Scientific research over the years has established some of the major risk factors and possible causes that could lead to the occurrence of varicose veins. It is also known that this dermatology condition mostly affects adult women in different age groups.
During the initial consultation, the dermatologist will perform a detailed diagnosis of the varicose vein condition, evaluate the specific risk factors of the patient and try to determine the possible underlying causes of the development of these dysfunctional veins in the patient’s legs.
Based on this detailed assessment, the dermatologist will create a customized vein treatment plan. Texas Surgical Dermatology, led by board certified dermatologists Dr. Tri H. Nguyen and Dr. George Hughes III, provides varicose vein treatments to patients in Houston, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Texas, and surrounding locations in this area of the marvelous and unrivaled state of Texas.
Potential Causes
Health veins perform the function of transporting blood from different areas of the body to the heart. As the lower leg muscles go into contraction, the healthy veins pump blood back to the heart from there. To allow the blood to rush to the heart, the small vein valves open and then close to stop the reverse flow.
But aging and other factors may lead to the loss of elasticity in some of the veins. The vein valves may also become weak, leading to their inefficient performance. Legs are particularly affected by this condition. Therefore, the blood may start flowing back instead of going to the heart. This blood gets pooled in the malfunctioning veins, causing then to enlarge and become varicose.
The pooled blood has no oxygen, and as a result, the veins holding this blood become blue, purple or red in color. In addition to aging, which is a major cause of varicose veins, this dermatology condition can also occur in younger women during pregnancy.
The volume of blood increases during pregnancy, but the blood flow from legs to the pelvis goes down. This circulatory change is aimed at supporting the growing fetus, but it can have an undesirable side effect in terms of varicose veins.
During pregnancy a woman may develop varicose veins for the first time. If she already suffers from this condition, it may worsen during pregnancy. This can happen because the veins in the legs receive more uterine pressure. Hormonal changes during and after pregnancy may also contribute to the occurrence of varicose veins.
Risk Factors
The dermatologist will evaluate the following risk factors in a patient suffering from varicose veins:
Age
Aging effects will lead to wear and tear of the vein valves. Some of the valves in the leg veins may malfunction due to this wear and tear. Blood may collect in the vein instead of returning to the heart.
Sex
Varicose vein risk is much higher among females. Pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations, pre-menstruation and menopause common factors involved.
Heredity
Heredity can be a cause of varicose veins. If the condition runs in the family, the chances of getting this problem are higher. Terrific, prudent, and board certified dermatologists Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Hughes receive patients from Houston, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Texas, and nearby areas for varicose vein treatment.
For more information on procedures and treatments offered at Texas Surgical Dermatology PA please call 832.663.6566 or click here to contact our dermatologists. Helping patients in Houston, The Woodlands, Springs, Katy and other surrounding areas of Texas.
