This is our new section on vein disease. Please take a moment to review these informative topics.
The content on this site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for a medical opinion. Please consult your physician prior to making any treatment decisions.
Causes:
The development of vein disease is a complex phenomenon. Veins have one-way valves that allow blood to return to the heart from the legs. When one or more of the valves does not close properly, or leaks, blood flows in the wrong direction and towards the feet. This tends to overfill and distend the veins of the leg.
Leaky valves occur anywhere in the leg, but many of the causes of varicose veins are due to leaky valves in the groin or behind the knee. At both of these locations, is an important valve that allows blood to go from the superficial saphenous veins (or the veins on the skin) into the deep veins (or the veins deep in the leg).
Over time, as the valves leak, the veins of the leg distend with blood and become larger and "baggy". This pooling of blood leads to a process called venous insufficiency. The vein becomes dilated and becomes visible.
Abnormal veins may also develop when venous return to the heart is impaired for any reason. This may be due to heart failureand in patients who have had blood clots. There is also a familial tendency as well as a predisposition in women to develop venous disease. These two factors cannot be controlled.
Abnormal veins may also be seen in patients who have had children,have occupations that require prolonged standing (and occasionally sitting) and in patients that are overweight. Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy also play a role in the development or worsening of venous disease.
Venous insufficiency is very common and can be seen in up to 50% of women and 30% of men.
The content on this site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for a medical opinion. Please consult your physician prior to making any treatment decisions.
Varicose Veins and Spider Veins:
There are two types of abnormal veins. These are spider veins and varicose veins. Spider veins or telangiectasias are red, blue or purple and are located just below the skin surface. Varicose veins are usually deeper in the skin and are usually larger. Often patients will have spider veins or telangiectasias due to venous insufficiency in the greater or lesser saphenous veins or other veins called reticular veins. Treating the spider veins alone will not lead to a permanent removal of these veins without treatment of the cause of their development.
The content on this site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for a medical opinion. Please consult your physician prior to making any treatment decisions.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of venous insufficiency include leg aches, cramps, heaviness, swelling and tiredness. With severe disease, there is a brownish discolouration of the skin and the formation of open sores or ulcers and bleeding. Not all patients will be symptomatic however, and often patients will seek treatment for cosmetic results alone.
The content on this site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for a medical opinion. Please consult your physician prior to making any treatment decisions.
The development of vein disease is a complex phenomenon. Veins have one-way valves that allow blood to return to the heart from the legs. When one or more of the valves does not close properly, or leaks, blood flows in the wrong direction and towards the feet. This tends to overfill and distend the veins of the leg.
Symptoms of venous insufficiency include leg aches, cramps, heaviness, swelling and tiredness. With severe disease, there is a brownish discolouration of the skin and the formation of open sores or ulcers and bleeding. Not all patients will be symptomatic however, and often patients will seek treatment for cosmetic results alone.