Varicose Veins In Men: What You Should Know

Many of us consider varicose veins to be a malady found only in women, but venous insufficiency can occur in both men and women. Here’s what you should know about varicose veins in men.

There Are Millions Of Men With Varicose Veins

There are approximately 11 million men in the US between the ages of 40 and 80 who have vein disease. It is a progressive disease that begins attacking mostly the legs, ankles, and feet with a discoloration of the skin and enlarged veins that look blue, green, or purple. Over time the veins become enlarged, protrude, and are more visible.

How Varicose Veins Develop

Our veins are one-way vessels always moving towards the heart for circulation. Sometimes the veins weaken and the vein valves do not function properly causing blood to flow backwards and pool instead of circulating back to the heart. When that happens, rope-like, bulging, and enlarged veins become visible on the outside, and it becomes difficult for the blood to move once it pools in the lower extremities.

varicose veins on male runner's right leg

Causes Of Varicose Veins In Men

One of the common causes of varicose veins is age. Our veins can become damaged or weakened as we get older.

Other risk factors for men developing varicose veins include the following:

  • Family history of vein disease
  • Obesity, which puts extra pressure on your veins to return blood to the heart, makes you more likely to develop vein disease
  • Certain jobs that require that you stand or sit for long periods of time
  • Smoking, which damages the function of your veins

You can counteract some of these issues by losing weight, walking around if you sit for long periods, sitting down if you stand for your job, exercise to improve circulation, stop smoking, elevate your legs above your heart at home, and wear compression stockings.

There Are Serious Complications To Varicose Veins In Men

Vein insufficiency disease can have life-threatening complications if not treated.

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in your veins, usually in the legs, and can break off and lead to a pulmonary embolism. There can be pain and swelling, but many times there are no symptoms. See Vein Center at Brinton Lake if you have varicose veins to screen for a clot.

Ulcers can develop in the leg which start out as a discoloration but slowly form into an ulcer. See Vein Center at Brinton Lake as soon as possible if you think you are developing an ulcer.

An abnormally fast heart rate, numbness in the legs, pain and swelling are all symptoms that indicate issues with your varicose veins.

Anyone with varicose veins should have them evaluated.


Request a Varicose Vein Consultation

Contact Vein Center at Brinton Lake at (610) 579-3516, or request an appointment online, to schedule an evaluation at our Glen Mills, PA office to learn more about treatment options for varicose veins in men.

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