What are the harms of varicose veins?

Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
Updated on September 26, 2024
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The harms of varicocele are mainly manifested in the following aspects. The first aspect is that varicocele causes a sensation of dragging pain in the testicles, affecting the patient's normal work and life. The second aspect is that due to the presence of varicocele, there is a decline in the quality of male semen, which affects male fertility. The third aspect is that if the varicocele is severe and persists for a long time, it may lead to testicular atrophy, resulting in a decrease in the level of testosterone secretion by the testicles, which reduces male sexual function. Therefore, patients with varicocele, especially those with decreased semen quality, should actively seek surgical treatment, which currently mainly involves high ligation of the spermatic vein.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
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How is varicocele treated?

The treatment of varicocele depends on the severity of the condition. Clinically, some varicocele patients do not exhibit obvious symptoms, or show no symptoms at all and are only diagnosed during physical examinations. These patients can generally be treated conservatively by avoiding standing for long periods, avoiding prolonged walking, and by wearing tight underwear to alleviate symptoms of varicocele. However, some patients with varicocele do exhibit clear symptoms, including discomfort and pain in the scrotum on the affected side, especially after long periods of walking. These symptoms can become more severe and may also be accompanied by abnormalities in semen quality. These patients generally require surgical intervention, such as high ligation of the veins.

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Written by Zhang Xue Min
Vascular Surgery
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Will wearing compression stockings every day help with Grade 2 varicose veins?

In the grading of varicose veins, Grade II signifies that there are obvious superficial vein tortuosity and dilation, and some may even clump together, but without edema and pigmentation. For patients with such newly developed varicose veins, persisting in wearing compression stockings can possibly lead to improvement. The main principle here is that in patients with newly developed Grade II varicose veins, the damage to the venous valves may not be severe, but rather due to venous pressure causing vein dilation, resulting in the valves not closing tightly. In such cases, if we apply external force to ensure the valves close tightly, preventing further vascular dilation and reducing the force of damage to the valves, then there is a possibility of recovery to a certain extent. If the condition has been present for a longer time, and this valvular dilation has already resulted in long-term effects, wearing compression stockings might only help in reducing the potential for further progression, but it is unlikely to improve existing varicose veins significantly.

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Written by Zhang Xue Min
Vascular Surgery
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Does varicose veins hurt when pressed?

In most cases, varicose veins are not painful on touch. However, if they are painful when pressed, there are several possibilities. One is that there is an obstruction at the proximal end of the varicose vein, which is closer to the heart. This results in high local tension in the varicose vein, and pressing on it can stimulate the nerves in the surrounding membrane, causing pain on touch. Another possibility is that a blood clot has formed inside the varicose vein. The formation of blood clots is often accompanied by some sterile inflammation. When there is inflammation, symptoms can include redness, warmth, pain, and localized heat. Pressing on such an area can intensify the pain. Additionally, it is particularly important to emphasize that if varicose veins are painful on touch, one must visit a hospital and not press on them themselves. If there is a blood clot, pressing it could dislodge the clot, causing it to travel to the lungs and lead to a pulmonary embolism.

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Written by Zhang Xue Min
Vascular Surgery
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What does it mean when varicose veins occasionally have blocked blood flow?

The so-called varicose veins are caused by blood circulation blockages, which likely refers to local thrombus formation, leading to feelings of congestion in lower limbs, or caused by compression from above, such as tight clothing, exacerbating the obstruction of blood flow. This might result in increased surface tension of varicose veins in the lower extremities. Additionally, there might be some pain upon pressing, or even spontaneous pain. In such cases, differentiated treatment is required. For instance, if the issue is due to compressive clothing, like tight-knee socks or pants legs that are too tight, simply relieving the pressure should suffice. However, if a thrombus has formed causing increased local tension, pressing or massaging must be strictly avoided, as there is a risk the thrombus might dislodge and potentially lead to pulmonary embolism.

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Written by Zhang Xue Min
Vascular Surgery
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Can varicose veins occasionally be invisible?

When varicose veins are mild in their early stages, if you wear compression stockings during winter, it's possible that the varicosities are not very noticeable occasionally when you take off the stockings. However, in more advanced stages, when there are clearly widespread and clustered varicose veins, they are difficult to conceal. However, if deep vein thrombosis occurs, causing tissue edema, the swollen surrounding tissues may obscure the varicose veins, making them less visible. Therefore, we need to judge based on the specific circumstances. Generally, just because varicose veins are occasionally not visible does not mean that the condition has healed.