Blood,heart & circulation

Bulging hand veins: 10 Causes, 6 Treatments

Bulging hand veins or prominent hand veins can make you feel uncomfortable due to their appearance or in some people, it might indicate some underlying medical problem as well.

Bulging hand veins Causes:

Bulging hand veins
Image Source: firstcry.com

There are several causes of Bulging hand veins or prominent appearing hand veins. Some causes are very minor and there is no reason to worry about them. But, for some causes of these prominent hand veins, we need to seek medical help for further management. The causes are:

Low fat in the body:

Some people are very lean due to genetics or other reasons. In such people as the fat under the skin is low, veins are visible very easily from outside. Even if you were overweight before and you lose weight now, veins are easily visible.

Ageing:

As your age increases, there are several changes in your body. There are changes in your skin and your veins too. The valves which control the flow of blood through your veins become weak during old age.

Due to this, there is the retention of blood in the veins in one place. This increases the size of the veins due to which they appear prominent. Also, the skin loses the elastic nature. Due to this, the skin becomes thin and there is the appearance of bulging hand veins.

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Hereditary factors:

Hereditary factors or genes play an important role in the way every part of our body looks. So, if anyone from your families like parents, grandparents or siblings have bulging hand veins, there is more probability for you to have them as well.

Exercising:

When you take part in exercise, there is increased blood pressure. Due to this, the veins enlarge and are visible. But, after you complete exercise, the veins get back to their normal position and are not visible.

But, if you take part in heavy weight lifting exercises regularly, the appearance of bulging hand veins can become permanent due to thickening of muscles in your veins.

Varicose veins:

Varicose veins develop when the valves of your veins don’t work properly. Veins generally collect blood from some part of the body and send it to the heart. Valves of the veins prevent the backflow of the blood into the region from which the blood was collected.

But, due to the weakness of the veins in varicose veins, the blood flows backwards and we can see the bulging veins. But varicose veins are more common on legs than on hands.

Hot weather:

When you are in hot weather, the valves of the veins do not work properly. This increases the blood present in the veins. Also, the blood flow to the skin increases when the weather is hot. So, both these factors enlarge the veins and make them appear prominent.

DVT:

DVT is the abbreviation of deep vein thrombosis. It is a condition in which thrombus or blood clot forms in the deeper veins. Due to the blood clot, the veins appear prominent and also the affected region becomes swollen and painful. Like varicose veins, DVT is also common in legs in comparison to the arms or hands.

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Phlebitis:

Phlebitis is the inflammation or swelling of the veins. If the veins of the hands become swollen or inflamed due to any cause, they appear prominent. Phlebitis can occur due to many reasons like infections, injury, etc.

Superficial Thrombophlebitis:

Superficial thrombophlebitis is the inflammation or swelling of the superficial veins due to the formation of thrombus or blood clot in the vein. It can be seen in people who have got insertion of Intravenous line or IV cannula.

Hormonal Changes:

Hormonal changes can also be a reason for the appearance of bulging hand veins. In some women, the appearance of these prominent veins can be seen during pregnancy or menopause, as they undergo hormonal changes during this time.

Bulging hand veins Treatment Options:

Bulging hand veins can be due to medical problems or due to some simple issues like we have discussed before. The treatment for bulging hand veins depends on the underlying cause. The treatment options for these prominent hands veins are:

Phlebitis treatment:

If your enlarged veins are caused due to inflammation of veins, then the doctor may prescribe you antibiotics if he suspects infection as the cause. He might also give you pain killers, and advise applying a warm compress and to elevate your hand.

DVT treatment:

If the doctor suspects you have any blood clot in your deep veins, he will perform certain imaging studies to diagnose it and if it’s confirmed, you will be put on blood-thinning medication.

Other treatments:

There are certain treatments which are done if you have any cosmetic issues or if you have varicose veins. They are:

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Sclerotherapy:

In this method, a chemical is injected into the vein. This chemical induces scar formation so that the affected vein is closed.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy:

In this method, the part of the vein which is enlarged or affected is cut out or removed surgically.

Laser therapy:

In this therapy, your physicians might use the light waves to close the affected veins. Small veins can be closed using this technique.

Vein Stripping and ligation:

In this method, the person needs to be given general anaesthesia. In this method, the surgeon ties and removes the vein which supplies blood to the affected vein. This surgical procedure is only used for large veins.

I hope you have understood all the causes and available treatment options for bulging hand veins. You need to consult your physician to diagnose the underlying cause and treat them.

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