Varicose Veins and DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

 

Deep Vein Thrombosis and Varicose Veins

Varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can occur together if the varicose veins are severe enough. Usually, however, varicose veins affect the veins close to the surface of the skin. The vein specialists at Grand Junction Vein Center can help you assess your risk for deep vein thrombosis, a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition.

Varicose veins are enlarged, swollen, and twisting veins, often appearing blue or dark purple. They happen when faulty valves in the veins allow blood to flow in the wrong direction or to pool. More than 23 percent of all adults suffer from varicose veins.

While Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. If the vein swells, the condition is called thrombophlebitis. A deep vein thrombosis can break loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism.

Any vein in the human body can be a ‘varicose vein’, but the most common occurrences occur in those veins which are subject to maximum stress and strain; like those in the legs and feet. Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins (blood vessels) found close to your skin’s surface. They normally occur due to the increase in pressure on a particular vein which in turn twists them.

Veins and Arteries

Before we try and understand varicose veins, in particular, it is pertinent for us to understand the significance of veins and arteries in the human body. The veins and the arteries are the blood vessels, which carry around blood within the human body. As the heart continues to pump, it sends blood around the body through the arteries. The arteries keep branching into smaller vessels until the blood flows into the capillaries. The walls of capillaries are only one cell thick, so that oxygen, glucose, and other substances can pass through them to nourish the tissues. The waste materials of metabolism, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid, filter in the opposite direction into the capillaries. A network of capillaries runs close to the cells in every part of the body, delivering nutrients while taking away waste products in the bloodstream.

Capillaries

Capillaries join to form veins. These smaller veins, in turn, combine together to form two major veins that return the blood to the heart. These are called the superior vena cava; which carries blood from the upper part of the body, and, the inferior vena cava; which carries blood from the legs, pelvis, and abdomen region.

The veins contain valves that are very important to their functioning. Valves are more important in the functioning of the veins in the lower part of the body as it pumps blood back to the heart and any malfunctioning can cause it to flow in the reverse direction. More often, a fault in these valves leads to a condition called varicose veins. The valves, which don’t allow the blood to flow in the reverse direction, naturally withstand pressure within the body.

Fortunately, for most people, varicose veins are simple cosmetic conditions that can be treated through cosmetic surgery. However, for some, it is a very painful and discomforting condition. For them, a varicose vein might signal a more serious disorder in the circulatory system.

Call Grand Junction Vein Center today at 970-242-8346 for a vein screening, especially if you are concerned that you might be at risk for deep vein thrombosis.