Leaky Veins
What are Leaky Veins
Of all the things you may think about when you think about what’s happening inside your body, leaky veins likely aren’t one of them. At Fox Vein & Laser Experts, your South Florida Vein Removal experts in Miami, we’re here to report that leaky veins are not only a real thing – they’re common.
In fact, leaky veins could be affecting you right now – and you wouldn’t even know it.
“Leaky veins” are another term for chronic venous insufficiency or vein disease. When your veins aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do –move blood back up to your heart – vein disease sets in. Valves within the veins of the legs help prevent the backflow of blood or pooling. The most common causes of venous insufficiency are previous cases of blood clots, genetics, and varicose veins.
Leaking Varicose Veins
In varicose veins, the valves are often impaired or the veins are stretched out, and blood leaks back through the damaged valves.
Hence the term “leaky.”
Here are a few commonly asked questions about leaking varicose veins to help you determine what may or may not be happening with your body.
How do I know if I have leaky veins?
Leaky veins or vein disease start to manifest on your skin long before you realize that there is a bigger, more urgent matter brewing beneath the surface. Some of the initial symptoms of venous disease include:
Leg swelling
discolored ankles
Itchy, scaly skin
Throbbing or aching in the legs
The presence of varicose or spider veins
ulcers
Are leaky veins dangerous?
Vein disease, if left untreated, can mean a number of complications you’d rather not deal with. Besides the obvious and the ugly effects of venous disease, like bulging varicose veins and patches of purplish-red spider veins, much more critical things can happen such as skin breakdown, ulcers, and rarely blood clots.
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is what happens when a clot forms within a vein. With this, you are at risk for a pulmonary embolism which in many cases can end up being fatal. How would you know if you have DVT? Experiencing any of these symptoms is a sure-fire giveaway that something is brewing within those veins:
– Legs that are suddenly swollen and/or tender
– Redness in legs
– Legs that are warm to the touch
What are some of the symptoms of leaky veins?
Knowledge is power and knowing that you have a problem lurking within your veins is the first step to treating it. This is precisely why we educate our patients to look out for any, all, or a combination of the following symptoms when trying to assess whether leaky veins or venous disease has begun playing a role in their lives:
swelling of the legs or ankles (edema)
pain that gets worse when you stand and gets better when you raise your legs
aching, throbbing, or a feeling of heaviness in your legs
itchy legs
thickening of the skin on your legs or ankles
skin that is changing color, especially around the ankles
varicose veins
a feeling of tightness in your calves
What causes leaky veins?
There is no one way to cause venous insufficiency. Vein disease is most commonly caused by genetics causing varicose veins or blood clots, but there are a host of risk factors that can contribute to your venous insufficiency. These risk factors include:
Obesity
Masses
Leg injury
Family history
Is there an effective way to treat leaking varicose veins?
Yes! At Miami vein center, we pride ourselves on finding the best course of treatment Varithena for your overcoming venous disease. Contact us today to get on the road to vein disease recovery!