Could warm weather be affecting your venous reflux disease?

Warm weather can worsen symptoms of varicose veins and venous reflux disease.

This summer, most of San Diego will be blessed with sunny, warm-weather. Warmer weather tends to worsen symptoms of varicose veins, like increased leg heaviness, pain or you may feel that your legs fatigue more quickly during warm weather. For those who have spider veins, they can feel more itchy or burning.  This leads many people to seek leg vein help during warmer weather months. 

The cause: Leg symptoms of varicose veins and venous reflux disease (the underlying cause for varicose veins) tend to worsen in warmer weather because heat causes the surface veins to relax and enlarge. When this happens to unhealthy veins, the blood pools and causes increased pressure within the veins. Increased pressure within the veins is called venous hypertension. Venous hypertension causes inflammation. Therefore, inflammation causes the veins to feel warm, painful, itchy or burning. Since gravity causes blood to pool around the ankles for many people with venous reflux disease, you may feel symptoms in your ankles rather than the calves. The skin around the ankles can become itchy, and dry. 

The best way to alleviate this in the long term is treatment of underlying venous reflux. Conservative management is aimed at reducing or preventing the blood from pooling. This can be accomplished with compression stockings- although these may be difficult to tolerate in warm weather. But also adding compression wear, like compression yoga pants, workout pants or shorts may help as well. Staying active helps, and when sitting elevate the legs and ice any areas of pain to reduce inflammation. These tips will help you overcome the warmer weather.

If you experience any vein disease symptoms, please call our office at (858)-434-5998 to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable doctors at La Jolla Vein and Vascular.

For more information on vein health please check out our Youtube Channel or visit our helpful guide of resources.