Are Varicose Veins Dangerous?

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Varicose veins rarely pose a serious risk to your health although they can cause discomfort. In many cases, varicose veins do not cause any problems but in others, there can be aching, pain, heaviness, and discomfort. Usually symptoms can be managed easily using diet, physical exercise, and compression stockings. However, they can develop into more serious conditions, which require more radical treatment such as the removal or closure of the varicose vein through surgery, scleotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, or laser treatment.

Discomfort Caused By Varicose Veins

The discomfort caused by varicose veins is usually manageable and does not pose any danger to your health. However sometimes this discomfort can have a negative impact on your life, for example if it is preventing you from doing activities such as walking or exercise, or is affecting your sleep patterns. If this is the case than you should talk to your doctor about treatment. Although the discomfort is not dangerous, you should not allow yourself to be in pain as this can have further negative effects on your physical and mental well- being.

Bleeding Caused By Varicose Veins

Although they do not normally bleed, when hit or injured varicose veins can lead to significant blood loss. This is not normally dangerous but you should seek immediate medical care if you cannot stop the bleeding. To stop the bleeding you should elevate the affected area applying pressure directly to it. If this does not work, you should see a doctor immediately to prevent complications from developing.

Blood Clots Caused By Varicose Veins

Varicose veins can cause blood clots to develop in the superficial veins. These are not usually dangerous but can cause redness, firmness, tenderness, heat, pain, and swelling. If you believe that you have a superficial blood clot you should see a doctor to prevent further complications from arising. One of the main risks of superficial blood clots is that they can cause infection, which can lead to intense pain. This should be treated immediately with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading through the blood.

Sores or Ulcers Caused By Varicose Veins

Varicose veins can cause sores or ulcers to develop around them. They are caused by the build up of blood in the vein, which leads to fluid leaking through and pooling under the skin. Eventually this fluid causes the skin to break creating a hard, painful crater of exposed flesh. Skin ulcers can be dangerous if they are not treated as they can become infected, which can lead to blood poisoning or gangrene. If you think that you are developing a varicose ulcer, you should seek immediate treatment to prevent the risk of infection.

Varicose Veins and Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis is the development of a blood clot in the deep veins. This cannot be caused by varicose veins, which only affect the superficial veins closer to the skin’s surface. However, it can lead to varicose veins, or be brought on by the treatment of varicose veins. Deep vein thrombosis can cause pain, warmth and a pulling feeling in the calf as well as redness and swelling of the affected limb. Deep vein thrombosis can be a serious condition, which can lead to death if the cloth breaks off and enters the lungs. Signs of this include breathlessness, chest pain, and sudden collapse. If you believe that this may have happened you should call the emergency services for immediate treatment.

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