How Serious is Vein Disease?

If you have recently been diagnosed with vein disease or venous disease, you may be wondering if it is a serious disorder that could dramatically impact your life. Unfortunately, answering that question isn’t as easy as people may think.

It is difficult to say whether vein disease is serious or not because it doesn’t just include one problem. In fact, the term venous disease is used to describe everything from varicose and spider veins to deep vein thrombosis, chronic venous insufficiency, and ulcers. All of these problems fall under the category of venous disease and they all have varying degrees of severity.

We will take a closer look at the severity of some of the more common types of venous diseases.

Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

Varicose and spider veins are probably the most common type of venous disease. Spider and varicose veins happen when the veins in your body become elongated, thickened, and twisted. When this happens, the veins become more visible and cause a variety of symptoms including pain, swelling, leg heaviness, and itching.

For the most part spider veins and varicose veins are considered a minor health problem. Even if you have symptoms associated with this venous disease, the symptoms are extremely easy to control.

While most cases of varicose veins and spider veins are minor, some cases can become severe. Severe cases of varicose veins can cause symptoms that are extremely painful, debilitating, and life altering.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic vein insufficiency happens when you experience difficulty with the blood flowing back to the heart. In a healthy individual, your body will circulate the blood down your leg and help it travel back up to the heart. This does not happen when you suffer from vein insufficiency.

The veins in the body of people who suffer from vein insufficiency are unable to carry the blood from the leg and back to the heart. This results in a pooling of the blood in the legs. When the blood pools it can cause extremely pain, swelling, and sometimes ulcers.

Chronic venous insufficiency can be frustrating, but it poses no serious risk to your health. People who suffer from this will experience varying levels of pain and may have difficulty walking, but it isn’t a serious health risk.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is an extremely serious health problem that can have fatal results if left untreated. People who suffer from DVT have a blood clot that developed deep within the veins of the leg. The blood clot, if left untreated, could break off and travel through the blood stream until it reaches the heart or lungs. Once it reaches the heart or lungs, it can cause an embolism which can cause anything from a heart attack or stroke to death.

Proper diagnosis of your venous disease is important so you can know how serious it is and get it properly treated. Visit Desert Vein Institute, a Las Vegas vein treatment center, to speak with one of our vein experts and to receive a proper diagnosis. Our doctors will assess your vein health and provide you with recommendations for vein treatment services that can help you. Call us today to schedule an appointment.