It’s upsetting when bulging, twisted, varicose veins appear, but it’s even more distressing if they suddenly worsen. And for good reason. In addition to affecting your appearance, more noticeable veins are red flags of an underlying vein disease.
If you have any questions about varicose veins, especially if they worsen, Dr. Laura Fernandes and the Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute team can help with a comprehensive vein assessment and several effective treatments.
Here, we explore why your varicose veins may suddenly change and when to schedule a vein assessment.
Varicose veins develop when valves in the veins weaken, allowing blood to flow back down your leg instead of going up the leg to your heart.
When a valve weakens, blood refluxes until it reaches the next healthy valve. Then, it starts to build up in that vein segment.
The accumulating blood puts pressure on the valve and vein wall, eventually weakening the healthy valve. As the valve fails, blood flows further down the vein until it reaches the next strong valve. Then, blood starts accumulating in an additional part of the vein.
Your varicose veins look worse as they keep expanding and enlarging, causing a more extensive network of engorged, twisted veins.
These are the most common problems that aggravate varicose veins:
Being overweight places pressure on your abdomen. The high pressure slows blood flow from your leg veins into your abdomen. As a result, venous pressure in your legs increases, worsening varicose veins.
Prolonged time sitting or standing takes a significant toll on varicose veins. When sitting, your leg muscles are inactive, and there’s more pressure on your veins. As a result, blood flow is sluggish and the valves take on extra stress.
You may move when standing, which works the muscles. However, standing puts extra pressure on varicose veins as your legs support your body weight and gravity works against vein circulation.
You can avoid adding pressure to existing varicose veins by taking frequent breaks and walking for a few minutes. Stretching your legs and moving your feet while sitting will also improve blood flow.
Lack of exercise and excessive exercise may both contribute to expanding varicose veins. Your leg muscles are essential for pushing blood up the leg veins. That means you need enough leg movement and exercise to promote healthy circulation.
However, exercises that increase abdominal pressure cause the same problem as being overweight (increased venous pressure in the lower leg).
The activities most likely to negatively affect existing varicose veins include weightlifting, sit-ups, crunches, lunges, and yoga or other techniques requiring prolonged abdominal posturing.
The substances inhaled when smoking can damage vein walls and weaken valves. The cumulative effect of smoking may cause a sudden change in varicose veins. Or, you may notice a difference in the veins if you recently started smoking.
Pregnancy affects varicose veins for a different reason: hormones. Estrogen and progesterone levels rise during pregnancy. Both hormones relax vein walls, which helps the vessels to accommodate the increased blood volume during pregnancy.
The same changes also weaken valves. Weaker valves and increased blood volume can quickly lead to new or enlarged varicose veins.
Tight clothes and high heels seldom cause varicose veins, but they can irritate existing veins. Wearing tight clothes around your waist may worsen varicose veins by increasing abdominal pressure (like being overweight and sitting).
High heel shoes change your natural leg movement in a way that keeps calf muscles tight. When the muscles are continuously tight, they can’t efficiently push blood up the leg.
We recommend scheduling an evaluation when:
These are signs that the venous disease is progressing to an advanced stage, leading to complications like nonhealing ulcers and skin and bone infections.
We offer effective and long-lasting treatments for varicose veins. Call Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute today to schedule an appointment.
