical activity.
- Itching - the affected area around varicose veins may start to itch.
- Pain and discomfort - the legs may start to feel painful, achy or sore, especially behind the knees while muscle cramps are also possible.
- Swelling - the legs, ankles and feet can swell and throb.
- Skin discolorations and ulcers - varicose veins can cause brown discolorations on the skin if left unattended or untreated while severe varicose veins can cause venous ulcers (sores) on the skin.
How to treat varicose veins?
While there is no cure for varicose veins at this time, treatment can reduce their appearance and relieve discomfort:
- Elevation - when the legs are elevated above the waist, it will help to increase blood flow and decrease pressure in the veins. This should be done several times throughout the day.
- Elastic stockings - these supportive stockings or socks will help to compress the veins and reduce discomfort, stopping the veins from stretching while helping blood flow.
- Injection therapy (sclerotherapy) - this treatment involves a healthcare provider injecting a solution into the vein which will cause the vein walls to stick together. After some time, the vein turns into scar tissue and fades away.
- Laser therapy - this is a minimally invasive procedure where healthcare providers use a catheter (a long, thin tube) and laser to close off a damaged vein.
- Vein surgery - during this procedure, the surgeon will tie off the affected vein to stop blood from pooling. At the same time, they may strip the vein to prevent varicose veins from reappearing.
- H-Varicose Veins Formula - this natural treatment will help to relieve the symptoms of varicose veins by penetrating deep into skin tissue and rapidly helping to reduce venous congestion and discomfort.
Helping to prevent varicose veins
Living an active, healthy lifestyle is a very good starting point in their prevention.
In addition:
- Avoid long periods of standing.
- Elevate your legs.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking.
- Stay active.
- Using compression stockings.
- Avoiding wearing clothes with tight waistbands.
For the most part, varicose veins that appear during pregnancy will eventually disappear after giving birth. Other sufferers may find their varicose veins may keep returning in spite of surgical treatment.
Learn more about Varicose Veins Formula
Sources
How are varicose veins treated? (2014, February 13)
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/vv/treatment. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
Joh, J. H., Kim, W.-S., Jung, I. M., Park, K.-H., Lee, T., Kang, J. M., & Consensus Working Group. (2014, December). Consensus for the treatment of varicose vein with radiofrequency ablation. Vascular Specialist International, 30(4), 105-112.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480318/. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021).
Varicose veins and spider veins. (2017, January 4)
womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/varicose-veins-and-spider-veins. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021).
See How to Identify Different Skin Conditions
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.