Are Varicose Veins a Health Concern?

When you think of varicose veins, you probably think of them as nothing more than a cosmetic blemish, but that’s not the whole story. Varicose veins relay important information about your vein health.

Varicose veins indicate a problem with the venous side of your circulatory system and are a warning sign for later stages of vein disease with many more complications.

At Northwest Houston Heart Center, Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman are concerned about your circulatory health, including the varicose veins on your legs and ankles. Here, the team explains why varicose veins are problematic and what you can do about them.

Problematic veins

Your circulatory system forms a closed loop through which blood and numerous substances travel. The arteries are the conduits that take blood and nutrients from the heart and deliver them to the body’s tissues. The veins are the conduits that take the deoxygenated and depleted blood back to the heart.

The veins have the harder job, because they have to push the blood upward against gravity. To prevent backflow, they’ve developed some workarounds. First, the muscles in the calves and thighs tighten, squeezing the veins and forcing the blood forward. Second, a series of one-way valves snap closed after the blood passes by, preventing backflow.

The problem comes when, usually due to high blood pressure, the delicate valves become damaged and no longer close fully. That allows some blood to flow backward and overall blood flow to become sluggish. The superficial leg veins swell, appearing twisted, ropy, and colored on the legs and ankles — varicose veins.

This initial stage of sluggish flow is called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), since the blood is insufficient to nourish the tissues.

While, by themselves, varicose veins can be more of a cosmetic problem, they can lead to the formation of clots in the blood vessels deep in the legs, a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

But more can occur: Clots may break away from the vein walls, travel through the body, possibly ending up in the lungs. There, they cause a life-threatening emergency called a pulmonary embolism.

Later stages of vein disease

All forms of vein disease can lead to edema, or fluid buildup in the legs; as the disease progresses, the edema can get worse.

When blood collects in the lower legs or, sometimes, in the arms, it’s called venous stasis dermatitis. This pooling (known as stasis) may be due to CVI. The pooled blood — and other fluids — leak from the veins, creating pressure on the skin from the inside.

You also experience yellowish-orange-brown spots known sometimes as cayenne pepper spots. This colored substance is hemosiderin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin.

You may notice:

• Itchy skin (pruritus)
• Discolored (yellowish-brown) skin
• Red, scaly, or thick patches
• Tender or painful areas

If you don’t get prompt treatment, venous stasis dermatitis can lead to leg and foot ulcers, slow-healing sores that appear on the ankles and legs. Diabetics are at high risk for non-healing sores when their blood sugar isn’t well controlled. And when the ulcer causes severe tissue loss or a life-threatening infection, an amputation may be the only treatment.

So, are varicose veins a health concern? Yes, they are, because they represent a bodily state that can’t function as well as it needs to. Fortunately, there are treatments for these engorged vessels that decrease your risk for the later stages of disease.

To learn more about varicose veins, or to schedule a consultation at Northwest Houston Heart Center, give us a call at one of our locations — in The Woodlands, Magnolia, Cypress, or Tomball, Texas — text us at 832-402-9518, or book online with us today.