Are Varicose Veins the Cause of Your Skin Condition?
Have you ever noticed the skin on your legs being itchy or red? Have they ever had unexplainable open wounds or sores?
Those could be a result of varicose veins or other venous insufficiencies. What’s normally thought of as a purely cosmetic issue can develop into something much more severe if left untreated.
In this article, we’ll go over what varicose veins are, how they might alter your skin, what happens if they are left untreated and ways to prevent skin irritation from happening as a result of venous insufficiencies.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are caused by blood pooling in the veins and are typically a result of weakened valves that can no longer transfer the blood from the legs back to the heart. If these veins or valves are weakened or damaged in any way the blood typically back flows and stays within the leg area, causing unsightly bluish, purple veins to appear.
When left untreated, these varicose veins can lead to much bigger problems than just a vein that is unpleasant to look at.
How varicose veins can alter your skin?
When varicose veins occur, fluid can begin to leak into the surrounding skin. This causes inflammation which leads to a lack of oxygen getting to that portion of the skin. The lack of oxygen then leads to swelling, redness, and itching because the skin dries out without oxygen.
Other common symptoms of vein related skin alterations include:
Site tenderness
A leathery texture to the skin
Sores that can worsen without treatment (these appear usually around the ankle)
Numbness
Relief upon elevation
Venous eczema (stasis dermatitis)
Leg heaviness
When left untreated for long periods, venous insufficiencies can lead to more severe conditions.
Severe Conditions
Venous Ulcers
This condition arises from not treating venous eczema. It develops into an open, unhealing wound. There are four stages to a venous ulcer.
Stage 1: The skin becomes red and inflamed and can often be confused for a bug bite or bruise due to the similarities in symptoms.
Stage 2: At this point, the wound may begin to leak fluid and becomes more discolored and inflamed. It may even result in the skin looking cracked.
Stage 3: The area around the wound begins to die and may leave white spots of dead skin. These may begin to heal only to open up again.
Stage 4: In this final stage, the wound is highly visible and will not heal on its own. Treatment needs to take place in order to combat it and prevent it from happening again. You should also keep it incredibly clean because the risk of infection rises the more open the wound becomes.
Prevention and Treatment
There are a multitude of ways in which you can prevent skin alteration from varicose veins including:
Lifestyle changes
Improving your diet and incorporating exercise that increases your overall blood flow are some of the most crucial steps you can take to prevent vein disease and the skin conditions related to them. This can be as simple as walking every day and buying more fruits and vegetables, which have many vein friendly properties. Elevating your legs is another super easy way to benefit your circulation.
Topical treatments
Many over the counter or prescription creams and ointments can be applied to relieve and treat vein related eczema.
Moisturizers
A number of over the counter or prescription moisturizers can help prevent the skin from becoming dry and flaky.
Compression stockings
These can help improve your circulation, which is one of the key factors in why people get vein diseases (poor circulation). When worn every day, they can boost the blood flow from your feet and ankles, making it easier to travel through the body.
Medical vein treatments
The only true way to fully relieve yourself of any skin irritation as a result of venous insufficiency is to see a vein specialist. While treatments that you do at home can be helpful, they are not enough. If you are worried for any reason, most treatment options are minimally invasive and take nearly no time at all to finish. They also require very little down time meaning you can get back to having healthy legs in no time.
No one knows more about keeping your legs healthy and beautiful than Dr. Mario Gonzalez and his team of vein professionals at Elmore Medical. Schedule a visit to see how much they can help you.
Elmore Medical Vein & Laser Treatment Center is the premier vein specialty medical practice in the Central Valley. Dr. Mario H. Gonzalez and his staff offer years of experience and medical expertise that you won’t find anywhere else. Contact us to set up a consultation appointment.