Varicose Veins: Do They Bleed?

If you have varicose veins or someone you know does, you may have thought that they can bleed very easily. However, bleeding due to varicose veins is quite rare. When it does happen, however, it can be very alarming. Often, when the veins burst due to excess pressure, the bleeding can be rapid and profuse. In this article, we’ll talk about bleeding varicose veins.

Types of Bleeding due to Varicose Veins

There are two main types of bleeding when it comes to varicose veins. They are:

• Internal: If a varicose vein ruptures, but the skin is not broken, it will result in bruising. Internal bleeding may cause dizziness and fainting due to loss of blood. If you have internal bleeding, you should visit your vascular surgeon or the emergency room of a nearby hospital to prevent further bleeding and resulting complications.
• External: If a varicose veins ruptures, and your skin is broken, you will experience significant bleeding and blood loss. If this happens, you should apply immediate pressure to the area with a cotton t-shirt or towel. You should also elevate your legs above your heart. This will most likely slow or stop the bleeding while you seek medical help and attention. Again, you should visit your vascular surgeon or the emergency room of a nearby hospital to prevent further bleeding and complications.

Why do varicose veins bleed?

Varicose veins are less efficient and weaker than healthy veins. They cannot effectively pump blood upwards, resulting in blood pooling in the legs. This results in more pressure on the veins, causing them to become larger and more fragile. This is why varicose and spider veins are prone to sudden rupture, causing sudden and spontaneous bleeding.

Varicose veins are located just beneath the surface and so, a slight injury to the skin overlying the vein can cause bleeding as well. Even scratching the legs too hard, or then, brushing up against furniture may be enough to cause spontaneous bleeding. 

While this bleeding may occur at any time, it most commonly occurs during a warm shower, or then, at night. Bleeding can also occur if you are taking blood thinners, or if you scrape, nick, or bruise your skin close to the varicose vein.

Apart from bleeding, some of the other complications of varicose veins could be the formation of blood clots in the veins located just under the surface of the skin. This could lead to thrombophlebitis, which is swelling or inflammation of the veins in your leg. It could also lead to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which causes pain and swelling in the legs and could lead to potentially fatal complications, such as a pulmonary embolism, which is caused due to a blood clot traveling to the lungs from the legs.

Usually, only neglected cases of severe or chronic varicose vein disease will lead to external bleeding and it is a rare occurrence. External bleeding occurs when the varicose veins are so distended and left untreated despite severe symptoms that they form “blebs” in the lower legs and ankles. A “bleb” is a rounded outburst, or a bubble that occurs due to the back-flow of blood. These “blebs” are capillaries on the surface of the skin and will burst if they are knocked or scratched.

In order to prevent varicose veins from bleeding, it is important that you recognize some of the symptoms and signs of chronic varicose veins. These signs include tiredness, heavy legs, restless legs, and pain in the lower legs. If you suffer from the signs and symptoms of varicose veins, it is imperative that you get them treated immediately by a professional. You should not wait until you are in an embarrassing or potentially dangerous situation. 

Treatment of bleeding varicose veins

There are several treatment options for bleeding varicose veins. Many of these treatment options are minimally invasive. Some of them are:

• Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT): This is a safe and minimally invasive procedure. Your vascular surgeon will first confirm all your weak veins, using a Duplex Ultrasound Scan. This will help him determine the right place to insert the catheter. Your surgeon will then clean and numb the area using a local anesthetic. Once the area becomes numb, a small incision is made and a catheter and a guide-wire are inserted into your skin. A laser fiber is then passed through the catheter until it extends approximately 1 to 2 centimeters from the end and is then secured into place. The laser energy seals the faulty vein and blood flow is redirected to the healthy veins. The entire process takes about an hour.
• Sclerotherapy: This is a medical procedure that eliminates varicose veins by injecting a medication directly into the vein. This medication irritates the lining of the vein and causes it to collapse and become virtually unnoticeable.
• Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy: During this procedure, your vascular surgeon will insert an ultrasound-guided needle into the vein being treated. Through this needle, a sclerosant is injected into the vein, which then seals shut and is reabsorbed.
• VenaSeal: This procedure uses a proprietary medical adhesive that closes off varicose veins. It has been proven to be safe and effective and it does not require the use of anesthesia, heat, or sclerosants.
• ClariVein: This is a minimally invasive treatment option that can be administered quickly and relatively painlessly. The sensation caused due to this procedure can be compared to a series of pinching along the length of the vein. This procedure requires less than 30 minutes and uses only one entry point into the vein.
• Radiofrequency Ablation: In this procedure, a thin catheter is gently inserted into the vein through the skin. Once inside, the catheter emits radio waves, thereby heating specific areas of the vein and closing it shut. The blood supply is then rerouted through the healthier veins, even as the closed vein is reabsorbed.
• Ambulatory Phlebectomy: Your vascular surgeon will make tiny incisions followed by the extraction of the bulging vein. After the vein is removed, your doctor will apply a compression bandage to that area and the body will naturally reroute the blood supply through the healthier veins.

Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala, of the Flow Vascular Clinic, in Hyderabad, India, is an expert in treating varicose veins. He is also adept at treating the complications of varicose veins, including bleeding veins. Dr. Sandhyala provides personalized, high-quality healthcare to all his patients. He will work individually with you to determine your medical history when it comes to varicose veins, as well as their status and potential complications.

He is an expert at EVLT, as well as the other treatment procedures used to treat varicose veins. However, serious your varicose veins are, Dr. Sandhyala can treat them successfully, thereby relieving you of the pain and irritation that accompanies bleeding varicose veins. So, the next time you need to consult a vascular surgeon for your varicose veins, look no further than Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala!

For more information about bleeding Varicose Veins and treatment for Varicose Veins, DVT, or other vascular conditions, contact Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala at (+91) 9989649498 or 9959033037, or at [email protected] or visit our website