Your legs work hard all day supporting your weight while you walk, climb stairs, and do many other simple, everyday tasks. Add in strain from exercise, yard work, or other activities you’re not used to, and it shouldn’t be surprising that by the end of the day, you wind up dealing with discomfort and fatigue in your legs and feet.
Such aches and fatigue are a completely normal consequence of excess strain on your leg muscles. But when pain happens without extra work or when those tired legs recur or worsen, it might be due to something else entirely: a problem with your veins.
At Laser & Varicose Vein Treatment Center, Inam Haq, MD, FACS, and Sushilkumar Samant, MD, FACS, specialize in getting to the root cause of chronic or recurrent leg symptoms, using state-of-the-art evaluations and testing to help your legs stay comfortable and healthy. Here, learn how vein problems happen and what to do if you’re dealing with heavy, tired, aching legs.
You know the critical role the heart plays in pumping blood throughout the body. But what many don’t realize is that veins play an important part in that process, too.
Veins contain tiny valves that open and close synchronously, keeping blood moving from your extremities — like your lower legs and feet — back to your heart. When there’s a problem with those valves or with your veins in general, it interferes with that process. Instead of moving swiftly back to your heart, blood slows down, putting pressure on your blood vessel walls.
In turn, that increased pressure can lead to aching, swelling, itching, cramping, and a sensation of heaviness or fatigue. These symptoms often become more noticeable after you’ve spent hours on your feet or sitting in one position. By the time evening rolls around, those symptoms tend to be at their peak.
While many people think they don’t have vein problems unless they have visible varicose veins, that’s not the case. Even though varicose veins can develop due to problems like chronic venous insufficiency, you can experience circulation-related symptoms even in the absence of those bulging, purplish veins.
Specifically, pay special attention if your tired, heavy legs are accompanied by:
It’s true that these symptoms can have causes that don’t necessarily involve your veins. But because they’re also associated with circulation problems, you shouldn’t ignore them, especially if they’re chronic or persistent or if they worsen by the end of the day.
Because your tissues and organs rely on normal patterns of circulation, it’s no surprise that delaying leg vein treatment can lead to complications. That’s why it’s important to schedule a vein evaluation right away if you’re experiencing these symptoms.
During your visit, our team reviews your symptoms, your medical history, and your personal risk factors for vein disease. We may recommend duplex ultrasound to gain insight into how well your blood is circulating.
Based on what our evaluation finds, we prescribe treatment focused on restoring circulation, relieving your symptoms, and improving overall vein health. Your specific treatment plan will be tailored to your needs and might include recommendations like:
For more advanced issues, we also offer vein surgery using the most advanced techniques and technology for optimal long-term outcomes.
While occasional leg discomfort may not be anything to worry about, don’t ignore achiness, swelling, and heaviness that happen on a continual or repeated basis. If you have tired legs every evening, it’s time to see our professional team for an evaluation.
To determine what’s causing your leg symptoms and learn what we can do to help, request an appointment online or over the phone at the Laser & Varicose Vein Treatment Center today. We have locations in Staten Island’s Midland Beach or Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York.
