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OVER 50 PERCENT of the American adult population suffers from some sort of vein problem with their legs. If you have immediate family members who have had varicose veins or spider veins then the odds go up even further. Some of us who have a very strong family history have an 80-90 percent likelihood that we will suffer from venous disease at some point in our lifetime. Vein problems do seem to be more prevalent in women but we see varicose veins and significant venous reflux in men all of the time. In general, although men are a little less concerned about the cosmetic issues than women, their symptoms and findings certainly warrant evaluation and intervention when indicated just the same.

Many people consider spider veins and varicose veins a cosmetic inconvenience only. Nothing could be further from the truth! Most people that we see that have these findings have them for a reason. That reason is something that we call superficial venous reflux disease. Superficial venous reflux is a disease process that affects the hundreds of little one-way valves that are normally seen in the leg veins. The presence in leg veins of one-way valves is the thing that assures that blood travels upward, against gravity and back toward the heart. Genetics, pregnancies and several other things may work together to make leg veins dilate with time. As the vein dilates, the one-way valves no longer function properly and blood actually starts flowing downward, in the wrong direction. This downward flow of blood leads to pooling and increased pressure throughout the venous system of each leg. The constant increase in pressure is then transmitted outward, more superficially and that is what leads to the dilatation of the more superficial venous vessels that we then see on our skin. The dilated superficial veins we see are spider veins and varicose veins. This constant downward pressure can also lead to more serious changes such as skin discoloration that becomes permanent, drying and rash formation and even chronic ulceration that can lead to infection and gangrene.

Spider veins and varicose veins are just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem often times lies beneath the surface of the skin and away from our visual scrutiny. So, spider veins and varicose veins are not just a cosmetic problem and if one suffers from these findings it’s best to be evaluated fully by a board certified vascular surgeon who specializes in vein care. The good news is that modern day vein care is nearly painless and can be accomplished fully with in-office, minimally invasive procedures that result in no down time and can be nearly 100 percent effective.

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