Alcohol impacts the body in innumerable ways both physiologically and psychologically. The depth of these impacts varies wildly from person to person. But what does alcohol do to your veins?
One thing that medical professionals have determined is that excessive alcohol use can increase your risk of developing some kind of vein disease. In particular, one becomes more vulnerable to developing either varicose or spider veins. At times like these, varicose vein treatment is called for.
What Does Alcohol Do to Your Veins?
If you’re interested in learning more about how drinking can impact your veins and the health of your circulatory system, take a look at this primer on how these forces interact in your body.
How Alcohol Impacts Your Circulatory System
Alcohol can have a number of impacts on one’s circulatory system. When the body’s circulatory system, a complex set of physiological elements, becomes stressed or damaged, its efficiency begins to decline.
Aging, genetics, and lifestyle factors can all contribute to this unfortunate phenomenon. Damaged veins can eventually develop into vein disease. This begins to develop when veins cannot efficiently send blood back to the heart. The blood instead begins to pool around certain areas of the body.
Alcohol can have deep and lasting impacts on ones overall health and the possible development of varicose and other types of veins. Taking proactive routes and not indulging too heavily in alcohol can help you to get a leg-up in guarding against the development of vein disease of some kind.
The effects of this process are fairly wide ranging in severity and overall effects. Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the many things that can ultimately lead to the development of vein disease of some kind. This is less because of alcohol directly contributing to vein disease than it is about alcohol facilitating the conditions that allow vein disease to develop.
The Development of Negative Veins
Alcohol can cause the heart rate to increase and circulation to speed up. As circulation speeds up with excessive alcohol use, the veins begin to struggle to keep up and might become damaged.
The liver damage that alcohol can cause can also contribute to the development of varicose veins. This is due to the thickening effect that liver damage can have on the blood.
At the end of the day, drinking too much alcohol can impact one’s circulation and contribute to the formation of adverse vein conditions. It can also exacerbate vein-related pain. If you’re already considered at risk for the development of some of these conditions, you should consider limiting your alcohol intake.
Signs You May Need Vein Treatment
It’s good to recognize the development of certain vein disease symptoms in the body. Recognizing these symptoms before they get out of hand can help one prevent having to receive further medical care in the future.
Some of the more serious vein disease symptoms include:
- Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
- Tire and aching legs
- Burning in the calves or thighs
- Leg pain that improves with walking or elevation
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Itchy and dry skin
- Difficulty standing for prolonged periods
- Wounds in the legs
- Varicose veins and spider veins
In general, it’s highly likely that one’s physician will advise you to cut back or stop drinking altogether depending on your overall health. They will at least likely advise you to approach drinking with moderation, as excessive drinking has the potential to lead to serious health consequences regardless.
Scheduling an Appointment With Your Vein Doctor
If you’re suffering from some manner of vein disease or are worried about the development of something of the sort, you’ll want to set up a consultation with a vein doctor to discuss your options for treatment.
A consultation of this sort can also help to clear up any confusion you might be experiencing regarding whether or not your personal vein situation is something worth worrying about. You might also be able to discover whether or not you are at risk for the development of vein disease.
All in all, this is probably your best opportunity to make a game plan for moving forward with some kind of treatment regarding your veins. Your doctor will also likely attempt to make an assessment of whether or not your general level of alcohol consumption is healthy.
The Trusted Vein Clinic of Beverly Hills
Dr. Hooman Madyloon and the rest of the team at Beverly Hills Vein and Cardiovascular Institute service the people of LA with the best vein treatment available. If you’re interested in having your vein problems diagnosed by a cardiovascular specialist, then contact our office today in order to set up an appointment.