Varicose Veins

Treating Pelvic Varicose Veins

uti pain sitting on bed in bedroom Varicose veins can be an unsightly problem for many people. In most instances, varicose veins present themselves on the legs of those who suffer from them. Many treatments help patients deal with varicose veins in their legs, so finding varicose veins in unusual places, such as the pelvis can be unsettling.

While it may seem like pelvic varicose veins are challenging to treat, Suffolk Vein and Vascular has strategies to help address the issue to help you look and feel your best. Here are a few causes for pelvic varicose veins and how we can treat them.

Causes of Pelvic Varicose Veins

Pelvic varicose veins come as a surprise to many people and have several causes. One of the common reasons that pelvic varicose veins present themselves is from being overweight. Rapid weight gain can create additional pressure on the veins that surround the pelvis. The extra stress causes blood to pool in the veins, expanding and weakening the venous walls. After this, the enlarged veins become visible underneath the skin, presenting as pelvic varicose veins.

Another factor that can cause pelvic varicose veins is pregnancy. 

Pelvic varicose veins can present themselves during pregnancy for several reasons. Among the most common are the rapid weight gain and hormonal changes that expected mothers experience while carrying their unborn babies. Also, pregnant women can develop varicose veins from increased blood flow and additional pressure on the body’s most prominent vein, the inferior vena cava (IFC).

Other cases of pelvic varicose veins include genetics, prolonged sitting, and repeated pregnancies.

Treating Pelvic Varicose Veins

Pelvic varicose veins come with many symptoms, some of which can be debilitating enough to disrupt your quality of life. Although pelvic varicose veins are rarely life-threatening, they can be uncomfortable. Symptoms of pelvic varicose veins can include

  • Mood Swings 
  • Fatigue
  • Severe pain during menstruation
  • Back pain
  • Vaginal discharge

If you suffer from pelvic varicose veins, our office is happy to help. We offer a minimally invasive procedure called embolization to eliminate unhealthy veins. The procedure eliminates the vein by injecting a solution that causes the diseased vein to collapse and be absorbed by the body slowly. Once this happens, healthy veins replace the diseased vein in circulation, restoring healthy blood flow.

An embolization procedure typically takes around 30 minutes to complete, allowing you to resume normal activities quickly. The results of an embolization procedure can vary, but many patients have a positive response to treatment.

If you want to learn more about embolization for your pelvic varicose veins, please reach out to our office. Schedule a consultation at one of our 3 locations by calling us today at (631) 476-9100.

Are Varicose Veins a Sign of Poor Health?

Zoomed image of varicose veins Before and after treatment. If you have started noticing varicose veins on your legs, you may wonder why you have them and what they might mean about your general health. These bulging, ropey veins are caused by blood backing up in a part of a vein, after all, so they must indicate a problem with circulation. Many people with varicose veins have these questions. Here, we touch on the relationship between these veins and health.

What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are known for their appearance, mostly. However, they aren’t much unlike the tiny spider veins that many people develop around the ankles, knees, or other parts of the legs. In a perfect circulatory system, oxygenated blood is carried to all parts of the body via a system of arteries. The veins are vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the lungs and heart. The veins must work against gravity, and they do so via a series of one-way valves. Contractions of the calf muscles also facilitate the upward movement of blood out of the lower legs. If the valves fail, blood cannot exit the vein effectively. Some of the blood backs up and pools in a section of the vein. Once the pooling begins, it tends to continue and worsen over time. This is why, at first, varicose veins may look discolored or slightly puffy but, over time, become long, twisted ropes of swollen vessels.

There are a few risk factors that make some people more susceptible to varicose veins. These include:

  • Family history. If  Mom, Dad, or a grandparent or sibling has vein conditions, the chances are higher of developing varicose veins.
  • XX chromosomes. Women are more likely to develop varicose veins as a result of their regular hormonal shifts.
  • Pregnancy. When pregnant, a woman’s blood vessels are under more pressure. Also, she is experiencing significant fluctuations in the hormone progesterone, which can loosen soft tissues in preparation for birth.
  • Injury. Specifically, injury to the lower legs can increase the risk of developing varicose veins.
  • Sitting or standing for too long. The valves in the veins work more efficiently when we regularly move our calf muscles. We do not do this when we sit or stand, so the blood moves less efficiently.
  • Age and weight are additional risk factors. However, they can be mitigated with regular exercise and effective weight management.

What Do Varicose Veins Say about Health?

Varicose veins can feel unnerving not only because they are protruding and cosmetically noticeable, but also because, as they get worse, they can cause uncomfortable symptoms. We should mention, too, that a varicose vein doesn’t have to be visible to be symptomatic. Whether it can be seen or not, this impaired vein can ache, burn, itch, sting, or cause cramping or heaviness in the leg. But do these symptoms mean anything about your overall health? Fortunately, in most cases, the answer is no. Varicose veins don’t mean that your circulation is generally poor or that you have higher risks for cardiovascular problems. This is good news, but it also doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something to reduce your risk of getting more varicose veins if you can.

Managing Vein Health

First, if you have painful or cosmetically troubling varicose veins, you can get them treated. At Suffolk Vascular and Vein Center, we regularly perform vein treatments to eliminate varicose veins. Alongside proper clinical care, people with varicose veins are strongly encouraged to lose weight if they are currently overweight, to eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly. Walking is an excellent form of exercise to work against the risk factors for varicose veins.

We are proud to provide outstanding, patient-centered care at our facilities in Hauppauge, Port Jefferson Station, and Riverhead, NY. To schedule your consultation for varicose vein treatment, contact us today.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

iStock 541269710 1 Enlarged, twisted, ropey veins are known as varicose veins. They can occur anywhere in your body but are most often seen in the legs. The source of varicose veins is increased pressure that arises when the blood doesn’t get pumped effectively back toward the heart.

Blood is pumped away from your heart and out to the rest of your body. The blood is recirculated by veins that pump the blood back to your heart. In your legs, the veins have to work against gravity to get the blood flowing up to the heart. Valves in the veins open to allow the blood to pass through and then close to prevent it from flowing backward. When these valves are damaged or weakened, some blood may flow backward and pool in the veins. This pooling of blood increases pressure and pushes against the walls of the vein, which then become visible as bulging, dark, twisted veins beneath your skin.

There are several risk factors that may contribute to the development of varicose veins:

  •         Family history
  •         Obesity or being overweight
  •         Pregnancy
  •         Getting older
  •         Long and repeated periods of standing in one place or sitting

Varicose veins may cause symptoms including pain, throbbing, itching, and the sensation of heaviness in your legs. But some people with this issue experience no symptoms at all other than the cosmetic drawback of dark blue or purple, twisted, visible veins. The pooling of blood may lead to swollen ankles and blood clots. If you are concerned, you should see your doctor who may recommend that you visit one of our vascular specialists. Relief from varicose veins is possible. Not only can you restore the appearance of your legs, but you can also eliminate the health-related issues associated with blood pooling in your veins.

If you are experiencing varicose veins, effective treatment options are available. The next step is to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced vascular surgeons and specialists in Port Jefferson, Hauppauge, or Riverhead, NY. To arrange your visit, please contact us today. We look forward to helping you find relief from varicose veins.

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