Do you have to deal with varicose veins? Most who have this condition don’t like their appearance and opt to seek treatment to get it corrected.
Varicose veins can be painful and make you feel self-conscious, but they have some other unexpected symptoms, like itching. Discover the causes of itchy varicose veins here.
What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are located under the transparent surface of the skin and are often described as blue squiggly lines that look unsightly and can be painful or itchy. Weak or damaged valve veins cause the appearance of varicose veins.
Arteries carry blood from your heart to the rest of the vital organs and tissues. Blood then gets recirculated through the veins, but the blood needs to work against gravity to get it back to your heart. These tiny return valves can weaken over time from being forced to travel upwards back towards your core.
When the valves get stressed like this, they tend to twist and stretch, which leads to varicose veins.
What Are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins?
Various symptoms affect people in different ways. These symptoms include:
- Heavy feeling in your legs
- Pain from standing long periods of time
- Discoloration of the skin
- Itching in areas where varicose veins are present
- Veins that have a dark purple or bluish color
What Causes Itchy Varicose Veins?
When the blood trickles back into the return veins, the blood gets stuck and pools in little pockets that are caused by varicose veins.
This “used” blood that gets caught in the veins contains different toxins, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. The longer these toxins linger, the more likely they’ll disintegrate and deposit into the muscle and skin tissue.
When these toxins enter your skin from varicose veins, it causes inflammation and itching. If not treated, the itching will eventually turn into tenderness and pain in the area.
What Are Treatment Options for Itchy Varicose Veins?
There are many types of ways you can treat itchy varicose veins.
Treatments can include:
- Wearing compression socks
- Using moisturizers
- Steroid treatments
- Massage therapy
- Chiropractic therapy
- Laser treatment
Learn more about treatment options and what can work for you.
You Don’t Have to Live With Itchy Varicose Veins
Varicose veins can be an unsightly nuisance, but they can also affect your everyday life. When it gets to the point where you develop itchy varicose veins, you need to seek treatment so it doesn’t turn into varicose eczema, a more advanced painful version of varicose veins.
You also carry the risk of your varicose veins contributing to other forms of diseases, such as restless leg syndrome, thrombosis (blood clots), or skin ulcers. Don’t take the risk of making things worse and make sure you seek treatment before you get more symptoms!
If you found this article helpful, make sure you give this a share on social media!