Understanding diabetes

India is the diabetic capital of the world. Many people around the globe are prone to this metabolic disorder that happens due to elevated blood sugar levels. It can occur in two types. People are affected by type 1 diabetes when the body does not produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes is found in people when the body cannot effectively use the insulin produced. Diabetes tends to accumulate glucose in the bloodstream, which could lead to many health complications.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an insulin-dependent diabetes. People usually develop this type of diabetes in their childhood and adolescence. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. It destroys insulin-producing cells, leading to less insulin in the body.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type associated with factors like a sedentary lifestyle. This type of diabetes makes your body insulin resistant, spiking insulin levels in the body.

Understanding varicose veins

Varicose veins are commonly found in the lower extremities of the body, especially the legs, due to venous insufficiency. When varicose veins hit you, you may experience symptoms like pain, heaviness in your legs and inflammation. People who suffer from diabetic problems are likely to suffer from varicose veins due to different risk factors for venous insufficiency, like poor blood circulation, peripheral arterial disease, and high blood pressure. There is a link between diabetes and varicose veins. Diabetic patients are likely to suffer more severe varicose vein symptoms when compared to other patients. Varicose veins are a progressive disease that needs early treatment to prevent further damage to the veins.

The link between diabetes and varicose veins

Varicose veins and diabetes are two different health conditions. The varicose vein problem occurs when the veins become nonfunctional and fail to transport blood back to the heart. Though there is no direct relation between diabetes and varicose veins, the associated effects of diabetes add more pressure on veins, increasing pre-existing vein disorders.

• Obesity

There is a close association between diabetes and being overweight. Whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, you tend to gain weight in the former case, and you are already overweight in the latter case. Excess body weight puts more pressure on veins, and the blood vessels tend to weaken, leading to the development of varicose veins.

• Thickening of blood

People are prone to diabetes due to increased blood sugar levels in the body, which makes your blood thick. The veins in the legs tend to strain more to push blood back to the heart and fight sores and infections, so people with diabetes are at risk of developing varicose veins. If you are already suffering from both health conditions, you are likely to develop health complications like ulcers and chronic vein problems. Optimal varicose vein treatments are very important to prevent the disease from progressing.

• Building plaque

High blood sugars in the body due to diabetes harden arteries and build plaque, impacting the functionality of blood vessels. They tend to narrow further and stiffen over time, adding excess pressure on veins and valves. The damaged valves may have to work hard to pump the blood back, resulting in poor blood circulation, leading to varicose veins.

• Shared risk factors

Both health conditions share common risk factors like a sedentary lifestyle and excess weight. People who are prone to diabetes tend to have more body weight, which puts excess pressure on their veins, leading to varicose veins.

• Elevated blood sugar levels

Increased blood sugar levels in the body put oxidative stress on blood vessels and contribute to vein damage, which could contribute to varicose veins.

How to prevent varicose veins when you have diabetes?

• Keep your blood sugars under control

Diabetic patients have to check their blood sugar levels on a regular basis and keep them in control with exercise and medication to prevent the risk of varicose veins.

• Regular exercise

Engage in regular low-impact exercises to promote blood circulation through the veins.

• Diet plan

Have a well-balanced diet by including rich fibre that benefits both overall health and vein health as well.

• Proper weight management

Obesity is one of the major risk factors for varicose veins and diabetes. You have to lose weight to manage varicose vein symptoms and prevent the chances of developing ulcers. Losing weight also helps in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.

• Stay hydrated

You should keep your body well hydrated to improve blood flow in the veins. Having an unquenchable thirst could indicate mismanaged diabetes.

• No prolonged standing or sitting

If you are involved in standing and sitting for long hours, the veins in the legs will suffer from external pressure, leading to varicose veins. An active lifestyle is important to maintain a healthy blood flow in the body in both cases.

Treatment options

Suppose none of the above preventive measures work for you to manage varicose veins. In that case, you may have to consult the vein doctor to treat the vein disease at the earliest for optimal results because it may be difficult to heal chronic vein conditions like venous ulcers when you have diabetes. You need not delay expert consultation for varicose veins for fear of underlying health conditions like diabetes that cannot be reversed. A few non-invasive varicose veins treatments for diabetic patients include

• Sclerotherapy

It is a minimal procedure suggested by the experts for diabetic patients to treat varicose veins in the early stages. A special liquid is passed through a nonfunctional vein to irritate it and make it swell. The swollen veins stick together, preventing the blood from flowing through them. You can now witness varicose vein symptoms like pain and inflammation in veins. The scar tissue collapses and eventually gets absorbed into the body, thus treating the underlying cause of varicose veins.

• Endovenous laser treatment

Endovenous laser treatment is suggested by experts for diabetic patients who are suffering from mild and large varicose veins. The non-surgical procedure uses laser energy to treat varicose veins. It is known to have fewer risks and complications compared to surgical procedures. The laser energy heats the vein and collapses the damaged vein, which gets absorbed into the body. There will be no possibility for the blood to flow through damaged veins; the symptoms of varicose veins can be managed effectively.

• Radiofrequency ablation

If you are a diabetic patient and having varicose veins deep inside the legs. The procedure involves using high radio frequency waves to pass optimal heat into nonfunctional and damaged veins and reduce varicose vein symptoms like pain and swelling. The heat blocks the damaged vein and stops blood flow through it so that blood doesn’t get pooled in the veins and worsen your symptoms further. These treated veins will be absorbed into the body, promoting healthy blood flow through the veins.

Conclusion

It is very important to understand the link between diabetes and varicose veins for early detection and better treatments for both problems. Diabetes prompts you to maintain a healthy body weight, manage blood sugars, and have an active lifestyle. The same prevention tips help you manage varicose veins as well. Suppose you notice the symptoms of varicose veins and are already suffering from pre-existing health conditions like diabetes. In that case, you need to consult the vein experts at Avis Hospitals at the earliest to get them treated and prevent further progression of the disease, which is difficult to heal in the later stages because of the underlying health condition (diabetes). The experts can treat varicose veins in diabetic people with fewer risks and complications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Are diabetes and varicose veins interlinked?

Diabetes does not make any direct contribution, but it can worsen varicose veins with poor blood circulation, raising blood pressure that weakens vein valves.

• How does diabetes lead to varicose veins?

Diabetes is an irreversible health condition and involves high blood sugar, which in turn thickens the blood and makes it difficult for the veins to push the blood back to the heart. The vein valves tend to weaken over time, leading to varicose veins.

•  Do varicose veins and diabetes share common risk factors?

Yes, both health conditions tend to worsen with a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, and poor blood circulation.

• Will diabetes worsen varicose veins?

Yes, varicose veins will quickly progress to later stages in diabetic patients when compared to normal people. Early intervention for varicose veins is very important for diabetic people.

• What are the treatments needed for varicose veins in diabetic people?

Varicose veins in diabetic people can be cured with minimally invasive procedures like sclerotherapy, endovenous ablation therapy and radiofrequency ablation.