For those who have been trying to “live with” vein disease without having it treated, the idea that it could affect their job often just doesn’t compute. We often hear our patients say things like, “Sure, my varicose veins have affected the way that I dress, and they certainly affect my sense of self-esteem and self-worth every time I look in the mirror, but affecting my JOB? Please explain more fully.”
Vein disease is more than its surface symptoms
As unpleasant as they may be from an aesthetic point of view, your varicose veins and spider veins are, in fact, merely the surface symptoms of a deeper circulatory problem. The most common cause of these swollen and discolored veins is chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition in which deoxygenated blood no longer flows as it should back to the heart and lungs, and starts to pool in the veins of your extremities. This is what causes these blood vessels to swell and take on the bluish-purple color of deoxygenated blood.
Beneath the surface, CVI is doing a great deal more damage that you can easily see. Left untreated, your impaired circulation can cause swollen legs and ankles that quickly become so painful that it becomes difficult to stand or walk for long periods of time. If your job requires that you stand or move around a lot, naturally your ability to do this is going to be impacted by a disease that causes you to sit around much of the day saying “my legs hurt.” CVI also can cause frequent leg cramps and feelings of weakness and tiredness – especially in the legs, but also just a general feeling of lack of energy. This overall feeling of weakness can become so pronounced that you begin to miss work because you really don’t have enough energy to work.
Impaired circulation results in an impaired immune system
It’s not just lack of energy that can affect your work attendance. Vein disease really IS a disease, and it affects your overall health and your immune system. Having a vein disease like varicose veins without having it treated puts you at risk of developing other, more serious conditions. First, you’re more likely to become obese or overweight, not just because your constantly-painful legs keep you from getting enough exercise, but because impaired circulation keeps you from digesting food properly. Second, vein disease dramatically increases your risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Third, untreated varicose veins and CVI increases your likelihood of developing a more serious vein disease, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which causes blood clots to form in the large veins of your legs. If these clots travel to your brain they can cause a stroke, and if they travel to your lungs they can cause a pulmonary embolism. These conditions kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.
So how do I keep vein disease from affecting my health and my job?
Your first step in fighting vein disease should be to find out if you have it. If you have visible varicose veins or spider veins, there is a strong possibility that you do. But diseases like DVT can “hide” beneath the surface of the skin and affect your health (and your work) without your knowledge. You can find out for sure whether you have vein disease by calling one of the best vein doctors in Texas at Flower Mound Vein Center and scheduling an appointment for a venous health screening. These checkups take only about an hour, but can quickly determine the state of your vein health.
If Dr. Handley finds that you do have vein disease, he will present your treatment options and help you to select those that are best for you. Some vein diseases can be effectively treated conservatively with compression stockings and exercise/lifestyle suggestions, and others can be eliminated using minimally-invasive treatments such as sclerotherapy or endovenous laser therapy to completely remove varicose veins or blood clots. The important thing is that you are treating the disease and keeping it from getting worse and negatively affecting your overall health and your career. So make that call to 972-410-5757 today. Your local Flower Mound vein specialist is waiting to help you eliminate your vein problems and regain your energy and your sense of well-being.
