14 VITALITY Fall 2025 More than skin-deep Those swollen leg veins may signal underlying health issues You may feel a little self-conscious about those pesky purple veins in your legs, often called spider or varicose veins. They also could be causing more damage than you might think. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when the valves in the veins lose the ability to fully close. This makes it hard for blood to return to the heart. Some blood stops moving up the veins. It then falls back down and collects due to gravity. As many as 35% of adults in the U.S. have CVI. It’s more common in women than in men. Diagnosis A physical exam of the legs can identify CVI. A family history of CVI is another critical factor. Your doctor may refer you to a surgeon for a simple venous ultrasound. It lets the surgeon know the diameter of the vessel and how leaky the valves are. Treatment The first line of defense is lifestyle changes, including: ● Maintaining a healthy diet and weight. ● Regular exercise. ● Lower extremity elevation. ● Avoiding smoking. ● Wearing compression socks. ● Moisturizing the legs. “Moisturizing the legs may seem unimportant, but it is very important,” says Rachel Pruett, M.D., a general surgeon with the CMH General Surgery Clinic. “If you have any type of swelling in the legs, moisturizing the legs helps prevent worse complications.” Compression socks are an easy, nonsurgical treatment to support the veins. People at high risk of CVI can wear compression socks. These socks should have 10 to 15 mmHg of compression for those without symptoms or visible vessels and 20 to 30 mmHg for those with symptoms or visible vessels. They help prevent or delay the onset of CVI. If surgery is necessary, the surgeon may close off an affected vein or remove all or part of the vein. Detect it early Dr. Pruett emphasizes that CVI can indicate serious health issues. “Although it seems like these bulging veins are cosmetic, catching CVI early and treating it early is the best way to address it,” Dr. Pruett says. “CVI is a sign of underlying issues. If you can’t prevent it completely, you can postpone it.” Talk to your primary care provider about CVI or call the CMH General Surgery Clinic at 417-326-8700.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2MTU5NA==