Leaving Varicose Veins Untreated | Palm Clinic
Varicose veins are incredibly common in New Zealand affecting around 30% of the population. Untreated varicose veins most often affect the legs and feet causing veins to appear bulging and swollen.
They may be a nuisance when it comes to discomfort and appearance but untreated varicose veins can become more severe and pose a greater risk to your health. Below we outline some of the complications that can occur with untreated varicose veins.
Heavy, Achy Legs
The earliest sign of untreated varicose veins is often a feeling of heaviness, swelling or aching in the legs. Heaviness and aching often increases after spending long stretches standing up, and eases when the legs are elevated.
Over time chronic discomfort can become difficult to live with and may cause people with untreated varicose veins to avoid activities that cause them discomfort, impacting their quality of life.
Eczema, Ulcers And Skin Thickening
As the condition progresses, one of the common risks varicose veins poses is skin changes in the legs. Skin changes often start around the ankle area and spread up the legs.
Initially people will complain of itchy dry patches (varicose eczema), which is very common affecting approximately 70% of people over 70.
With time, this can progress to dark brown pigmented areas and thickening of the skin and underlying fat so that skin becomes hard and woody feeling. The affected skin will heal poorly and become prone to forming ulcers.
If untreated varicose veins are dealt with early when the skin changes first appear, the changes will generally resolve. However once pigmentation and thickening develops, these tend to be less reversible after treatment.
Self Consciousness
Many people who seek varicose vein treatment choose to do so for cosmetic reasons, so the impact of varicose veins on body image should not be underestimated.
Having treated thousands of patients, many of whom have no symptoms aside from the appearance of the veins, we often hear from people that they cover up their untreated varicose veins when in public and avoid clothing and activities where their veins would be on show, like swimming or wearing shorts in summer.
Additionally the incorrect perception of varicose veins as a women’s or older people’s condition can have a psychological impact on people with untreated varicose veins that don’t fit these profiles.
Anxiety And Depression
Living with a chronic health condition can lead to poor mental health, which in turn contributes to poor physical health. Having a long term illness can drain your energy leading to fatigue, inactivity, weight gain and social withdrawal.
It has been proven that people living with untreated varicose veins have a significantly increased probability of developing Major Depressive Disorder, and often live with a significantly reduced quality of life due to their health.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
A smaller risk untreated varicose veins poses is the increase in likelihood of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a serious condition where a blood clot forms in a vein located deep inside the body. The risk of DVT can be reduced by treatment of the underlying varicose vein.
Ongoing Bleeding
Untreated varicose veins can be knocked or damaged. When they are damaged, this causes slow but significant ongoing bleeding that can be hard to stop.
There are cases of elderly people having life-threatening bleeding from damage to untreated varicose veins. If areas of ulceration have developed, then treatment of the veins will help with healing.
What To Do If You Have Varicose Vein Symptoms
Many people live with varicose veins for years with little or no symptoms, and there is often little urgency to have untreated varicose veins seen to. But varicose veins do tend to get worse over time
However the risk that varicose veins may develop into more serious conditions should be taken into consideration when deciding how long to wait before considering treatment.
If you have symptoms of aching, swelling, or early skin changes, it is worth speaking to a doctor now as early treatment can prevent symptoms from progressing.
If you are suffering from ulcers or considerable swelling and skin changes then treatment of varicose veins should be considered to stop these symptoms from becoming severe.
Thankfully varicose vein treatment is a straightforward walk-in, walk-out procedure that requires no downtime from work in most cases. To discuss your varicose veins and our gold standard treatment options, please contact our reception team to book an initial consultation.
