The Vascular and Vein Institute is an MPSI practice managed by East Jefferson General Hospital.
Painful or Unsightly Leg Veins?
The latest techniques in vein therapy can not only relieve your pain, they can often make visible leg veins vanish from sight. Dr. Tod Engelhardt is a CVT Surgeon who is a leader in the successful and comprehensive treatment of the vein and vascular systems. Let him develop a personalized approach for you.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
- Increasing Age
As you get older, the valves that control the blood flow in your legs may weaken, (the failure of these veins, which leads to blood flowing backwards or pooling in your veins is what causes varicose veins).
- Medical History
About half of those with visible leg veins have a family member with the same condition.
- Hormonal Changes
Changes caused by puberty, pregnancy, menopause, taking birth control pills or other medications containing estrogen and/or progesterone can lead to varicose veins.
As mentioned above, pregnancy causes an increase in the amount of blood in the body. Not all bodies can accommodate that extra blood effectively. In most cases of varicose veins caused by pregnancy, the condition lessens or disappears within three months of birth. However, the condition seems to worsen with each subsequent pregnancy.
Being overweight taxes all your bodily systems including your veins and can lead to varicose veins.
- Sedentary Lifestyle
Your arteries carry blood from your heart to your body. Your veinous system returns blood from your body to your heart. A lack of exercise or movement means that system of ebb and flow are not being properly exercised and can lead to weakening or failure of these systems.
- Sun Exposure
Some fair-skinned individuals can develop spider or visible veins on their legs and faces from over exposure to sun light.