Last month, we celebrated the women in our lives by discussing vein care during pregnancy, and this month, we shift the spotlight to men in honor of Father’s Day.
Here’s what men need to know about vein disease, its prevention, and its treatment, courtesy of our team of experienced providers at Vein Institute.
Vein Disease Affects Men, Too!
Vein disease, often called venous disease, is a group of conditions in which the one-way valves in your veins don’t work quite right. This can lead to a host of other conditions, including varicose veins, spider veins, chronic venous insufficiency, phlebitis, ulcers, and hemorrhoids.
These conditions can affect both men and women. According to research published in the journal Circulation, 11 million men between the ages of 40 and 80 have varicose veins. This is compared to 22 million women. Hemorrhoids also impact men. While more women develop hemorrhoids than men (25% versus 15%), studies show that more men seek treatment for their hemorrhoids.
Men’s clothing tends to hide the spider veins and varicose veins more than women’s clothing, so men might not feel as tempted to seek treatment. However, treating varicose veins is more than just a cosmetic concern. Left untreated, varicose veins can cause aches, throbbing, and a sensation of heaviness. Treating vein disease can help you avoid these unpleasant symptoms.
Risk Factors and Causes of Vein Disease in Men
There are many causes of venous disease, including:
Family history of venous disease
One of the main causes of venous diseases, including varicose veins, is genetic predisposition. Men with a family history of venous disease are more likely to develop venous diseases as well.
Venous disease, including chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins, are hereditary. If you have one parent with venous disease, your risk of developing vein disease goes up by 40%, but if both of your parents have venous disease, your risk skyrockets up to 90%.
Career
Another risk factor for venous disease, regardless of gender, is having any career that involves prolonged standing or sitting. This can impact men who sit for prolonged hours (such as driving a truck) or standing on their feet all day.
Age
Age is a risk factor for venous disease for both men and women, making this a risk factor that’s not within your control.
Weight
Being overweight also increases your risk of developing vein disease, and unfortunately, 34.1% of men are overweight. This is compared to 27.5% of women who are overweight.
Why Treatment Matters
Statistically, more women develop venous disease than men, but men have higher rates of severe venous disease. Treating venous disease can help you eliminate pesky symptoms of varicose veins. Treatment can also help you avoid complications of untreated vein disease, such as blood clots and ulcers, and improve the appearance of your legs in the process.
At Vein Institute, more than 20% of patients are men, and our team is happy to offer a variety of treatments for vein conditions. The good news about vein problems is there’s a wide range of conservation and surgical treatments that can help. Conservative treatment options include:
- Compression stockings
- Regular exercise
- Elevating your legs
- Medication
- Lifestyle changes, such as shifting from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle
If conservative methods aren’t enough to alleviate your symptoms, you may require more intensive treatment to restore the health and functionality of your veins. Your Vein Institute provider creates a treatment plan based on your specific vein disease and the severity of it.
Your potential treatments include:
This June, put your vascular health first! If you’re suffering from heavy, achy legs, or if you’d like to eliminate the tell-tale bulges of varicose veins, contact the location closest to you: Fairfield, Newtown, or Shelton, Connecticut. You can also request your appointment online.
“The quality of service at vein institute was excellent: the staff helped treat my varicose vein which was creating a lot of pain and discomfort. Dr. Afshar even called on his day off to see how my leg was doing after surgery. The whole staff was very pleasant and incredibly professional, I highly recommend for anyone with vein issues!” – Tim
References:
- Varicose Veins | Circulation (ahajournals.org)
- Epidemiology of Hemorrhoids (news-medical.net)
- Venous Disease: Types & Treatments (clevelandclinic.org)
- Chronic venous disease and the genetic influence – Servier – PhlebolymphologyServier – Phlebolymphology
- Risk Factors for Chronic Venous Disease: the San Diego Population Study – PMC (nih.gov)
- Overweight & Obesity Statistics | NIDDK (nih.gov)
- Association Between Hemorrhoids and Lower Extremity Chronic Venous Insufficiency – PMC (nih.gov)