Varicose Vein Ask a Provider

I have redness around the varciose veins and according to the articles you are calling this stasis dermatis or ulcerations. Should i try compression stockings? would this work? If, not what is my next option? And what kind of doctor do i go to, and what would be the best treatment for me?

Thanks for the inquiry Margie.

There are actually 2 common reasons for redness around varicose veins. The first is stasis dermatitis. This is skin irritation from the backflow of blood in the broken veins. Basically, the skin is unhealthy due to poor vein circulation. This usually starts as a small patch of redness and grows over months to years. The other explanation is superficial thrombophlebitis. This is where a clot forms in the varicose vein. This happens because blood flow in a varicose vein is very slow and slow moving blood tends to want to clot. This is not the dangerous kind of clot that can go to the heart or lungs, but can become red, hot, and very tender. This is usually a small area and comes on over hours to days and resolves on its own in about 2-3 weeks. Compression Socks do help with venous backflow and thus with skin problems. However, it is a temporary fix and would most likely return in the future if you stopped wearing them. Many times the disease is too far along for sock to help much.

It sounds as if you have rather significant varicose vein disease and I would recommend that you have a consult with a vein specialist. Try to locate a physician who uses "Endoluminal" techniques. If you ask about this when you call, they should be able to tell you.

Both of the above problems do get better with treatment of the
offending varicose vein.

Thanks again,
Eric Davis, PA-C; MPAS

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