Widening veins are sometimes dismissed as just “visible veins” or a sign of aging, and some people think they are a minor problem. Nevertheless, vein dilatation has a major effect on a person’s health. Approximately 20% to 60% of people actually have vein issues, according to studies. It is more common in women, particularly those over 50, pregnant women, and even those with relatives who have vein problems.
So what’s vein dilation? It’s when veins get wider because their walls or valves are too weak to push blood back to the heart properly. What happens is, the blood builds up in the veins, causing the veins to swell. Let’s look at the diagnosis, and treatment of vein dilation.
Diagnosing Vein Dilation
Finding out if a person has dilated veins involves a physical check-up. The doctor would first look at the veins, especially in the legs, to see if there’s any sign of swelling, unusual color, or if the veins are bigger than usual. The doctors may also ask if you feel pain or heaviness in your legs. Next is an ultrasound scan, which uses sound waves to take pictures of the vein. This step lets the doctor see if any blood is stuck in parts of the vein, which can make the vein become bigger.
After an ultrasound scan comes a venography. In this test, a special dye is put into the veins and an x-ray is taken. The dye makes the veins show up on the x-ray, which will help the doctor spot any problem, like a blood clot blocking the channels of blood flow. Sometimes the doctor might do a doppler ultrasound.
This scan also uses sound waves like the ultrasound, but checks how well blood is flowing in the vein. It can show if blood is slow or blocked, which can cause the veins to get stretched.
Treatments for Vein Dilation
There are a couple of simple ways to treat vein dilation. These include things you can do at home or treatments that you get from the doctors.
Lifestyle changes: The first lifestyle change that you should consider is moving your body in order to help the blood flow better and to keep the veins strong. When resting, raise your legs above your heart level to help blood flow back to your heart and take pressure off of the veins.
The next thing you should consider is getting compression stockings. These are special socks which gently squeeze your legs to help blood flow and also reduce swelling. Lastly, try to move around ever so often so blood doesn’t build up in your veins. In other words, don’t stand or sit for too long.
Medical treatments: For medical treatments, there are a variety of options that you can pick from. The first one is medication. Some medicines help blood to flow better and also helps to relax the vein and lower pressure. These medications can either be over-the-counter drugs or it can be prescribed to you by your doctor. Secondly, there is a therapy called sclerotherapy. For this treatment type, the doctor injects a solution into the vein to make it close up and slowly fade away.
However, that’s not all the therapy that you can get for vein dilation. You can also get laser therapy. This type of therapy uses special lights on the vein to make it shrink and disappear. There is a treatment called the endovenous laser ablation, EVLA. In this treatment, a tiny laser is put inside the vein to heat it up, causing it to close off so blood can use the healthier vein.
Another treatment option that is similar to EVLA is the RFA, which is short for radiofrequency ablation. This treatment uses radio waves to heat and close up the veins. Lastly, for severe cases, the doctor may conduct a small surgery called vein stripping surgery to remove the damaged veins.
Bottom Line
Vein dilation isn’t just a cosmetic issue or a normal part of getting older; it’s a health condition that affects many people, especially women over 50, pregnant women, and those with a family history of vein problems. Vein dilation happens when the walls or valves in the veins aren’t strong enough to push blood back to the heart, causing blood to build up and the veins to stretch and swell. The good thing is that with the right tests and treatment options; vein dilation can be managed, helping to reduce discomfort and keep veins healthy.
