What No One Told You About Your Vein Health

Your veins and arteries are two main components of your circulatory system. They allow blood to flow through your body and back to your heart. Without your veins, you couldn’t survive. But vein health isn’t something you think about until it’s too late. 

There are several vein disorders that affect your body, which is why our experts at the Vein, Heart, and Vascular Institute specialize in vein health. Leading our heart and vascular care team are Dr. Hesham Fakhri and Dr. Abdulghani Saadi.

If you’re worried about your vein health, our team can help.

What do your veins do?

Veins are the component of your circulatory system that’s responsible for bringing deoxygenated blood from the rest of your body back to your heart. At any given time, about 75% of the blood in your body is being transported in your veins.

Unlike your arteries, veins don’t carry high-pressured blood. This means they’re thinner and more flexible than your arteries. This helps your veins carry the large volumes of blood back to your heart to be re-oxygenated and pumped back through your body.

Almost all of your veins contain valves. These valves help keep your blood moving in one direction. If your valves malfunction, it means blood may be flowing backward and congesting your veins, leading to various problems, especially in your legs and feet.

What are vein disorders?

When your veins aren’t working correctly, you could have one of several different venous disorders. These disorders range in severity, but greatly affect your life. Some of the common disorders we treat include:

Venous insufficiency

This problem happens when the valves in the veins of your legs aren’t working properly. If you have venous insufficiency, blood pools in your lower extremities, causing symptoms such as heaviness and achiness in your legs. Left untreated, venous insufficiency may result in varicose veins and skin changes.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are veins that appear large and twisted, often near the surface of your legs. Varicose veins are the result of too much pressure on the vein. This causes the vein to bulge and sometimes become painful.

Pelvic congestion syndrome

PCS is a condition that occurs in women. It happens when varicose veins are present in the pelvic region. This causes pelvic pain that gets worse with standing or sitting. The pain often eases when you lie down because the pressure is off of those veins.

There are many other forms of vein issues, including May Thurner Syndrome and deep vein thrombosis. Any of these conditions can be debilitating if left untreated.

How to keep your veins healthy

Although you probably haven’t heard it often, your vein health is important, especially as you age. Keeping your veins healthy allows the rest of your body to stay in good shape. 

Dr. Fakhri and Dr. Saadi both have experience in vein health. They provide you with the knowledge and tools to keep your veins working as they should. Some of the tips our team suggests for healthy veins include:

Keep active

Staying active helps keep your blood pump throughout your body. If you sit a lot, your blood pools in your lower extremities. Get up and move around, even if only for a few minutes. This gets your blood flowing and keeps your veins in good working order.

Watch your hydration

The more hydrated you are, the better your blood flows through your veins. Dehydration leads to thicker blood, which worsens conditions like venous insufficiency. Your blood is thinner when you’re hydrated, making it easier to move through your veins.

Avoid smoking

Smoking is bad for your health in many ways, including your vein health. The nicotine in cigarettes causes your veins to harden, making it difficult for blood to get through. Tobacco also thickens your blood, which makes it harder to pump back to your heart.

Eat a balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet that includes both fruits and vegetables is vital to your overall vein health. 

Invest in compression

If you’re worried about circulation issues in your legs, compression stockings may help keep your blood moving. Pregnancy, heart disease, and working on your feet all contribute to venous insufficiency. 

If you’re concerned about your vein health, don’t hesitate to call one of our offices in Wesley Chapel, Sun City Center, or Tampa, Florida, today. You can also schedule an appointment using our convenient online tool.