1. What Are the Common (and Rare) Vein Damage Symptoms?
Some damaged veins are asymptomatic. Others produce an intermittent symptom or two. And some cause a range of chronic, debilitating, or even life-threatening symptoms. Like most medical conditions, there are common symptoms, and less common symptoms. But no two patients are alike, so if you’re experiencing symptoms (whether or not they’re on this list), click HERE to consult with our Harvard-trained vein doctors in California.
VERY COMMON SYMPTOMS:
- Bulging varicose veins
- Clusters of spider veins
- Crampy, achy legs
- Leg heaviness
- Swelling in calves and feet
- Itchy legs
- Pinching, burning sensations
- Restless sleep
- Fatigue
LESS COMMON SYMPTOMS:
- Hyperpigmentation on lower legs
- Venous ulcerations
- Venous stasis dermatitis
- Profuse bleeding
- Blood clots
2. Do the Varicose Veins’ Stages Correlate to the Symptoms?
No two patients follow the exact same pattern of varicose veins’ stages or symptoms. Some patients will notice symptoms like pinching or burning even before the varicose vein appears. Others will be symptom-free until a causative disease, like Chronic Venous Insufficiency, advances and begins producing symptoms.
The extent of vein damage can’t be seen from the surface, since the problem often starts in deeper veins. If you are experiencing any symptoms, particularly the ones listed as less common, you’re likely contending with vein disease. Book an appointment to address the issue before symptoms progress. Our vein specialists treat varicose veins and vein disease within minutes, using innovative, minimally invasive technology.
3. If I See Veins Popping Out on Legs, Will Symptoms Follow?
As mentioned, some varicose veins and spider veins are asymptomatic, while others can be quite problematic. It’s important to note that the degree of symptoms does not always correlate to the degree of vein damage. Most varicose veins and spider veins stem from Chronic Venous Insufficiency, wherein vein walls and valves weaken and allow blood to collect and regress in the blood vessel. When blood pools or flows in reverse, pressure builds, creating the visible vein damage.
But since you cannot see Chronic Venous Insufficiency from the surface, or blood clots or other complications in your venous anatomy, don’t delay seeking medical advice for your damaged veins. If you have spider veins or varicose veins popping out on your legs, it’s a clear sign that it’s time to see a vein doctor, whether they’re symptomatic or not.
4. Do Men Get Varicose Veins? Are the Symptoms the Same?
Yes, plenty of men get varicose veins, since common causes like valve failure, vein disease, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and a family history aren’t linked to gender. Women do have a higher risk of developing them, however, since hormonal shifts that occur with pregnancy, menopause, and birth control usage can cause varicose veins.
Symptoms aren’t linked to gender, just as they aren’t linked to the number of varicose veins. In general, the longer veins go untreated, the more symptoms and complications will develop. So, seek varicose vein treatment at the first sign of vein damage for best results.
5. Are Varicose Veins & Broken Capillaries on Legs the Same?
While varicose veins and broken capillaries can stem from the same thing, they are not identical issues. A broken capillary (a blood vessel that transports blood from the arteries to the veins) can develop from sun damage, exertion, injury, medication, or illness, in addition to vein diseases like Chronic Venous Insufficiency. For instance, broken capillaries often result from the strain of the birthing process or from squeezing a pimple on the face.
Varicose veins, however, are more commonly caused by valve failure in leg veins, when blood flows the wrong way and forces the blood vessel to stretch and contort to contain the excess pressure. Broken capillaries are often considered cosmetic issues, whereas varicose veins can become highly problematic if left untreated. Our award-winning vein doctors in California treat both superficial and deeper blood vessels, providing both cosmetic and medical repairs for capillaries, spider veins, and varicose veins.
6. Veins in Upper Thigh, Varicose Veins in Wrist: Same Thing?
Varicosities are most common in leg veins because these veins pump blood against gravity all the way from the feet to the heart. Other veins carry blood on a parallel or shorter path to the heart, so they aren’t as prone to venous reflux or valve failure. However, varicose veins can develop anywhere.
Here’s how to know if your vein is varicose or simply enlarged. Does it increase in size during stress or exertion, and then reduce in size afterward? This is a normal occurrence, since our veins carry more blood when our heart rate increases. In contrast, are your wrist veins protruding as much when you awaken from sleep as they are after doing bicep curls or carrying your groceries? If so, visit our vein center.
Veins stretch and shrink throughout the day to adjust to how much blood our heart is pumping through them at any given moment. They also expand during times like pregnancy. Ask our team whether your enlarged veins are healthy or damaged. Clues include the presence of symptoms, or protuberant veins that don’t reduce in size while at rest.
7. Red Veins on Legs: Is Getting Rid of Them Easy?
If you have spider veins or varicose veins, along with painful vein damage symptoms, getting rid of them sounds amazing. However, some patients wonder whether getting rid of them will be painful, difficult, or expensive. The answer depends on the vein center you choose, since they don’t all possess the same technology or caliber of vein specialists.
Most vein damage is now treated non-surgically, so patients can walk around immediately, and even go straight back to work. If you want gentle, quick, affordable relief from your vein damage and symptoms, choose a board certified vein doctor who specializes in minimally invasive varicose vein treatments in California.
8. Thick Veins or Engorged Veins: Is Treatment Difficult?
While varicose veins are thicker than spider veins or broken capillaries, they too can be treated with small, minimally invasive devices that don’t require surgery, hospitalization, or general anesthesia. Our exceptional team employs tiny needles, fibers, and catheters to precisely position treatment at the origin of the issue, using Duplex Ultrasound guidance. As such, we don’t use large incisions or stitches, and we treat the vein inside the body, rather than extracting it. Whether you have large varicose veins or tiny spider veins, our treatments are done in under 30 minutes, and you can resume your regular routine immediately.
9. Is There a Varicose Veins Pregnancy Treatment Available?
While varicose veins commonly occur during pregnancy, they should not be treated during pregnancy. Since the fetus is supplied by your blood vessels, and our treatments are injected into veins, there is insufficient research on the safety of such procedures while pregnant.
However, you should meet with our vein doctors to assess your venous health during pregnancy and help ward off complications like blood clots. We’ll recommend things you can try at home like compression stockings, leg elevation, and limitations on sitting or standing for long periods of time to reduce symptoms while you await treatment.
10. Ruptured Vein, Blood Clot: When Are Symptoms Urgent?
The common symptoms we discussed at the start of this article are not emergency symptoms, however, they do warrant a visit to a vein center in California. As discussed, symptoms and disease severity aren’t always correlated, so seek treatment early to avoid unnecessary complications.
Seek medical attention more promptly for less the common symptoms we listed, like slow-healing wounds (venous ulcerations), hyperpigmentation (discoloration of the skin), and rashes like stasis dermatitis or venous eczema, to prevent permanent scarring, infection, or discoloration.
Symptoms that require immediate care include chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, skin that suddenly becomes red, hot, and painful, or bleeding that’s hard to control. For these emergency symptoms, head to the ER to rule out a heart attack, ruptured vein, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or other serious vascular issue. For non-urgent symptoms, visit the caring doctors at any of our California vein centers.