Varicose veins negatively affect the appearance of the legs as they appear as swollen, enlarged bluish or dark purple veins and they often become bulging and twisted in appearance which makes the leg unsightly and may be a source of inconfidence for the female patients making them avoid their preferred feminine dresses and skirts.
Unfortunately varicose veins could be complicated with skin changes which adds on the cosmetic disfigurement of the varicose veins themselves. Moreover, those skin changes burdens the symptoms of the varicose veins and could be very irritating for the patients.
Now we are going to highlight the causes beyond the skin changes accompanying varicose veins and their symptoms so the patient would be aware once they appear and pay attention to them.
 
Varicose veins negatively affect the appearance of the legs as they appear as swollen, enlarged bluish or dark purple veins and they often become bulging and twisted in appearance which makes the leg unsightly and may be a source of inconfidence for the female patients making them avoid their preferred feminine dresses and skirts.
Unfortunately varicose veins could be complicated with skin changes which adds on the cosmetic disfigurement of the varicose veins themselves. Moreover, those skin changes burdens the symptoms of the varicose veins and could be very irritating for the patients.
Now we are going to highlight the causes beyond the skin changes accompanying varicose veins and their symptoms so the patient would be aware once they appear and pay attention to them.
 
Itchiness could be one of the first symptoms that patients notice on the skin surface. This could be overlooked by many patients and they might think that itchiness is due to dry skin.
>> But why could varicose veins cause itching?!
The answer lies in knowing the role of veins in the body and how varicose veins develop. Veins carry the blood back to the heart through one-way valves in one direction only against gravity without back flow with the help of surrounding muscles contraction. If there are problems with the one way valves or the muscles or the blood itself, this will lead to stagnation of blood within veins which accordingly leads to weakening of the vein walls and appearance of varicose veins. This means that the veins of the legs will not be working as efficiently as before, which allows the blood with toxins to accumulate resulting in skin irritation and ITCHY skin !
 
Skin around varicose veins begin to feel tight around the lower leg as a result to edema because of the poor circulation. This tightness may progress to hardening of the skin. Color changes may also occur where skin transforms from red to brown.
These changes indicate that there are not enough nutrients being delivered to the skin and tissue making them less healthy.
 
These skin changes make the skin more vulnerable to injuries. The smallest scratches and scrapes can lead to much bigger sores which are difficult to heal.
That’s why varicose veins patients have to keep an eye on their legs and watch out for any slight skin changes in order to prevent the other possible complications.
And what is better is to treat the varicose veins before being problematic and to avoid the skin changes that become source of discomfort and irritation to the patients.
At iVein we offer different modalities of minimally invasive treatment that allow us to choose the perfect treatment for your case and avoid all the hazardous complications of varicose veins.
 
Patients who have varicose veins, spider veins or other signs of venous insufficiency experience night-time muscle cramps more frequently, they always question if varicose veins could be the reason behind this?!
Night-time muscle cramps are actually more frequent in varicose veins patients and occur more commonly in the calf muscle and especially at night. One study showed that 67% of varicose veins patients reported muscle cramps compared to 53% of people who don’t have varicosities. In varicose veins patients,91% of these cramps occurred in the calf compared to 75% of those without varicose veins reporting calf cramps .
The exact explanation for why patients with varicose veins can suffer from these cramps is not fully understood. However, the suggested explanations include that varicose veins are damaged enlarged veins leading to leakage of blood that lacks oxygen and high in toxins and when they build up in the muscle they make them more prone to cramping.
Also, the limb circulation may be disturbed due to leg venous hypertension which could be a cause behind the relation between varicose veins and muscle cramps.
Exercise is important for preventing and relieving muscle cramps because it boosts the circulation and prevents build up of toxins in the leg. Once muscle cramps occur, the patients have to try stretching and massaging the affected muscles. A warm bath may also help the muscle relax. Eating food rich in magnesium like