Ugly veins indicate the presence of Venous Disease. If someone you know has such veins they need not feel lonely, for there are more than 80 million Americans who have this problem.
The underlying cause of Venous Disease is high pressure in the venous system. This is another form of high blood pressure. But this pressure is in the vessels that return blood to the heart [the veins] and not in the vessels that your doctor measures with a blood pressure cuff. Those are the arteries that carry the blood to the tissues.
Risk Factors Associated with Venous Disease
We know that if you have Venous Disease or are at risk for developing this condition [venous high blood pressure] then you probably have factors that lead to this problem. These factors are called risk factors.
Inherited Risk Factors:
- Family History of Varicose Veins
- Female gender
- Height
- Family History of other blood disorders
- Vascular malformation
Acquired Risk Factors:
- Age
- # of births/pregnancies
- Lower extremity trauma
- Previous blood clot
- Long hours upright
Understanding Symptoms and Conditions of Venous Diseases
Naturally, many questions come to mind. Is this condition dangerous? Can it be treated? Can it be prevented?
This condition is generally not life-threatening. Rarely, blood clots formed in large veins can migrate to the lungs and cause death. For the most part, however, the main danger from Venous Disease is in the form of symptoms and conditions, including lost revenue from work days missed due to symptoms and conditions.
So what are the symptoms and conditions?
- Pain
- Leg fatigue
- Leg heaviness
- Swelling
- Itching
- Scaling
- Inflammation [dermatitis]
- Burning
- Tingling
- Night cramps
- Restless legs
- Aching
- Varicose Veins
- Blue Veins
- Spider Veins
- Phlebitis [vein inflammation]
- Pigmentation [brown stains]
- Ulcers
The list is quite long and patients may have one or more of these associated with their Venous Disease. What to do if you have this problem or are at risk for developing Venous Disease?
In part 2 of our series, we will discuss both Treatment and Prevention of Venous Disease.
Dr. Robert Ruess is a venous disease expert and is certified by the American Board of Phlebology. Speak with Dr. Ruess about your vein health by scheduling a consultation at Five Star Vein Institute. Visit www.fivestarvein.com to find more information.