Your veins are an important part of your body. You need them to carry blood around your body. Some people may have veins that are more visible than others. Hot temperatures, exercise, tight clothes, and sun damage can cause your veins to stand out.
Arms can also be prone to visible veins. It’s most common in people who frequent the gym and other people who are into fitness.
Many bodybuilders like the ‘visible vein’ look because they accompany muscly bodies and low body weight. Veiny arms can also be caused due to age, genetics and high-stress levels. Let’s look at visible veins in a bit more detail.
Genetics
Sometimes Vein problems are as simple as being genetic. If your parents or grandparents have visible veins it’s more likely you will too.
If you find it paticularly bothersome you should talk to your doctor about possible treatments such as laser treatments and injections.
Exercise
Exercising regularly is great for maintaining health. But if you’re doing too much, you might be pushing your veins to the surface of your skin. That could make them bulge out and also cause moderate pain although this is not dangerous.
Aging Skin
Everyone knows about the effect age has on the skin and your hands are no exception. Your hands need extra care as they age. You should take care of your hands by applying lotion or cream regularly.
Scrub them with a soft brush or wash them thoroughly with soap. This helps prevent dryness and wrinkles on your hands and also helps reduce the appearance of bulging veins.
Popped Veins
Popping veins in your hands can happen due to various reasons including injuries. You should see a doctor if you notice a swollen hand or bruising. Your doctor might recommend a compression bandage or ice pack to reduce swelling.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are often found on legs, but can also occur on arms, thighs, buttocks, feet, and other areas. You may need to see a doctor if your veins are swollen and painful. what causes varicose veins to bulge?
Varicose veins are a sign of venous insufficiency. This condition causes heavy legs and pelvic pain. It is also a risk factor for developing a blood clot called a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
If left untreated, DVTs can lead to pulmonary embolisms and are a medical emergency.
Blue/Green/Dark
Veins can turn blue because of extra fluid buildup. As the veins enlarge, they also weaken and break down. This causes them to bulge out and leak blood into the surrounding tissue.
Green veins could be a sign that you have developed varicose veins. As already mentioned these veins become swollen and painful and appear as knots or twisted.
If you notice swelling in your veins along with visible veins you should see a doctor if you especially if you also have pain. Bruised veins can be fixed with a simple procedure.
Dark veins on the hands usually indicate low oxygenated blood. Arterial blood is bright red and venous blood is dark.
Cardiovascular Disorders
Hands with swollen veins are common among people who have long-standing heart problems. Their veins are weak and stretch easily, causing them to swell up. If these symptoms are a new development you should seek medical advice.
Low Body Fat
Your body fat percentage should be above the ideal level to prevent your hands from appearing too thin. When you have little fat the veins can sometimes appear more visible as they seem closer to the skin’s surface.
Veins popping out from your hands is a normal part of the weight loss process. Consult a doctor if they become painful or swollen.
Pregnancy
Your veins in all parts of the body will become more visible as you get further into your pregnancy. As a result, you’ll see visible varicose (spider-like) veins in your breasts, stomach, and legs. After giving birth, these veins will disappear.
Buerger’s Disease
Buerger’s disease is an illness that’s often caused by smoking cigarettes. You should quit smoking to reduce the chance of developing this disease.
Superficial vein inflammation occurs frequently in people with Buerger’s disease. Symptoms include pain, tenderness, and swelling of the fingers or toes when exposed
Treatments
Bulging veins can’t be cured, but you can treat them by wearing compression socks, and elevating your legs. If these don’t work you could try certain medical interventions.
There are no one-size-fits-all treatments when dealing with vein problems. Each patient is different, and therefore treatments need to be specifically chosen according to the individual’s needs.
Hand and arm vein issues are generally treated by using laser ablation, this uses lasers to destroy abnormal veins.
Salt solutions can also be used to treat venous veins. Salt solutions irritate the vein walls causing them to close up and form scars. This makes the veins smaller and less noticeable.
Sclerotherapy is an effective treatment to remove visible veins. Vein treatments should always be carried out by doctors who specialize in these procedures.
There are many different types of vein treatments including sclerotherapy, endovenous laser therapy, radiofrequency ablation and cryosurgery.
All of these methods work by shrinking the affected veins and are just used generally to help the cosmetic issues. If you want to pursue this treatment you need to see your doctor to discuss options.
Prevention
Bulging veins can’t always be avoided. However, you can help keep your vein healthy by staying active. Walking around, exercising your calves, and stretching can help your veins move blood more efficiently.
Your calf muscles also help your veins push blood towards your heart. You should plan breaks during long hours of sitting, such as while working. Quit smoking if you’re currently doing so. Smoking damages your veins and slows down your blood’s ability to circulate.
Shedding extra pounds is another way to help reduce vein problems. You can also try wearing loose clothing, and avoid constricting your waistline. Blood flow back to your heart will be better if you wear looser clothes.
In Summary
Most of the time visible veins are nothing to worry about. Be sure to get checked out if you have any other symptoms to rule out anything sinister.
