What causes bulging veins?

Some women develop bulging veins in their legs during pregnancy. And as you get older, muscles in the vein walls can weaken and bulge out. 

However, varicose veins are the top cause of bulging veins. Varicose veins develop when valves in your leg veins weaken. These valves normally open to let blood flow up your legs and close to stop blood from going back down.

When the valves weaken, they let blood reflux backward — a condition called venous insufficiency. The blood going down your leg vein gets trapped at the next healthy valve and begins to accumulate in that segment of your vein.

Before long, the veins enlarge with blood, and since they're so close to the skin's surface, they start to bulge out and form varicose veins. 

What symptoms accompany bulging veins?

The bulging veins become twisted and take on a deep blue or purple color. They often keep getting worse. As pressure from the accumulating blood stretches and weakens other valves and vein walls, more blood builds up in additional vein segments.

When you have bulging varicose veins, you may experience symptoms such as: 

• Leg pain

• Leg swelling

• Muscle cramps

• Itchy legs

• Restless legs

• Burning sensation

• Skin rash

• Thickened skin

• Leg discoloration (dark reddish-brown)

• Non-healing ulcers

If you develop skin changes or ulcers on your lower leg, it's a sign that the cause of your bulging veins, venous insufficiency, has reached an advanced stage. You need immediate medical attention for ulcers on your lower leg because they won't heal without specialized wound care.

How are bulging veins treated? 

Treatment for bulging veins typically includes wearing compression stockings to help force the blood up your leg.

Your provider may also recommend lifestyle changes that relieve pressure from your veins. For example, prolonged sitting or standing, lack of exercise, and being overweight contribute to bulging veins. Cigarette smoking also damages the vein walls and increases your risk of developing bulging veins.

The next step in treatment involves a procedure to eliminate the bulging veins and, along with them, the underlying damaged valves.

Commonwealth Vein Center offers several safe and effective bulging vein treatments in the office, including: 

• Radiofrequency venous ablation

• ClariVein®

• VenaSeal™

• Radiofrequency ablation

• Sclerotherapy (Varithena®)

• Phlebectomy

These procedures eliminate your unsightly bulging veins and restore healthy leg circulation by redirecting blood through other veins.

If you need help with bulging veins, call Commonwealth Vein Center or book an appointment online today.