What Causes Varicose Veins to Hurt?

Five Key Polnts for Treating Painful Varicose Veins

1. Use Compression Stockings

Wearing compression stockings is a non-invasive and effective way to improve blood flow and reduce leg pain. They are especially helpful during pregnancy and physical activity.

2. Engage in Regular Exercise and Leg Elevation

Daily movement and elevating your legs while sitting help reduce pressure in your veins and improve circulation, relieving pain and swelling.

3. Avoid Prolonged Sitting or Standing

Long periods of inactivity contribute to blood pooling in the legs. Taking breaks to move or shift positions helps minimize symptoms.

4. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Extra weight puts more pressure on your leg veins, so managing your weight can reduce symptoms and prevent further vein damage.

5. Consider Minimally Invasive Treatments

For more severe or persistent pain, procedures like sclerotherapy, laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, or VenaSeal can provide effective relief without surgery.

What Causes Varicose Veins to Hurt? Understanding the Pain and Relief

Millions of Americans are afflicted with the swollen and twisted veins known as varicose veins. This affliction stems from a condition called chronic venous insufficiency, when leg veins fail to allow blood to flow back up to the heart. At first, these enlarged veins are primarily a cosmetic concern when located near the skin's surface. However, as the disease progresses and more varicose veins develop as vein walls break down, patients begin to experience the painful symptoms that characterize varicose veins.

Yet, not all varicose veins bulge to the surface. Some varicose veins occur deep in the legs, hidden from view. Even though they are a common condition of leg pain, those with hidden varicose veins often have difficulty discovering the cause.

Common Symptoms of Painful Varicose Veins

Not all varicose veins cause symptoms. Furthermore, painful varicose veins may only occur under specific conditions, such as warm weather. At other times, patients experience other symptoms. These include:

• Itchy skin
• Skin ulcers
• Swollen legs, particularly around the ankles
• Swollen, twisted or bulging veins that are dark purple
• Thin, web-like veins close to the skin's surface
• Aching or heavy legs, particularly after long periods of sitting or standing
• Itching or burning sensation near the affected veins
• Restless legs or leg cramps, particularly at night

Varicose Veins Risk Factors

Those most at risk of varicose veins generally have a family history of vein disease. Pregnancy, obesity and other conditions can increase the risk. Women are more likely to develop varicose veins than men, especially during pregnancy. Other factors include prior injury or surgery in the legs, sedentary lifestyle, some medical conditions, and age.

By considering these factors, you can become equipped to prepare for potential varicose veins. Talking with a family member who has painful veins can be invaluable. Additionally, consider other risk factors to determine if you are at a higher risk of developing this condition.

Complications of Varicose Veins

When neglected, varicose veins can develop various complications, some of them life-threatening. Patients may have leg ulcers, which, when untreated, can burst, causing severe pain and a medical emergency. Other complications can significantly affect your quality of life. These can include:

• Skin ulcers
• Inflammation
• Blood clots deep inside the legs
• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), impairing blood flow to the heart

Managing Symptoms of Varicose Veins

Pooling in blood vessels is the primary cause of varicose vein pain. The lack of sufficient blood flow is also why your varicose veins are swollen. Conservative treatments to alleviate symptoms of varicose veins frequently involve measures to reduce pressure, such as regular exercise, elevating the lower legs while sitting, and maintaining a healthy weight. By managing common symptoms, you can reduce pain and discomfort, improve your quality of life, and reduce the risk of complications. Doctors also advise patients to avoid prolonged standing or sitting.

Wearing Varicose Veins Compression Stockings for Relief

One of the most common, non-invasive treatments for leg pain involves wearing compression stockings to improve blood flow and reduce discomfort. They are beneficial when worn during pregnancy to help reduce swelling. Patients can wear compression stockings during exercise and other physical activities to help relieve pressure on their leg veins.

Minimally Invasive Treatment Options

Medical professionals rarely recommend surgery, such as vein stripping, to remove varicose veins. However, surgery has minimal effectiveness, while the latest minimally invasive treatments have a high success rate.

Common in-office varicose vein removal procedures include:

• Sclerotherapy
• Endogenous laser ablation
• Radiofrequency ablation
• VenaSeal adhesive vein closure

Spider veins are smaller and usually have fewer or no symptoms. Most people want to get rid of them due to aesthetic reasons, but some spider veins can still cause noticeable symptoms. Spider vein treatments include sclerotherapy and laser treatments. If you have spider veins in your legs, you should have a vein doctor evaluate your situation, as some may be a sign of underlying vein problems.

Additional Issues Affecting Varicose Veins

Other factors can influence the severity of pain associated with varicose veins. When varicose veins are left untreated, they can affect other systems in the body, including the lymph system. The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in immune function by helping to transport and remove waste products. Varicose veins can damage the lymphatic system and lead to lymphedema, which causes swelling in the feet and toes. Patients with lymphedema sometimes develop cellulitis, a skin infection that inflames the soft tissues of the skin. Others may develop venous stasis dermatitis, characterized by leathery and ruddy-brown skin, sometimes accompanied by yellowish fluid seeping through the skin.

Dermatitis, an itchy, inflamed rash, can also develop from varicose veins. This condition can cause bleeding, skin ulcers or painful sores that can become infected.

Blood clots that develop near the surface of the skin result in a condition called superficial thrombophlebitis, causing pain and potentially leading to additional problems in the affected area.

Can I Prevent Varicose Veins?

If you have other family members with vein disease, it's virtually impossible to prevent varicose veins. You can maintain healthy veins by doing most of the previously mentioned measures to relieve symptoms. Additionally, you should avoid clothing that constricts your waist, groin, or legs. Not wearing high-heeled shoes or crossing your legs while sitting may also help prevent varicose veins from forming. Stop tobacco use, as smoking damages your veins and may cause varicose veins to develop more quickly.

Treating Varicose Veins with VIVAA

If you suspect you need medical treatment for varicose veins and need to take steps to alleviate symptoms, the professionals at our Seattle-area medical spa can help. We will perform a duplex ultrasound scan of your legs to confirm a diagnosis and discuss how varicose veins treatment can make your life better by contacting VIVAA today at 425-250-9999 or completing our online Request an Appointment form.