Are Varicose Veins Just Cosmetic or a Legitimate Health Concern?

Venous Reflux Disease is often the underlying cause of varicose veins. This progressive disease frequently forces both men and women to change their lifestyles particularly for individuals that are active but are now bothered by pain, soreness, swelling and other symptoms. With Venous Reflux, valves in the veins are damaged which causes blood to flow in the wrong direction leading to bulging veins near the surface of the skin. Although woman who are pregnant and seniors are more susceptible to vein disease, it affects men and woman of all ages with as many as 15% of men ages 40-79 suffering from venous disease, and more than 40% of men in their seventies are affected by varicose veins.

Clearly varicose veins are not just a cosmetic issue and can seriously hinder your quality of life. Because vein disease is progressive, if left untreated, it can lead to skin discoloration and even ulceration. The symptoms are similar for varicose and spider veins, but are typically more severe for varicose veins. Spider veins may cause minor burning or itching at the site whereas varicose vein symptoms include leg aches or cramps, a feeling of leg heaviness, burning, throbbing or tingling. Skin ulcers, especially in the ankle area, are not uncommon when varicose veins are particularly severe.

The best plan of action is to seek treatment at the first sign of vein disease. At Milligan Vein we seek to educate our patients on the causes of the varicose veins or other vein related symptoms and work together to determine the appropriate treatment option.