Specialists from a Top Vein Center in Montgomery County Answer the Question, "What Is Vein Disease?"

If you were to conduct a "Man On The Street" interview with random people and ask them the question in the title of this article, most would probably say, "Uh…varicose veins, right?" Pose a follow-up question to this group of people and ask them whether vein disease is a real disease, and the most common answer would probably be, "No…varicose veins are just a cosmetic issue, and one that only affects women, too, so it's not a real disease."

Bzzzzzzzzt. Wrong answers. Vein disease is a great deal more than varicose veins, and it is very much a real disease, one that affects an estimated 30 million Americans, including 50% of men over 50. And vein disease is anything but "just a cosmetic issue," because it results in symptoms that can become serious enough to cause disability. Left untreated, some forms of vein disease can be fatal.

What Washington DC residents should know about vein disease

Your veins constitute an important part of your circulatory system – your heart and lungs replenish blood with oxygen and nutrients, your arteries pump it to your extremities and other organs, and your veins then pump the deoxygenated blood and waste materials back to the heart and lungs for renewal. Unlike your arteries, which have internal muscles to pump blood, your veins rely on the contraction and expansion of nearby muscles to provide the pumping action, which is controlled by a system of tiny, one-way valves. In a healthy person, these venous valves open to allow blood to pass through and then close.

The most common form of vein disease is called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), in which these venous valves become damaged and "leaky," and fail to close properly, allowing blood to flow back into the veins and pool there. This causes them to swell and become varicose, bulging and taking on the bluish-purple color of deoxygenated blood.

Why varicose veins are a real disease – what CVI does to your circulation

What Washington DC vein specialists will tell you about varicose veins is that they are impairing your circulation. One of the first indications of this will be that your legs feel tired and weak all the time, often so much that standing or walking becomes first painful, then in extreme cases impossible. Left untreated, these diseases cause your legs and ankles to become chronically swollen, and cause skin changes that can leave your legs covered with bleeding leg ulcers.

And none of this is the biggest problem. CVI and varicose veins weaken your immune system and greatly increase your likelihood of developing more serious diseases. Untreated varicose veins increase your risk of becoming obese and inactive, and similarly increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Worse, CVI and varicose veins aren't the worst form of vein disease

The impact of CVI on your system, though serious, is minor compared to the dangers of another common form of vein disease – deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This condition causes blood clots (thrombi) to form in the large veins of your legs. These veins are deep below the surface of the skin where they can't be seen, so most people who have DVT don't know it. The blood clots are bad because even if they remain where they formed they impair your circulation, but they become actually dangerous if they migrate through the veins to the lungs or brain. There they can cause a pulmonary embolism or a stroke. Over 300,000 Americans per year die of these

conditions. So yes, vein disease is serious, and a real disease.

How do I find out if I have vein disease and seek treatment if I have it?

This is the simple part – you just pick up your telephone and call the Washington DC varicose vein doctors at Cardiac Associates, P.C. Make an appointment for a venous health screening – a painless, non-invasive examination that can detect vein diseases in less than an hour. If it turns out that you have indications of CVI or DVT, a top vein center in Montgomery County can present you with treatment options that can eliminate these diseases. If it turns out that you don't have vein disease but that you are at high risk for it, the best vein doctors in Washington DC can help you to prevent it. Don't take chances on your health – call today.

Author Bio: Doctors from a top vein center in Montgomery County explain what vein disease is, and almost as important, what it is not.

For more information: www.venoushealthcenters.com

Best Vein Center In Washington DC has invasive vein treatment procedure. Venous Health Center offers to treat varicose or spider veins painless treatment.