Swollen Veins in Hands

Veins are blood vessels that perform the vital function of carrying blood to the heart. Most of these blood vessels are carriers of deoxygenated blood, but the pulmonary veins are an exception, as they carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart. Veins are categorized into deep veins and superficial veins. Deep veins, as the name suggests, lie deeper in the body, while the superficial veins lie close to the surface of the skin. Deep veins are generally located beside an artery and are carriers of a substantial amount of blood. The superficial veins are visible to us due to their closeness to the surface of the skin. At times, these superficial veins might swell up. You might have seen people with veins popping out in the hands or feet. For those who are very conscious about their appearance, this might be a cause of cosmetic concern. In this article, we will look into the causes and treatment of swollen veins in hands. Given below is some information on what causes veins in hands to bulge.

What Causes Veins to Swell Up?

Swelling in the superficial veins in hands can be caused due to a wide range of reasons. Protruding veins in hands is not always a cause of serious concern. Veins in hands could swell up as a result of aging. Various bodily changes are a part and parcel of the inevitable process of aging. As we age, our skin loses its tautness and elasticity. This leads to wrinkles and lines on skin. Aging can also affect the elasticity of the walls of the veins. As the skin becomes thinner or fragile, the superficial veins in the hands start looking very prominent. Veins might also look more prominent due to significant weight loss. Vascular diseases could also be responsible for causing veins to bulge. Varicose veins is one condition that causes the veins to look distorted. It is characterized by raised and twisted veins.

Varicose veins occur when the valves that facilitate the passage of blood to the heart and prevent the blood from flowing back to the veins, are unable to function properly. This causes the blood to accumulate in the veins and leads to the swelling of veins. Though this condition mainly affects the superficial veins present in the legs, it can also affect the ones in our hands. Hormonal imbalances during pregnancy or menopause could also cause veins to swell up. The increase in blood volume during pregnancy could be responsible for swollen veins. If swelling is also accompanied by redness, itching or burning sensation, it's possible that the veins might have become inflamed. In medical parlance, this condition is referred to as phlebitis. Blood clotting disorders can also cause the veins to swell up. Blood clots could also form as a result of hormonal imbalance due to use of hormone pills. Intravenous administration of drugs could also cause veins in the hands to swell up.

Treatment of Swollen Veins

Bulging veins might not always be a serious problem. It is, therefore, essential to determine whether these prominent-looking veins are simply a result of aging, or an underlying medical condition is causing the veins to swell up. If the veins are healthy, then there is not really a need to follow surgical procedures, however, certain procedures can be employed if one is keen on getting rid of these hand veins for cosmetic reasons. Sclerotherapy is one such method that is used for the treatment of varicose veins. This procedure involves injecting the prominent veins with a sclerosant. As a result, the walls of such veins constrict and the flow of blood is cut off. Eventually the vein fades away. Ambulatory phlebectomy is another procedure that can be used for correcting varicosities. This procedure is performed by making small incisions and extracting these veins with a phlebectomy hook. Vein stripping and vein ligation are other procedures that are used for treating varicose veins. While vein ligation involves tying off the vein to cut off the blood supply, vein stripping is done by tying the upper portion of the swollen vein, followed by its removal. These days endovenous laser ablation is very commonly used for treating this condition. This is a minimally invasive procedure wherein laser fiber is inserted into the swollen vein. The heat causes the vein to collapse and fade away.

This was some information on what causes veins in hands to bulge. If swollen veins are making your hands look ugly, you can consult a doctor for making such veins look less prominent.