Ask people who don’t have varicose veins what their worst side effect is, and in most cases you’d receive the obvious answers – “They’re ugly.” “They make you look unattractive.” Ask the same question of people who have been trying to “live with” varicose veins for some time without seeking treatment, and you’d almost certainly get a different set of answers – “They hurt!” They make my legs and ankles constantly swollen!” “They have drained my energy so much I barely have the strength to walk, much less dance or play sports!”

And, while this second set of symptoms are all correct – and pretty much the inevitable result of untreated varicose veins – they still don’t tell the full story of “worst side effects of varicose veins.”

Ugly veins, painfully swollen legs, and no energy are just the start

Left untreated, varicose veins don’t get better – they get worse. For example, because the disease that causes them is crippling your circulation, untreated varicose veins often cause the skin on your legs and ankles to turn brownish and take on a leathery feel. This is because the underlying vein disease is preventing the skin from getting the supply of blood that it needs to remain healthy. Continue to resist treatment, and the skin covering the varicose veins starts to become so brittle and fragile that it becomes susceptible to injury – minor cuts and scrapes you might have ignored in the past become infected and may develop into full-blown leg ulcers, leaving your legs covered with open sores that will not heal.

And all of these side effects are still minor compared to what can occur

The symptoms we discuss above are all superficial – not in the sense of being unimportant, but because they’re visible, and appear on the surface of the skin. But beneath the surface of the skin, the vein disease that causes varicose veins is busy crippling your circulatory and immune systems, and greatly increasing your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and becoming obese.

But the story still isn’t complete because so far we’ve only mentioned physical side effects, and the emotional drain of having to live with all of these symptoms is simultaneously causing another set of mental health problems. People who are ashamed of their appearance because of varicose veins tend to become isolated from friends and family, and often become clinically depressed.

So what should you do to avoid these side effects if you have varicose veins?

You should contact the most reputable varicose vein treatment center in Hawaii and make an appointment with Hawaii vein specialist Dr. Randall S. Juleff. He can explain to you the many treatment options he offers – treatments than can quickly and painlessly eliminate your varicose veins forever. So call today and make an appointment for a consultation with one of the best vein doctors in Hawaii. You’ll be happy you did.