One in two women and one in three men have varicose veins.
Varicose veins are swollen blood vessels that appear below the surface of the skin in the lower part of the body.
Blood backs up in the veins when the vein walls are weak and the valves don’t work properly.
As a result, your legs, feet, or ankles will develop blue and purple bumps.
They can be painful or itchy.
Spider veins, which often surround varicose veins, are smaller red or purple lines on the surface of the skin.
Although varicose veins can be unsightly and uncomfortable, they are not dangerous.
However, severe varicose veins can cause serious health problems, such as blood clots.
Injections, laser therapy, or surgery can treat most varicose vein symptoms.
what causes them
As the blood pressure in your vein increases, the weakened walls of your veins allow your vein to enlarge.
When the vein dilates, the valves that keep blood flowing in one direction can’t work properly.
In a slow vein, blood pools or backs up, causing the vein to swell, bulge, and become twisted.
Varicose veins can be caused by various factors.
As we age, the walls and valves of our veins become less efficient. And as veins age, they become stiffer and lose elasticity.
Vein walls can stretch as a result of female hormones.
Varicose veins are more common in pregnant women, people taking birth control pills, and women in menopause.
A study published by researchers at the Universitat Leipzig in Germany noted that all of the men in their study with varicose veins had higher estradiol levels and lower testosterone levels compared to men with healthy veins.
In a recent study, regardless of age, men with varicoceles (an enlargement of the veins within the bag of loose skin that supports the testicles) had significantly lower testosterone levels than men without them.
There is a family history of this condition (runs in families).
Varicose veins are more likely to develop in people who use tobacco products.
Sometimes the blood vessels are stressed by excess weight (obesity).
Standing or sitting for long periods of time decreases circulation.
Blood flow can be decreased by wearing restrictive clothing, such as girdles or pants with tight waistbands.
Certain health conditions, such as severe constipation or certain tumors, increase the pressure in the veins.
Varicose veins usually appear as twisted, blue or purple veins just below the surface of the skin.
Beware of these signs
Symptoms include:
> Bulging veins: Twisted, swollen, rope-like veins are often blue or purple.
They appear just below the surface of the skin on the legs, ankles, and feet. They can develop in clusters. Small red or blue lines (spider veins) may appear nearby.
> Heavy legs: After physical activity, your legs may feel tired, heavy, or sluggish.
> Itching: Varicose veins can itch around the area.
> Pain: Your legs may be sore, sore, or sore, especially behind the knees. Muscle cramps may also occur.
> Swelling: Your legs, ankles, and feet may swell and throb.
> Skin discoloration and ulcers: Leaving varicose veins untreated can cause brown discolorations on the skin.
Venous ulcers (sores) can result from severe varicose veins.
Are varicose veins common?
Varicose veins affect around a third of all adults and are more common in women than in men.
Spider veins are commonly misdiagnosed as varicose veins, but there is a difference.
Varicose veins are thicker and larger than spider veins, which look like red or blue cobwebs or tree branches.
They appear close to the surface of the skin.
There is usually no pain associated with spider veins, and they can appear behind the knees, on the feet, or on the face.
On the other hand, varicose veins affect only the legs and feet.
They develop on the lower half of the body, usually on the calves, ankles, and feet.
Varicose veins can sometimes develop in the pelvis (pelvic congestion syndrome), especially in women who have had children.
In men, varicose veins in the testicles can cause infertility.
How a diagnosis is made
During a physical exam, health care providers can diagnose the condition.
Your veins will be felt and examined as you sit and stand.
Ultrasounds can show how your valves are working and whether there are blood clots.
Varicose veins may not be preventable.
By leading a healthy, active lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of developing them.
Health care providers recommend the following measures to prevent and treat varicose veins:
> Avoid long periods of standing: If you work on your feet all day, take frequent breaks to stretch and walk around.
> Raise your legs: Keeping your feet above your waist will increase blood flow to your heart.
> Stay active: Avoid sitting for long periods of time and move frequently to improve circulation.
> Try compression stockings: They compress the veins and help blood to circulate, preventing varicose veins from getting worse.
> Wear clothes that fit well: Make sure your waist is not too tight to stimulate blood flow.
> Maintain a healthy weight: Losing the extra kilos reduces the pressure of the blood vessels.
> Give up tobacco use: Smoking damages blood vessels, reduces blood flow, and causes a variety of health problems.
treatment options
Varicose veins cannot be cured, but these treatments can reduce their appearance and relieve discomfort:
> Injection therapy (sclerotherapy): Medical professionals inject a solution into your veins so that the vein walls stick together as a result of the solution.
Eventually, his vein turns into scar tissue and fades away.
> Laser therapy: Endovenous thermal ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that closes damaged veins with the use of a catheter (a long, thin tube).
> Vein surgery: A vein is tied off or stripped during these procedures to prevent blood from pooling.
The vein may be removed (stripped) to prevent varicose veins from coming back.
Be aware that varicose vein treatments have side effects.
Side effects associated with sclerotherapy include redness or bruising for a few days where a needle was inserted into the skin; lumps or hardness for a few months; brown areas (for several months) on the skin where the needle touched; and the possibility of developing new varicose veins after sclerotherapy.
After endovenous ablation, varicose veins can also recur in half of the people who have surgical removal.
Possible side effects of this treatment include nerve damage, deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a vein inside your body), skin burns, scarring, and infection.
Should I live with that?
Varicose veins are not usually dangerous, but you should see your health care provider to be examined.
Varicose veins can be treated if you are concerned about how they look or if they are uncomfortable. Your provider should be seen as soon as possible if your skin or veins are sore, red or hot to the touch, swollen, bleeding, or discolored.
Varicose veins affect millions of people.
For most of them, they do not pose a serious health risk.
Home remedies and lifestyle changes can ease symptoms and prevent them from getting worse.
You can reduce the pain of varicose veins and improve their appearance with safe, minimally invasive treatments.
Remember that not only you suffer from this condition.
Varicose veins can sometimes be prevented by improving testosterone levels with testosterone replacement therapy.
Understand that despite treatment, varicose veins can come back.
If you are not sure which treatment is best for you, talk to your health care provider.
Datuk Dr. Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a Consultant Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Functional Medicine Practitioner. For more information, please email [email protected]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and should not be construed as personal medical advice. The information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant, or augment consultation with a healthcare professional regarding the reader’s medical care. The star makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness, or other warranties as to the content appearing in this column. The star disclaims all liability for loss, property damage, or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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