With at least 34 main veins and countless smaller veins branching off, the human body is jam-packed with veins responsible for allowing blood and nutrients to flow throughout the body keeping us healthy. Without veins, the heart would not be able to pump blood from the top of your head down to all ten toes.
Big, bulging veins may be a part of your normal anatomy or can be caused by several reasons including:
Age
As you age, your body undergoes many changes including the loss of elasticity in your skin. When the skin loses elasticity and begins to become thinner with age, it cannot hide the veins in your hands as well as it used to, leaving your veins to become more visible and appear larger.
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is a serious condition affecting more than 80 million Americans each year. This condition affects the speed at which venous blood can return to the heart leaving a buildup of blood within the veins. This can cause the veins to appear bulging and can even lead to overstretching causing weakened veins.
Exercise
When you exercise, the heart must increase demand allowing more blood to flow through the body at a faster rate. As a result, veins appear larger due to the sudden increase of blood flowing through. Enlarged veins during exercise are often not a cause for concern and should return to normal once your heart has reached a relaxed state again.
Heat exposure
Have you spent more time outside during the extremely hot summer months and noticed your veins appear significantly larger? This is because hot temperatures cause your veins to dilate or widen, allowing the pooling of blood to occur within the veins. When the veins dilate and blood pools within them, they appear significantly larger. Your veins will return to a smaller, less noticeable state once the body has had ample time to cool.
Low body fat percentage
Individuals with a low percentage of body fat may find their veins much more visible in comparison to a person with a higher body fat percentage. This is because there is less fat to hide the veins of a person with a low body fat percentage. If you are unhappy with the bulging appearance of your veins, gaining a few pounds should help to cover them.
Treatment for veiny hands
While treatment may not be required for bulging hand veins as a result of heat exposure or exercise, other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, varicose veins, and superficial thrombophlebitis might be cause for consultation with a vein specialist. There are several treatment options available depending on the cause of enlarged veins including:
- Ambulatory phlebectomy – As a minimally invasive procedure, ambulatory phlebectomy allows a vascular surgeon to remove veins through small incision sites.
- Endovenous ablation therapy – Commonly referred to as laser therapy, ablation therapy removes veins through targeted radio or light waves.
- Sclerotherapy – A chemical solution is injected directly into veins resulting in vein collapse. Over the next few weeks, the injected veins will close permanently, thus reducing the appearance of bulging veins.
- Vein stripping and ligation – Through vein ligation, a vascular surgeon can surgically close and remove one or more veins.
Contact us at Vein & Vascular!
Do you find yourself struggling with bulging, visible veins in the hands or other areas of the body? Our highly trained team at Vein & Vascular can help! We are here to provide care for those suffering from deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins, and a variety of other venous disorders affecting daily life.
To schedule a consultation with one of our vascular specialists, contact the Vein & Vascular Institute at 856-309-9777. We look forward to helping you remain in excellent health for years to come.