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An estimated 40% of Americans live with chronic venous insufficiency. This condition occurs when the veins in the body are not working correctly due to vein damage or other underlying health conditions.
Veins are the railways of our bodies, working effectively to deliver deoxygenated blood throughout our body back to our heart. When there is damage to a vein, it can lead to various long-term vein issues and significant health conditions, like a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis.
At Virginia Vein Care, we believe that an informed patient can act quickly to identify and treat their vein-related issues to start feeling better sooner and avoid any complications caused by leaving vein conditions untreated.
5 Signs of Vein Damage
It is essential to understand the signs of vein damage. Vein damage can lead to severe or even life-threatening conditions without awareness or treatment.
Let’s explore five signs of vein damage that you should be aware of.
1. Spider or Varicose Veins
Often characterized as spiderweb-like veins on the lower legs and thighs, they are one of the first signs of vein damage. Aside from their shape, they are easily recognizable due to their blueish-purple hue. Varicose veins often bulge from the leg and can be felt raised from the skin.
They form when small valves within the veins of your legs stop working correctly, causing the blood to pool at the base of your legs due to the inefficiency to flow back upward toward the heart. The walls of the veins weaken over time, causing them to appear bulging on the skin’s surface.
2. Leg Swelling
Swelling in the legs, especially calves, is another sign of vein damage caused by fluid buildup.
Although the primary job of veins is to deliver blood back to the heart, they also work to bring nutrients and oxygen to vital organs and tissues throughout the body. Lastly, they take away waste and fluid for elimination from the body.
When veins are damaged or working inefficiently, the fluid within them cannot be transported as quickly, causing it to overfill the veins and swell the legs.
3. Itching
Leg irritation, such as itching, is a common symptom of vein damage to pay attention to. It is most often categorized as venous stasis dermatitis, a condition caused by fluid buildup in the lower legs because of poor circulation.
When veins are weakened or damaged, the fluid within them can sometimes leak into surrounding tissue, causing irritation to the skin above it, leading to itching.
4. Skin Discoloration
Although varicose veins are the most common cause of skin discoloration, appearing as purple or blue, fluid leakage around a damaged vein can also change the look of your skin, causing it to appear reddish or brown.
Any changes to your skin color, accompanied by other vein damage symptoms, should be evaluated by a vein specialist.
5. Leg Pain
When varicose veins or other vein-related conditions affect the legs, they often cause chronic leg pain. The direct cause of this is not enough oxygen, nutrients, and blood being delivered to the muscles and bones of the leg, resulting in pain. This symptom occurs most often after long periods of sitting or standing.
Accompanying symptoms include leg achiness or fatigue.
If you believe you’ve experienced vein damage and may be living with a vein condition or disease, you should get treated as soon as possible.
Comprehensive Vein Care Near You
Virginia Vein Care offers a wide range of minimally invasive treatment options to care for venous insufficiency. From varicose veins to deep vein thrombosis, our vein specialists are equipped to treat you and your vein-related conditions and diseases effectively. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, please visit a Virginia Vein Care location near you today.