What are Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins are large blood vessels that have become swollen and twisted. They are bulged out dark blue- purplish veins like raised tubes. The most common areas for Varicose veins are ankles and the sides of the lower leg area, that is a simple cosmetic concern yet can lead to more serious, painful, and discomforting problems. Treatment may involve some life changes or procedures to close or remove the damaged veins.
What causes Varicose veins
Varicose veins are normal veins that overage and with increased venous pressure gets dilated and are bulging out. In healthy veins, one-way valves are directing the flow of blood upward and inward. These valves are responsible to push the blood from our legs to the heart. Commonly, such valve failures are caused due to dilation of such superficial veins due to increased venous pressure. When such Valves fail to push the blood up, we get inefficient blood flow leading to bulging of veins.
Following are the most common potential causes of Varicose veins:
Varicose vein Symptoms
The primary symptoms of varicose veins are highly visible in dark purple or blue color, signs of varicose veins include:
In severe cases, bleeding occurs through the veins significantly, which can lead to the formation of ulcers.
Diagnosis of Varicose veins
The primary diagnosis of Varicose veins is a physical examination. It also includes the examination of varicose veins in sitting or standing positions, pain level, aching, cramping, or the status of other symptoms. It also includes the examination of color, texture, size, the direction of the blood flow.
To examine the cause of varicose vein needs ultrasound which can give the accurate vascular assessment. This is a noninvasive test that uses high-frequency sound waves, which help to see the blood flow in the veins.
Duplex Ultrasound
This test is used to create 2D images of how much blood flowing back into the legs, the structure of leg veins. This helps examine if there are any deep vein thrombosis in veins.
During the test, the warm gel is used to put on the affected area, and the procedure continues pressing the transducer against the skin. Sometimes, they inject a special dye to take the accurate X-ray of the area. Venogram helps ensure that another disorder is not causing the pain and swelling in the area.
This test is painless and it takes around 30-40 minutes, you can return to regular activities immediately after the diagnosis.
Lifestyle changes for Varicose veins
There is not any guaranteed way of preventing varicose veins with lifestyle changes yet improving circulation may reduce the risk of developing varicose veins. The recommended preventions to help prevent varicose veins from worsening, decrease the pain level, decreasing the risks of future complications, including:
Avoid crossing the legs and elevate the legs regularly
Elevating legs takes the pressure off the veins in the legs and increases blood flow in the right direction. Crossing or bending the leg when you sit may worsen the condition.
Maintain a healthy weight
One of the first pieces of advice doctors give to the patients to maintain a healthy weight as being overweight can put pressure on the leg veins which can result in damaging the veins.
Avoid standing for prolonged periods
It is important to get your blood flow in the right direction by breaking the cycle of continuously sitting and standing. Staying in the same positions of sitting and standing for long periods may cause blood to pool in leg veins which lead to the formation of damaged veins or worsen the symptoms of varicose veins.
Exercise
Regular activities or exercises are recommended to increase circulation and prevent the damaged veins. Light exercise and activities like cycling and walking are recommended, while putting restrictions on heavy lifting, stretching, running to destress the veins.
Avoid salt in diet, high-fiber diet
Sodium makes the body retain water which can be a cause to the formation of varicose veins. The excess fluid makes pressure on veins.
Wear compression
Wearing compression socks place enough pressure to help blood flow in the leg, ankle in the right direction. It makes blood flow more easily to the heart. The compression socks apply different pressure on the affected area which helps decrease the swelling, keeps blood moving through the veins.
Varicose Veins are large blood vessels that have become swollen and twisted. They are bulged out dark blue- purplish veins like raised tubes. The most common areas for Varicose veins are ankles and the sides of the lower leg area, that is a simple cosmetic concern yet can lead to more serious, painful, and discomforting problems. Treatment may involve some life changes or procedures to close or remove the damaged veins.
What causes Varicose veins
Varicose veins are normal veins that overage and with increased venous pressure gets dilated and are bulging out. In healthy veins, one-way valves are directing the flow of blood upward and inward. These valves are responsible to push the blood from our legs to the heart. Commonly, such valve failures are caused due to dilation of such superficial veins due to increased venous pressure. When such Valves fail to push the blood up, we get inefficient blood flow leading to bulging of veins.
Following are the most common potential causes of Varicose veins:
- Genetics( Heredity) - Specific genetic factors are responsible for some individuals to have primary valvular failures. Some individuals have inborn weakness of vein walls and are more susceptible to increased venous pressure.
- Sex -Women are most likely to develop the damages in the veins as the hormones change during Premenstruation, pregnancy, and menopause period. In conditions of hormone fluctuations tend to relax vein walls which may increase the risk of varicose veins.
- Pregnancy and Menopause- This is overall a common cause of varicosities. During pregnancy, circulating hormonal factor increases the veins to expand and softens the muscles controlling the valves. Also increased pressure on the uterus during the last months of pregnancy and due to increased overall weight puts a pregnant woman at high risk for Varicose veins.
- Age- With increased age, the elasticity of the vein is increased and the functioning of vein declines leading to such condition.
- Obesity -Increase weight and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to a faster decline in the valvular functioning leading to increased cases of Varicosities in obese or overweight adults.
Varicose vein Symptoms
The primary symptoms of varicose veins are highly visible in dark purple or blue color, signs of varicose veins include:
- Cause pain in some cases
- Development of swelling and discoloration
- Heaviness in legs
- Achiness, throbbing, burning, cramping over and around the enlarged veins
- Itching around veins
- Often like cords on legs
- The restlessness of the legs
In severe cases, bleeding occurs through the veins significantly, which can lead to the formation of ulcers.
Diagnosis of Varicose veins
The primary diagnosis of Varicose veins is a physical examination. It also includes the examination of varicose veins in sitting or standing positions, pain level, aching, cramping, or the status of other symptoms. It also includes the examination of color, texture, size, the direction of the blood flow.
To examine the cause of varicose vein needs ultrasound which can give the accurate vascular assessment. This is a noninvasive test that uses high-frequency sound waves, which help to see the blood flow in the veins.
Duplex Ultrasound
This test is used to create 2D images of how much blood flowing back into the legs, the structure of leg veins. This helps examine if there are any deep vein thrombosis in veins.
During the test, the warm gel is used to put on the affected area, and the procedure continues pressing the transducer against the skin. Sometimes, they inject a special dye to take the accurate X-ray of the area. Venogram helps ensure that another disorder is not causing the pain and swelling in the area.
This test is painless and it takes around 30-40 minutes, you can return to regular activities immediately after the diagnosis.
Lifestyle changes for Varicose veins
There is not any guaranteed way of preventing varicose veins with lifestyle changes yet improving circulation may reduce the risk of developing varicose veins. The recommended preventions to help prevent varicose veins from worsening, decrease the pain level, decreasing the risks of future complications, including:
Avoid crossing the legs and elevate the legs regularly
Elevating legs takes the pressure off the veins in the legs and increases blood flow in the right direction. Crossing or bending the leg when you sit may worsen the condition.
Maintain a healthy weight
One of the first pieces of advice doctors give to the patients to maintain a healthy weight as being overweight can put pressure on the leg veins which can result in damaging the veins.
Avoid standing for prolonged periods
It is important to get your blood flow in the right direction by breaking the cycle of continuously sitting and standing. Staying in the same positions of sitting and standing for long periods may cause blood to pool in leg veins which lead to the formation of damaged veins or worsen the symptoms of varicose veins.
Exercise
Regular activities or exercises are recommended to increase circulation and prevent the damaged veins. Light exercise and activities like cycling and walking are recommended, while putting restrictions on heavy lifting, stretching, running to destress the veins.
Avoid salt in diet, high-fiber diet
Sodium makes the body retain water which can be a cause to the formation of varicose veins. The excess fluid makes pressure on veins.
Wear compression
Wearing compression socks place enough pressure to help blood flow in the leg, ankle in the right direction. It makes blood flow more easily to the heart. The compression socks apply different pressure on the affected area which helps decrease the swelling, keeps blood moving through the veins.