Where Are the Different Places You Can Get Varicose Veins?

You can think of varicose veins as a kind of plumbing problem in your circulatory system. When blood flows through your body, it slows down as it gets further away from the heart. Small valves in the veins keep the blood moving. When your valves fail, the blood can pool in one spot or even back up. Enlarged, bulging veins can result. 

Most people who complain about varicose veins have them in their legs. They often dislike the way the veins look, and they may experience pain, tired legs, and other symptoms. But varicose veins can appear almost anywhere in the body.  

Lower Legs and Feet

Varicose veins happen most often in the lower legs and feet. They can cause the legs to feel heavy or tired. Sometimes, varicose veins can cause more serious symptoms:

• Itchy, reddened skin
• A break in the skin that progresses to an ulcer
• A non-life threatening clot near the surface of the leg that causes inflammation
• A type of inflammation called phlebitis
• Poor circulation in the legs from a condition called chronic venous insufficiency

There are several options for dealing with varicose veins in the lower legs. 

• Management. Stay off your feet as much as possible and elevate your legs periodically. (You can get a special pillow for this purpose.) You can also wear gradient compression stockings, which squeeze the legs to keep the blood from pooling.
• Lifestyle changes. You can increase your chances of having healthy veins by making good lifestyle choices. Exercise can build up the muscles in the legs to better support the veins. Losing weight can take some pressure off your veins.  Eat foods that support vein health and get all the vitamins and minerals your body requires.
• Medical treatment. Doctors can remove or close up the problem vein. The blood will then travel a different route through the body. If the vein is sealed, the body will gradually absorb it, and the vein will disappear.

Upper Legs and Thighs

You are less likely to have varicose veins on the upper half of the legs, but they can occur, often because of pregnancy. An enlarged belly can put pressure on the upper legs. Also, blood volume increases during pregnancy, putting more stress on all the veins. Usually, swollen veins go away after the birth, but occasionally they linger.

Spider veins are common on the legs. These clusters of tiny visible veins are usually red, blue, or purple. Spider veins differ from varicose veins. They seldom cause symptoms, but some people have them treated for cosmetic reasons. They also can appear on the face.

Hands

You may have enlarged, bulging veins in the hands, but they have different causes from the ones in your legs. Some people have a genetic tendency to have large veins in their hands. Also, as you age and your skin gets thinner, veins are more noticeable. 

People who lift weights or work out may develop muscles that push out the veins in the hands and arms. Large veins in the hands seldom cause problems and aren’t a medical condition. They seldom need treatment.

Arms

Because the arms are high on the body, blood doesn’t pool in them as it can in the legs. For that reason, varicose veins in the arms are rare. You can have visible veins near the wrists, where the skin is thinner. If you are very fit, you may have visible veins from working out. Varicose veins in the arms seldom cause symptoms and rarely require treatment. 

Esophagus

When varicose veins occur internally, doctors typically call them varices. Varicose veins in the esophagus, called esophageal varices, are very dangerous. Liver diseases such as cirrhosis can cause them. 

When the liver is scarred, varicose veins can develop in the esophagus and upper stomach. If these veins rupture and bleed, the blood loss can cause shock and even death.

Those who have esophageal varices will need to see a gastroenterologist or a liver specialist for treatment. Doctors can go down the esophagus and seal off the bleeding veins. Patients may require blood transfusions if they have lost a lot of blood. They are also likely to have another episode of bleeding unless they can control their liver disease. Some may need a liver transplant.  

Pelvis

When varices occur in the pelvis, they can cause a condition called pelvic venous congestion syndrome (PVCS). This condition is relatively common in women, especially premenopausal women who have had multiple pregnancies. The increased blood flow of pregnancy can cause valves to weaken and fail.

Your obstetrician or gynecologist can help you with PVCS. Doctors can tie off varicose veins in the pelvis, a procedure called ligation. They can close the veins with microfoam sclerotherapy, or block the causative vein with embolization coils. These procedures carry some risks, so most doctors try medications first. Hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, and other medications can relieve congestion and pain.

Genitals

The strain that pregnancy puts on a woman’s pelvis can extend to the genitals, causing varicose veins there, too. Varicose veins on a woman’s genitals seldom cause problems. Most don’t require treatment. 

Men get a particular type of varicose vein in the scrotum, the sac that holds the testicles. This type of varicose vein is called a varicocele. It usually develops during puberty. About 15% of men will get varicoceles. Usually, varicoceles do not require treatment. Occasionally they will require surgery or other treatment, usually provided by a urologist.

Anus

Many people have varicose veins of the anus or rectum, commonly called hemorrhoids. They can be outside the rectum, where you can feel them, or just inside, where you cannot. They can break and bleed and also be quite painful. Childbearing can leave women with hemorrhoids. Constipation and poor bowel function can cause them. 

There are several approaches to the treatment of hemorrhoids.

• Symptomatic. You can treat the symptoms of hemorrhoids with creams that relieve pain and swelling. You can also take a sitz bath.  
• Lifestyle. You can prevent constipation by including more fiber in your diet, drinking plenty of fluid, and exercising. 
• Medical. If hemorrhoids are very painful, doctors can treat them in much the same ways that varicose veins of the legs are treated. They can remove them surgically. They can also seal them using an electrical current, a laser, or an injectable substance.

Finding Help for Varicose Veins

Where can you get varicose veins? Almost anywhere, it seems. If you have problem veins in your esophagus, pelvis, genitals, or anus, you may need to see the appropriate specialist. 

For treatment for varicose veins in legs, you’ll need a vein specialist. Find one using the locator tool at My Vein Treatment. Take the first step toward freedom from varicose veins in your legs.