To explain how untreated vein disease progresses, we have to focus on one particular disease. So in this article, doctors from our Gilbert vein treatment center will talk only about the stages of varicose veins, which occur when the valves that keep blood flowing towards the heart become “leaky,” allowing blood to pool in the veins and make them swell and become discolored.

The most common ways that varicose vein symptoms progress
  1. The first stage of varicose vein progression occurs when the diseased veins that have become filled with blood become visible.
  2. In the second stage of varicose vein progression, patients experience itchiness, burning, or numbness along the veins themselves, and tiredness or achiness in their legs.
  3. The most common stage three symptom is edema (swelling), which occurs because the vein disease impairs your body’s ability to reabsorb fluids.
  4. Stage four symptoms are characterized by changes to skin color or texture, in which the skin covering the diseased veins becomes reddish-brown or white, and takes on a brittle, leathery texture that leaves it prone to injury.
  5. In stage five, scratches to this brittle skin turn into ulcers, but still respond to superficial treatment.
  6. In stage six, the leg ulcers stop responding to superficial treatment, and can leave the patient’s legs covered with bleeding, open sores that won’t heal
What can I do to prevent my vein disease from getting this bad?

In two words, seek treatment. Find the most qualified Arizona vein specialists you can, and allow them to help you. If they diagnose CVI early enough, Phoenix varicose vein treatment specialists can often start with conservative forms of treatment such as diet, exercise, and the use of compression stockings. If the disease has progressed to later stages, it may require more aggressive treatments that actually involve removing the diseased veins entirely. But in every case the first step in finding out what the best treatment options are for you is to call our Arizona vein treatment center and set up an appointment for a consultation. You’ll be happy you did.

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