Varicose veins are far from uncommon — they affect more than one-third of people in the United States. While these bulging veins are certainly not welcome from a cosmetic standpoint, they can also come with some uncomfortable symptoms that range from an annoying itch to a dull and nagging pain.
If you have a bulging varicose vein that’s hurting, the experienced vascular team here at Upper East Side Cardiology and the Vein Institute, under the direction of Dr. Satjit Bhusri, wants to outline a few of the possible causes behind your symptoms.
A common side effect of varicose veins is itchiness around the bulging vein. While this might not qualify as pain, it can if you scratch too much or too hard or if the skin develops a sore.
In most cases, this itchiness can be traced back to venous stasis dermatitis, a condition that affects between 15 and 20 million people in the US over the age of 50.
With venous stasis dermatitis, the blood that’s pooling in your lower leg and pushing your vein to the surface can also leak out of the blood vessel due to the pressure. As a result, this additional fluid in your tissue puts pressure under the surface of your skin, which can lead to a rash and inflammation.
Venous stasis dermatitis can be uncomfortable, and it can get to the point where a sore develops, which can certainly be painful and needs medical attention.
When you have varicose veins, you likely have some degree of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which affects up to 30% of the adult population. With CVI, blood flow back up to your heart isn’t as efficient because of weak one-way valves in your veins that aren’t closing all the way, allowing blood to pool in your legs.
This additional fluid in your lower legs can press up against your muscles and nerves and lead to cramping, though some people have also described it as burning, aching, or a feeling of heaviness in their leg(s).
Another potential culprit behind your discomfort is superficial thrombophlebitis, which is when a blood clot forms in the vein. Signs of superficial thrombophlebitis include:
As the name suggests, superficial thrombophlebitis occurs in a surface vein, which means the blood clot isn’t as dangerous as one that forms in one of your deeper veins.
At the end of the day, our view on veins that cause discomfort is that any time pain is involved, it’s worth your while to have us evaluate the issue and get you on the road to relief.
To get started, you can request an appointment online at our New York City office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan or you can call us at (212) 752-3464.
