Veins Popping out on Legs: One Sign of Weak Vein Valves
Do you have varicose veins popping out on your legs? This is one likely sign that you have weak valves in leg veins beneath the surface. Veins are designed to pump blood in a singular direction- up to the heart. They are lined with tiny valves that close once blood passes through, to make sure it travels upward.
If a valve is weak or fails to close, blood flows in reverse, collecting beneath the valve. This causes the vein to swell and become engorged, resulting in varicose veins popping out on the legs at the surface of the skin. Click HERE to treat varicose veins and weak valves in leg veins at our award-winning California vein clinic. Read on to learn more about signs and symptoms of weak vein valves.
Broken Capillaries on Legs: Another Sign of Faulty Valves
There are three main types of blood vessels: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Arteries pump blood away from the heart to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Capillaries transport blood to the veins and veins pump it back to the heart. If you see clusters of red, blue, or purple blood vessels appearing on your legs that are not large and protuberant like varicose veins, these are most likely spider veins, or broken capillaries.
These can be caused by injury, such as sun damage or squeezing a pimple. But when they are found on the legs, spider veins are most often caused by the same malfunction that causes varicose veins. Leg veins must work against gravity to pump blood back to the heart, so valve failure is more common in the legs. If you have spider veins or broken capillaries on the legs, don’t assume it’s a cosmetic issue. Visit our Harvard-trained vein doctors in California to identify valve failure or vein disease.
Red Veins on Legs: Getting Rid of Them Involves Vein Valves
If you have bulging varicose veins or spidery red veins on the legs, getting rid of them involves addressing the health of your valves. If you have broken valves, simply treating the vein damage at the surface won’t provide lasting results. Until the valve is treated, blood will continue flowing in reverse and producing more spider veins and varicose veins. It’s important to choose a board certified vein doctor rather than a dermatologist or esthetician to treat varicose veins and spider veins, since vein doctors have the tools to locate and treat broken valves in your veins.
Bulging Veins in Upper Thigh: The Link to Weak Venous Valves
Those bulging veins in the upper thigh, calf, or pelvic area are unpleasant to see, but what you cannot see is the actual cause in deeper veins. The valve failure we’ve discussed is part of a common condition called Chronic Venous Insufficiency. This disease produces spider veins and varicose veins, but also several uncomfortable or even debilitating symptoms we’ll discuss below. If you’re debating whether to treat the appearance of bulging veins, remember that they’re often more than unsightly; they could also cause serious complications if left untreated.
Progressive Varicose Veins Stages: Symptoms That Develop
Some varicose veins don’t produce any symptoms, especially in the beginning. However, many patients develop frustrating symptoms, and some will even have debilitating and life-threatening complications of varicose veins. Here are some common symptoms to watch for and mention to your doctor.
- Leg heaviness
- Swelling in lower extremities
- Cramping and achiness in legs
- Discoloration or hyperpigmentation on lower limbs
- Restless sensations in legs
- Varicose veins or spider veins
- Ulcerations that won’t heal
- Venous stasis dermatitis or eczema
- Worse symptoms after sitting or standing for long periods
- Veins that bleed heavily with a skin abrasion
- Blood clot symptoms (hot, reddened, swollen area above the vein)
Do Men Get Varicose Veins: Why Valve Issues Affect Everyone
If you notice bulging veins, new clusters of veins, or any of the symptoms listed above, see a vein doctor. While spider veins and varicose veins are more common in women (due to hormonal factors that increase pressure in the veins), anyone can develop varicose or spider veins. They have a tendency to run in families and are more common as we age and in those who are overweight.
If both of your parents had spider or varicose veins, there’s a greater than 90% chance you will develop them too. The great news is, treating spider veins, varicose veins, and Chronic Venous Insufficiency is much easier than when your parents sought treatment. Today’s treatments include lifestyle adjustments like wearing compression stockings and minimally invasive procedures that are completed in-office in under 30 minutes! Traditional vein surgery is rarely necessary for vein damage or Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Varicose Veins & Spider Veins Treatment: When to Seek It
The sooner you seek treatment for varicose veins, spider veins, or Chronic Venous Insufficiency, the better the outcome will be. This is because, left untreated, CVI will continually produce additional symptoms and faulty veins. In addition, complications like venous ulcerations and hyperpigmentation are hard to treat and are avoidable when you seek treatment early.
Life-threatening complications like a blood clot, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism are also less likely when you treat vein damage early. Don’t wait around for more symptoms, varicosities, and complications to develop. Let us assess your venous anatomy and medical history to protect your vascular health. We treat veins with painless procedures you can complete within your lunch break!
Varicose Veins Pregnancy Treatment: When Repairs Should Wait
Varicose veins and spider veins often develop in conjunction with pregnancy, since blood volume increases during pregnancy and the expanding uterus puts pressure on pelvic veins. However, this is one time when you should wait to treat spider veins and varicose veins, since oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood are transferred to the fetus via the placenta. Visit our vein doctors during your pregnancy to make sure there are no urgent issues like blood clots, and we’ll design a treatment plan to address spider veins and varicose veins as soon as possible after delivery.
Thick Veins in the Neck or Face: When Valves Aren’t to Blame
Sometimes thick veins are simply enlarged, rather than varicose or engorged. This occurs during physical exertion or stress, when temperatures are high, and with certain hormonal shifts or medications. Thick veins that shrink to a normal size after these factors are removed are likely just temporarily expanded to accommodate extra blood volume, rather than expanded by Chronic Venous Insufficiency.
This is especially true if the thick veins are in your forehead, hands, neck, or other areas with thinner skin and minimal fat to hide the veins. However, thick veins in the legs are more indicative of vein disease, particularly when they are tortuous or symptomatic. Ask our California vein specialists whether your thick veins spell trouble, or if they’re simply expanding to do their job.
Engorged Veins Treatment: Why It’s More Than Skin Deep
When veins are engorged with excess blood, the problem is more than skin deep. Dermatologists and estheticians treat surface veins with cosmetic treatments like topical lasers. However, varicose veins and spider veins that stem from valve failure require treatment at the source as well. Otherwise, treatment is only temporary at best, and it won’t prevent bothersome symptoms or additional spider veins and varicose veins from developing.
Our renowned vein experts use Duplex Ultrasound to locate the origin of your vein damage and close off faulty valves. We use ultrasound imaging to not only locate the issue, but also position the treatment directly at the vein’s walls, enabling us to treat veins and vein disease with tiny needles and catheters, rather than surgical incisions. If you don’t treat the underlying disease, your treatment won’t be a success. So, choose qualified vein doctors at an accredited vein center for optimal results.
Best Treatment for Varicose Veins in Legs: Treat Valves Too
The best treatment for varicose veins in legs is one that treats weak valves in leg veins too. This is usually a minimally invasive procedure that closes off faulty pathways and reroutes blood into veins that can pump it back to the heart, rather than allowing blood to pool and produce telangiectasias and varicosities. If you want your varicose veins to vanish and no new ones to appear, the best solution is to address any weak valves in your veins. By preventing blood from flowing in reverse, circulation is restored and visible damage disappears.
What Can Get Rid of Varicose Veins: Lasting Vein Treatments
Minimally invasive treatments that yield long-term results include sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, endovenous laser ablation, vein adhesives, and mechanochemical ablation. These are all completed without general anesthesia or hospitalization and done in well under an hour. There is no downtime involved and most patients achieve comprehensive insurance coverage for their treatment. Call us today to book rapid relief from vein damage and weak valves in your leg veins.