The Kimmel Institute

Things You Didn’t Know About Vein Disease

Blog Author July 5, 2016

Vein Disease

Do you think you know all about vein disease? You might be missing some facts. Although vein diseases, such as varicose veins, are fairly common, so is misinformation about the conditions. Whether you have a vein issue or not, here are some facts you might not have known about vein disease.

Surprising Vein Disease Facts

Anyone Can Get It

People often assume that vein problems only affect older people or pregnant women. While age and pregnancy do increase your chance of developing varicose veins, the truth is that any one can develop a vein issue. Teenagers can have varicose veins or spider veins, as can middle-aged men. In fact, the conditions are so common that more than half of the population in the US has some type of vein problem.

Tanning Can Make It Worse

You might have heard that tanned skin can make spider veins and varicose veins less noticeable. While veins might be less visible on darker skin, lying in a tanning bed or spending time in the sun unprotected can actual make a vein problem worse. Exposure to UV rays breaks down your skin’s collagen, making it brittle and weak. When the skin is weaker, the veins are more likely to show through.

Don’t Worry About Crossing Your Legs

Another popular myth about varicose veins is that crossing your legs causes them or can make them worse. Fortunately for those who enjoy sitting with their legs crossed, that’s just not true. Varicose veins develop because of an issue with the vein itself, not because of your preferred sitting position.

What You Wear Can Make a Difference

Your clothing choices can help keep varicose veins from getting worse or can exacerbate the problem. For example, wearing high heels can be a problem for people with varicose veins, as the heel height can cause the veins not to pump blood as well as they should. You don’t have to throw out your heels, just save them for special occasions only. When it comes to treating vein problems, compression stockings are often the first option recommended. Compression stockings put gentle pressure up and down the leg, to help the blood flow better. They are specially sized and graded based on the amount of pressure a patient needs.

It’s More Than Just Varicose Veins

One last thing about vein disease: it’s much more than varicose and spider veins. Vein diseases include more serious medical conditions such as thrombophlebitis, or a blood clot, and phlebitis, inflammation of the veins. Peripheral venous disease occurs when the valves of the veins don’t close fully, causing the blood to pool. If you want to learn more about varicose veins and other vein diseases, as well as more about your vein treatment options, talk to a vein specialist today. The Kimmel Institute is a vein clinic in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Richard Kimmel offers a variety of vein treatments to patients suffering from a range of venous disease. To schedule an appointment, call 561-948-5560 today.

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