Varicose veins are twisted veins that usually form close to the skin’s surface due to blood pools and blood clots. While varicose veins are generally not a cause for concern, people have reported pain, dizziness, and excessive sweating as a result of their vein condition which could be an indicator of an underlying issue.
So how do varicose veins lead to sweating? Varicose veins themselves don’t cause sweating. Sweating that is seemingly caused by varicose veins may be an indicator of larger veins malfunctioning and having poor blood circulation. When a blood clot moves from the vein to the lungs, you may experience sweating as one of its symptoms.
Learn More: When To Go See A Doctor About Your Varicose Veins
How Does Varicose Veins Lead To Sweating
Varicose veins don’t cause sweating; rather, they may just be indicators of deeper vein issues. When a blood clot migrates from your veins and travels up your blood vessels to other parts of your body including your lungs, there’s a risk that you have a deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism.
In both these conditions, you’ll most likely experience excessive sweating or cold sweats as one of its common symptoms. In addition to sweating, you’ll most likely also experience having chest pain, coughing, increased or irregular heart rate, heart palpitations, and even possibly faint.
It’s rare that blood clots from a varicose vein will cause major issues to your blood circulation but when deeper vein clots travel, it can cause quite a few side effects and pose extreme risk factors to your health.
Conditions Indicated by Excessive Sweating and Varicose Veins
When you’re experiencing excessive sweating along with varicose veins, there’s a chance that you actually have a more serious venous insufficiency. Varicose veins and spider veins usually affect the superficial veins in your body and are considered cosmetic issues more than anything else.
However, if you have a serious case of varicose veins it’s possible that your deep veins are malfunctioning or damaged as well. Visually, you may only see your varicose veins but you may actually be dealing with a more serious health condition. Here are just some of the health issues indicated by excessive sweating and varicose veins:
1) Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition wherein your deep veins pools an excessive amount of blood and forms blood clots. Usually found in the lower half of your body, these clots are hard to identify and in most cases will need a full physical check-up to be diagnosed. When a part of the blot breaks off from the vein and travels to other veins and arteries, you’ll experience severe symptoms and multiple risks. Sweating, swelling, and skin redness are all indicators of DVT and should be observed carefully to prevent the condition’s progression.
Varicose veins don’t cause DVT but superficial veins can be damaged due to vein insufficiencies in that area. While varicose veins do have blood clots, they’re rarely a threat to your health as they’re found in smaller veins. Blood clots formed due to DVT can cause severe discomfort in the area and can even cause immobility in extreme cases.
2) Pulmonary Embolism
A pulmonary embolism is often associated with deep vein thrombosis as the blood clot formed by DVT travels to arteries found in the lung and hinders proper blood flow. Without proper blood flow in your lungs, you run the risk of depleting oxygen levels and permanent damage to your lung function.
Like DVT, pulmonary embolisms aren’t by varicose veins and are not interrelated. In most scenarios, the only relation varicose veins can have to a pulmonary embolism is as an indicator of a venous insufficiency throughout your body.
It’s quite hard to identify a pulmonary embolism until you have difficulty breathing, sweat, chest pains, and other symptoms. If not caught in time, the lung artery may be blocked completely and result in death.
Currently, people who suffer from pulmonary embolisms have a mortality rate of almost 30% if left untreated. However, if caught early enough the mortality rate from a pulmonary embolism drops drastically to only 8%.
3) Heat Attacks
Like a pulmonary embolism, if a clot travels to your coronary artery and cuts off blood circulation to your heart, it will cause severe risks like a heart attack. Without proper blood flow, oxygen won’t reach your heart muscles and cause severe damage, and in intense cases cause muscle death.
Additionally, the blood clot can tear the inner walls of your coronary artery causing further damage and the likelihood of a heart attack. While chest pains are the most known symptom of a heart attack, excessive cold sweats and night sweats are also indicators of a person suffering from a heart attack.
It’s important to note that blood clots found in varicose veins cannot cause a heart attack. At most varicose veins are just a byproduct of your venous conditions. Varicose and spider veins are both superficial vein issues while a DVT, pulmonary embolisms, and heart attacks are all caused by deep vein issues or more serious medical conditions.
Read More: Rebounding to Treat Varicose Veins
How to Prevent Major Blood Clotting in Your Veins
While you may be preconditioned to develop DVT due to your medical history, there are a few things you can do to prevent blood clots from forming. Most medical professionals highly recommend maintaining a healthy weight or losing extra weight to maintain healthy veins and prevent clotting. According to studies, blood clots are twice as likely to form in obese people as opposed to though with a healthy weight.
Additionally, smoking can cause major blood clotting in your veins. Not only are your blood platelets more likely to clump together and clot, but smoking also damages your vein walls and blood vessels making you susceptible to medical complications. With high chances of blood clots and weaker veins, smoking can be a serious contributing factor to you developing DVT or having a pulmonary embolism and vascular diseases like a heart attack.
You can also try to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time so as to not aggravate your potential venous conditions. Prevent any major surgery for varicose veins by practicing the above measures.
Address Your Venous Concerns at Vein Center Doctor
Major venous insufficiencies are hard to diagnose with most people only seeing superficial varicose veins as an issue only towards your outward appearance. Whether it be severe pain or excessive sweating, your varicose veins may be indicative of something more serious. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are just some of the possible vein issues that cause blood clots to form and block important pathways to keep you healthy.
Here at the Vein Center Doctor, our team of vein experts have been trained to treat non-threatening venous conditions like varicose veins as well as more serious conditions that need to be addressed right away. If you’re concerned about your varicose veins indicating a more serious condition, call us today to know more about our services or book an appointment online.
Read More: Can Varicose Veins Be A Sign Of Stroke Risk?
