“Will varicose veins go away if I lose weight?”
I'm a 39-year-old overweight female and I have varicose veins. Will varicose veins go away if I lose weight?
8 Answers
No.
Sometimes weight loss can improve existing varicose veins in appearance and or symptoms. However if they are large, it is more likely that losing weight will have a greater impact on your future and preventing worsening of your veins and swelling.
Once you have developed varicose veins they will not go away unless treated, but they may become less visible and cause you less discomfort and pain with weight loss as the elevated pressure inside the veins will be relieved to some degree by losing weight. Similarly, results following treatment for varicose veins will be better when patients have lost weight. When ablation is performed for venous insufficiency in obese patients, long term results are not as effective as they would be on patients who are not overweight.
No, cosmetically they will not disappear but the degree of venous reflux and associated discomfort/pain will improve.
Simply, no. Being overweight exacerbates your varicosities; however, the underlying reason you have them is the excessive pressure and backward flow in them. I see many patients who are in their ideal weight range for their height and whose BMIs are in the normal (or even low) range, who have symptomatic varicose veins. See a vein specialist to get informed about your varicose veins.
Losing weight will help prevent any worsening of your varicose veins. It may or may not help them go away depending on how much what is called venous insufficiency has become permanent condition - but is helpful to loose weight as well if considering treatment for better success of any procedures that are done
Likely, your varicose veins will not go away with weight loss. To make them go away, you have to eliminate the high pressure in your veins either by lifestyle modification or consistent use of compression stockings or through minor procedures done under local anesthesia in your vein specialist's clinic.
It will help. Compression stockings knee high are helpful. See a vascular surgeon though if you really want the best outcome
