If you missed Dr. Sarah Lucas, of La Jolla Vein Care on KUSI News, you can see her here on our youtube page.
Dr. Lucas discusses venous insufficiency in pregnancy, how many women it affects and how it affects them.
Height may be a genetic risk factor for varicose veins
Tall patients frequently ask if their height contributed to the development of their varicose veins. Now, there may be an answer. A study at Stanford University School of 
Medicine study found a person’s height to be a significant risk factor for developing varicose veins. The exact reason is unknown. Intuitively, one would think the gravitational forces are greater in the leg veins of tall people. (Interesting side note, giraffes would be expected to develop varicose veins but do not: the reason for this is that their skin is firm, providing support like compression stockings). The correlation between varicose veins and height, may not be a structural or gravity-related issue but rather genetic.
“We not only found an association between height and varicose veins, but the genetic studies we did showed a causal link,” said cardiologist and study author Dr. Nicholas Leeper, an associate professor of surgery and cardiovascular medicine at Stanford. “That suggests that the genes and pathways that drive human height are also likely to be causing varicose veins.”
Another recent study in Russia, showed a particular gene in ethnic Russians, that was associated with the development of varicose veins, was also responsible for other traits such as rheumatoid arthritis and has a negative impact on human height, an opposite finding from the Stanford study.
To read more about the Stanford study, click here.
Underlying Vein Problems are Not Visible to the Naked Eye
You wear compression stockings to improve blood flow in your legs. Compression stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up your legs. This helps prevent leg swelling and, to a lesser extent, blood clots.
person putting on compression stockings
If you have varicose veins spider veins, or have just had surgery, your health care provider may prescribe compression stockings.
Wearing stockings helps with:
source:https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000597.htm
dysfunctional vein valves
Most vein conditions are not visible to the naked eye. The veins that are visible can be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ indicating an underlying problem. Therefore, a duplex ultrasound examination may be recommended to determine if there is an underlying condition called, venous inssufficiency. Venous insufficiency indicates when the vein valves are leaky.
Bulging, ropy varicose veins, and spider veins in certain anatomic regions of the body such as the inner ankles and inner thighs or blue veins behind the knees suggest underlying venous insufficiency.
Veins are not always visible to the eye
Varicose veins may be hereditary. This picture demonstrates a mother and daughter who have the same distribution of varicose veins.
One of the strongest risk factors for varicose veins is a family history. We often see mothers and their daughters, fathers, and sons, siblings, and sometimes the entire family for similar varicose vein issues. This picture demonstrates a mother and her daughter with ironically the same varicose vein pattern of distribution. Don’t want your mother’s legs? Stay on top of your vein condition and have them treated or maintenance treatment to avoid bulging varicosities.
healed ulcer
70% of chronic leg wounds are a result of long standing varicose veins and underlying venous insufficiency. Ulcers, or leg wounds are usually preceded by changes of the skin such as a brownish skin discoloration around the ankles and stasis dermatitis. A venous leg ulcer is often referred to as a ‘stasis ulcer’ since blood is stagnant in varicose veins.
Common Misconceptions… Do I have spider veins or varicose veins?
spider veins on back of thighs
There is a common misconception of what varicose and spider veins really are. It may be embarrassing for some to admit that they have varicose veins or they simply just think that they have spider veins. Although spider veins can be fed from varicose veins, they are simply not the same. Let’s start with spider veins… What are they? Spider veins are typically purple web-like veins that appear either scattered all over the leg or in clusters. Although they can be symptomatic, they are usually painless and are considered cosmetic. They lie almost, if not, flat on the skin and are often described as “unsightly.” Varicose veins on the other hand are bulgy. People describe them as snake or rope like or even like a little brain. Varicose veins protrude from the skin and are not considered a cosmetic condition, but rather a medical condition. They can also be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. To properly diagnose patients with either spider veins or varicose veins, a thorough consultation should be done to examine the patient’s legs and areas of concern. Sometimes, certain patterns of spider veins indicate that there may be an underlying vein condition. An ultrasound examination can be done to properly diagnose varicose veins and underlying vein conditions.
Recognized on 13 October, World Thrombosis Day (WTD) focuses attention on the often overlooked and misunderstood disease of thrombosis. With hundreds of educational events in countries around the world, WTD and its partners place a global spotlight on thrombosis as an urgent and growing health problem.
Thrombosis is the formation of potentially deadly blood clots in the artery (arterial thrombosis) or vein (venous thrombosis). Once formed, a clot can slow or block normal blood flow, and even break loose and travel to an organ. This can result in significant injury, including heart attack, stroke and venous thromboembolism – the top three cardiovascular killers.
At La Jolla Vein Care, we specialize in ultrasound imaging technology that can diagnose blood clots in the leg veins, called deep venous thrombosis or DVT. A new or acute DVT requires emergency care. Old or chronic DVTs can damage the valves in the leg veins, causing a collection of signs and symptoms related to venous disease. We treat these types of conditions at La Jolla Vein Care. 
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – A blood clot that forms in the veins located deep within a limb, usually the lower leg or thigh. By blocking the flow of blood back to the heart, these clots are often characterized by pain and swelling of the leg. Clots in the leg can break off, travel to the lungs and lodge there as pulmonary embolism (PE). These can be fatal because they block the flow of blood from the lungs back into the heart.
learn more about world thrombosis day
To learn about how La Jolla Vein Care can help you, please call or email us @info@ljvascular.com
Before and after picture of varicose vein treatment at La Jolla Vein Care. Read more about non-surgical varicose vein removal or click here to go to la jolla vein care’s photo gallery.
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