Blood moves towards the heart by the one-way valves in the veins. When those valves become weak, blood begins to pool in the superficial veins at the skin’s surface. This build-up of blood can cause painful varicose veins.
Varicose veins can appear swollen and twisted. They are raised up from the skin and are dark red or purple in color. In most cases, they appear on the legs, but they can appear in other areas of the lower body where extra pressure builds up.
Varicose veins are a vascular disorder and are most commonly seen in women. Other risk factors that can be attributed to varicose veins are obesity, standing or sitting for long periods of time, inactivity, and a family history of this condition. Risk also increases with age and in pregnancy, as your body produces more blood to support a growing fetus.
Varicose veins are considered unsightly, but they are far from simply a cosmetic issue. Many people experience painful symptoms associated with their varicose veins. Sensations of burning, itching, heaviness, and aching are common and tend to be more intense at night. These discomforts can lead to sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality. Varicose vein pain can also be severe and cause itchy skin rashes and ulcers that need to be treated to reduce the risk of infection.
As mentioned above, many people complain of increased pain in their varicose veins at night. While the direct causes are unknown, a few things can contribute to it. First, if you spend most of the day on your feet or sitting down, blood pools in the veins. So, when you lie down at night, you’ll feel the effects of the build-up from the day. Another explanation is that there is a deeper awareness of sensations when you are lying still in bed without distractions in the evening. Restless Leg Syndrome also has overlapping symptoms with painful varicose veins, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
Varicose vein pain at night has been linked to poorer sleep quality. In a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, results showed that muscle cramps in patients with varicose veins occur more frequently at night compared to individuals without the condition.
There are several things you can do at home to alleviate painful varicose veins at night. They include the following:
Varicose veins that are painful can have a profound effect on our day-to-day lives. The good news is this condition is treatable with a high success rate.
Performing surgeries since 1988, the BASS Vein Center offers five different vascular procedures or vein treatments. These procedures include Conservative Vein Treatment, Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy, VenaSeal™, Sclerotherapy, and Ambulatory Phlebectomy.
The BASS Vein Center offers 7 convenient locations. The major cities we serve include Alameda, Alamo, Antioch, Berkeley, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Lafayette, Oakland, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek. Our offices treat a variety of conditions, from varicose veins to spider veins and even chronic venous disease. Over the course of 15 years, our offices have completed more than 24,000 vein procedures. We have six vascular surgeons and four general surgeons at The Vein Center. Schedule a consultation with one of our expert vein doctors to get started with sclerotherapy treatments today.
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