Posted on 12th April, 2023 at 2:39:20 AM
Varicose veins are not only a cosmetic issue. These veins could also be a sign of something more troublesome. Patients often wonder whether their varicose veins could be the cause of a more serious heart problem.
Varicose Veins and Heart Disease
When we speak of Heart Disease, we are usually talking of diseases involving the arteries, which are blood vessels carrying fresh blood from the heart to various organs of the body. However, Varicose veins occur due to malfunctioning valves in the veins of the body – vessels that carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. Therefore, per se, varicose veins do not cause any of the common heart diseases like heart attacks. Thus, even though the presence of varicose veins signals unhealthy blood circulation, it does not necessarily point toward heart disease. However, patients with varicose veins are more prone to developing blood clots in the veins – either in the superficial varicose veins themselves or the deep veins of the legs. These clots can occasionally break off, and go and lodge into the lungs, causing a potentially dangerous condition called Pulmonary Embolism. If the clot is large, this can rapidly lead to Right Heart Failure and death. In fact, many cases of sudden death in patients with Varicose veins can be attributed to Pulmonary Embolism.
Therefore, while Varicose veins can be a cosmetic issue in most patients if you have significant disease, it may be worth your while to consult your doctor regarding the severity of your disease and undergo appropriate ultrasound tests for your veins.
At Doctor House Cardiovascular Centre, we have state-of-the-art Ultrasound equipment, used for the diagnosis of Varicose Veins and Deep Vein Thrombosis. Our doctors have performed thousands of Venous Doppler tests at our center on our patients. An accurate Venous ultrasound study is of the utmost importance to determine the stage and severity of your Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins Complications
For a majority of people, varicose veins are only a cosmetic concern. Although varicose veins are not a potential risk for heart ailments, they do pose a serious risk to the overall health and well-being of the patient. Thus, it is extremely important to understand the medical conditions and complications related to varicose veins in order to prevent health loss in the long run.
As varicose veins prevent blood flow, there is excessive accumulation of blood in the affected area. This causes the veins to enlarge and leads to swelling which is usually accompanied by pain and a feeling of heaviness. Patients also complain of discomfort in the form of itching, a feeling of heaviness, and a constant sensation of throbbing.
This medical condition can worsen further and progress to other health issues in case of delay or lack of treatment. Blood pooling causes extreme pressure and can result in open sores known as active venous ulcers. Some patients can even develop blood clots in their deep veins (DVT i.e. Deep Vein Thrombosis) and chronic venous insufficiency.
In DVT, if the blood clot breaks free, it can travel to any body part like the heart, lungs, and others. A blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) can hinder oxygen supply to the vital body organs and even cause the untimely death of the patient. Thus, varicose veins must never be ignored as a mere cosmetic annoyance.
Conclusion
Even though varicose veins and heart diseases are not interrelated medical complications, both respond well to healthy lifestyle changes. In both these health conditions, patients have been known to benefit from eating a nutritional diet and having a daily exercise regime.
If you have varicose veins, you are also sure to experience relief from swelling and pain by raising your legs above the level of your heart while lying down. You must also speak to your vascular expert about the recommended usage of compression stockings that help improve the blood flow from the legs back to the heart.
However, if your varicose veins are causing extreme trouble, you must consider getting them removed or permanently closed through surgical procedures. In contrast, to open surgeries which were much more painful and discomforting, these days minimally invasive procedures have got popular due to their high success rate and faster healing.
Dr. Rajah V Koppala is a trained vascular interventional radiologist and an expert at performing the painless laser ablation treatment of varicose veins. He performs the laser ablation as an outpatient procedure and all varicose veins are treated in a single session. The patients can go back home on the same day and continue to perform their everyday activities from the very next day.
It is a painless, minimally invasive, scar-less, convenient, and safe treatment procedure for varicose veins. There is no need for general anesthesia as doctors only use local anesthesia in the affected area to make small incisions and check for the location of varicose veins through a live duplex ultrasound scan.
The heat from the laser fiber is used to close off and burn away the damaged veins which get reabsorbed in the body. The body also automatically re-routes the blood to neighboring healthy veins. Patients get immediate relief from pain, swelling, and itching.
Dr. Rajah V Koppala is internationally qualified and ranked as the best vascular surgeon in South India. He ensures patient comfort and satisfaction at all times before, during, and even after the procedure. If you are looking for the best treatment of varicose veins, do not look elsewhere, schedule your appointment with Dr. Rajah V Koppala today!
