It may be no coincidence that your legs feel itchier right when you also begin to notice varicose veins and/or spider veins popping up. While not all patients with chronic venous insufficiency will experience itchy legs (symptoms can vary from patient to patient), many others will.
Keep reading to learn why there is a connection between itchy legs and varicose veins and what you can do to help prevent them and find a treatment for this vein disease symptom.
Itchy Skin Causes
Varicose veins begin to appear when blood is not able to circulate as it should, leaving it to collect down in your legs. The less blood is able to travel back up to your heart and other organs, the more it will pool in your leg veins and dilate them.
But isn’t itchy skin only a problem on the surface of your legs, not underneath in its veins? It turns out, when those veins begin to dilate, blood and other proteins may begin to seep through the veins to your skin. This can cause skin to become inflamed which can inhibit the amount of oxygen your skin needs.
This then may lead to a condition known as venous stasis dermatitis, characterized by, yep, itchiness in the legs as well as hyperpigmentation or a darkening of the patient’s skin. Such symptoms can also be coupled with rough or dry skin on legs and even leg ulcers should the symptoms persist.
Treatments to Help with Itchy Skin from Varicose Veins
To help with inflammation and itchy skin, your doctor may recommend taking antihistamines which attack one of the chemicals that accelerate these symptoms. Special topical creams may also be needed to reduce itching and inflammation.
But for a more long-lasting solution, you’ll need to get down to the root of the problem. Otherwise you’ll only be applying a temporary, band-aid solution to what can result in more serious issues. Patients should seek varicose veins treatment and professional help for chronic venous insufficiency when these are the causes for your itchy legs.
- Make Changes to Your Lifestyle: You can take a few steps on your own to begin improving blood circulation. Talk with a varicose veins specialist about adopting an appropriate exercise program and healthier diet. Walking, bicycling, and jogging or running are excellent activities that get your blood flowing, especially in your legs where it tends to pool. Food-wise, your doctor can list foods to include in your diet that also encourage proper blood flow such as foods with low sodium.
- Varicose Vein Removal: While varicose veins are not technically removed, several treatments can close or shrink varicose veins to direct blood to healthier veins. Such minimally or non-invasive treatments include sclerotherapy or radiofrequency ablation, both less painful than laser treatment for varicose veins. Combine varicose vein removal with the above lifestyle changes and get your legs back, free from continual itchiness and other leg pain!
Free Your Legs from Itchy Skin!
Itchy skin can be a constant nuisance and sometimes even extremely painful. However, treatments are available that can get you back to an active and healthier lifestyle, ones that address itchy skin causes at the source for a more permanent solution.
For patients in St. George, Cedar City, Kanab, Beaver, or other Southern Utah locations seeking relief from itchy skin on legs, contact Heart of Dixie Vein and Vascular Center. Our vein specialists will assess if your inflammation and itchy skin is directly related to varicose veins and vein disease. We will then craft a personalized treatment plan specifically tailored to you to get you the relief you seek.
Call or contact us to request a consultation appointment today! Say goodbye to itchy skin.
