What is a collapsed vein?

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As an adult, you have about 100,000 miles of blood vessels inside your body, forming an interconnected highway that’s responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients, fluid, disease-fighting cells and other critical elements to every area of your body. Your blood vessels also play an important role in delivering medicine and in providing those blood samples your doctor needs to diagnose diseases and check for other conditions that can have a direct impact on your overall health.

Normally, needles used to deliver medicine, extract blood or even provide treatments for vascular diseases are used without any problem at all. But sometimes, injections or treatments can cause a vein to become irritated, inflamed and swollen, resulting in what’s called a collapsed vein. A collapsed vein is just what it sounds like: It forms when the sides of the vessel “fall in” or squeeze shut, sealing off the vein so blood can no longer flow through the vein.

Collapsed veins: causes and symptoms

Collapsed veins are most commonly associated with repeated injections into a specific vein or specific portion of a vein. While sometimes a collapse can be temporary (caused by minor irritation), other times the collapse can be permanent, which means blood will no longer be able to flow through that vein. Permanent vein collapse is most commonly associated with:

  • using a vein repeatedly for multiple injections
  • using a needle with a blunt tip
  • medications that irritate the vessel lining
  • improper injection technique, including withdrawing a needle too quickly

Having weak or fragile veins or varicose veins can also increase the risk of having a vein collapse.

Once a vein collapses, symptoms can include pain, bruising and discoloration, tingling or numbness, and cold sensations resulting from impaired blood flow, especially in the hands and feet.

Vein treatment for collapsed veins

A vein that collapses temporarily following an injection or blood draw may heal once the inflammation subsides. But permanently collapsed veins can’t recover. Sometimes, the body forms new, tiny veins to help restore circulation in the area; however, these tiny veins are smaller and weaker than “normal” veins, and they cannot be used for future injections.

While there is no vein treatment designed to cure or heal collapsed veins, there are steps you can take to make sure your other veins stay as healthy as possible. By improving your overall vein health, you may be able to compensate for the loss of circulation caused by the collapsed vein, and you may also be able to prevent future vein problems. Seeing a doctor who’s skilled in varicose vein treatment and other vein treatment options is an important part of preventing serious circulation problems, whether you have collapsed veins or not. And it’s especially important if you have spider veins, varicose veins, or symptoms associated with collapsed veins. Take the first step toward better vascular health. Call Siragusa Vein & Laser at 615-777-0744 and schedule your free vein screening today.

Getting Your Insurance To Cover Your Vein Treatment

Many of our patients are very surprised to learn that Insurance often covers the treatment of symptomatic spider veins. The insurance specialists at Siragusa Vein and Laser have compiled a list of ways to get your insurance provider to cover your treatment.

Take The First Step

If you are ready to stop hiding your legs and dealing with the embarrassment of spider veins, let Dr. Siragusa and his team get you back to loving your legs and living your life.