Chicago Vein Specialist: Is Overweight Damaging to Veins

Chicago Vein Specialist: Is Overweight Damaging to Veins

If you are overweight or obese, chances are you already don’t feel your best. Many overweight individuals are self-conscious about their size and can feel tired or generally unwell. Add additional health problems such as vein disease to the mix and you can feel just plain horrible. Being overweight and having bulging, ropey leg veins can make you feel bad inside and out.

The bad news is that being overweight could be contributing to your vein problems. The good news is that a Chicago vein specialist such as Dr. Ramon Castro and his team at Chicago Vein Care Center can help treat the damaged veins and guide you towards a healthier life overall.

What do Chicago residents need to know about the link between being overweight and vein disease?

Being overweight is a major risk factor for many medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and vein disease. Carrying around extra weight is stressful to your body in many ways, including putting unnecessary strain on your veins. Your leg veins work hard enough to move blood against gravity up to the heart and lungs. Add extra weight, poor diet, and a sedentary lifestyle and you have the recipe for unhealthy veins.

Being overweight is a risk factor for varicose veins

Unsightly spider and varicose veins are common signs of vein disease in people of any size or weight, although they typically result in little more than an aesthetic inconvenience. These problem veins arise when venous insufficiency causes the vein pumping action to become ineffective in moving the blood through the vein. Instead of flowing upward toward the heart and lungs, the vein blood becomes trapped inside the vein. The overfilled vein wall then becomes stretched out, discolored and mangled in appearance, which can be devastating to your self-esteem and can produce bothersome or painful side effects.

Standing or sitting for too long, being overweight, and several other factors can contribute to varicose veins by making the already overworked veins work even harder to circulate blood throughout the body.

Obesity increases your risk for blood clots in the veins

Obesity is a major risk factor for deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which a blood clot forms inside the deep leg veins. These veins transport blood directly to the heart and lungs, making an easy path for a clot to travel up and become lodged in a major organ, causing potentially life-threatening complications, such as pulmonary embolism.

The risks for these conditions increase in everybody age 50 and up, but obesity increases blood clot risk up to 5 fold for obese individuals under age 40. For obese women taking birth control pills or using a contraceptive patch or ring, the risk for developing dangerous blood clots is even higher. Contact a Chicago vein expert or another doctor right away if you suspect you have a blood clot.

You can prevent vein damage before it starts

If you are overweight or obese, there are things you can do to prevent vein disease. One of the most effective ways is through weight loss. With your doctor’s approval, begin regular physical activity that is easy on your legs such as walking, biking, or swimming. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while eliminating or reducing junk food from your diet. Healthy diet and exercise help nourish your veins and improve vein function in addition to aiding in your weight loss goals and overall wellbeing.

If you already have varicose veins or are worried about your blood clot risk, you have options to get better too. Vein removal in Chicago is fast and easy and will help improve your vein health as well as diminish the outer appearance of unsightly leg veins. When you’re ready, call us at 773-283-7887 to make an appointment with our Chicago vascular doctor for a vein screening. We look forward to seeing you soon!