As hot weather means that shorts season is still ongoing, you’ve probably become fairly well acquainted with the look of your bare legs.
Maybe, you’ve noticed some spider or varicose veins across both legs, something we’ve covered extensively on this site. But you also may have noticed something peculiar — one of your legs has more veins than the other.
If you have more varicose veins on one side than the other, don’t worry. We’re practicing vein specialists in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, and in our practice, we’ve seen all kinds of varicose veins in every spot on the leg you can imagine. In this article, we’re going to detail why you might have more varicose veins on your left leg rather than your right leg, if you should be concerned, and, most importantly, what can be done about it.
Why Are There More Varicose Veins on One Leg?
As you have veins spread evenly amongst your legs, it would be natural to assume that both legs would develop varicose veins at the same time and at the same rate. In some cases, this is true — but don’t be surprised if one overtakes the other in varicose vein development.
Varicose veins develop when a vein is damaged and/or can no longer work properly. As this can happen at uneven rates, it’s likely that one leg will start to show varicose veins before the other, even if they see equal activity and damage.
Still, searching around the internet will show that many complain that varicose veins are more common in the left leg, with numerous vein specialists acknowledging that they have seen this phenomenon in their practice.
This is backed up by some data: a study done way back in 1966 noted that, of 34 patients with a vein issue called ‘deep vein thrombosis’, 29 of them experienced it in their left legs. The study speculated that this was due to the left iliac vein being compressed between the right iliac artery and the pelvic brim, leading to vein issues.
However, there are a few issues with this idea.
First, as the study acknowledges, another study had previously observed that incidences of Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens, a form of deep vein thrombosis, could be found evenly in each leg — 115 cases in the right leg, 110 in the left, and 32 in both. This calls into question the notion that one leg is more likely to have this vein issue. Coupled with the fact that this study had a small sample size of only 34 people, all of the available data points to the idea that more research is needed on this issue.
I Have More Veins on One Leg than the Other — Is That Bad?
Short answer: not necessarily. If your varicose veins are painful, stick out far from the skin, or present other issues in your life, you should get them checked out by a vein specialist. But the fact that you count more veins on one leg than the other is not an immediate cause for concern.
If you have substantially more varicose veins on one leg than the other, go to a vein specialist, such as our Milwaukee, Wisconsin practice, and have them take a look. If there is a specific issue making your varicose veins worse, they will be able to help you diagnose it and resolve it.
How Do I Get Rid of the Varicose Veins in One Leg?
The solution to varicose veins in one leg is the same as the solution to varicose veins in both legs: treatment.
Vein treatment is easy, quick, and mostly painless. When you work with a vein specialist, they will be able to help you quickly devise a solution to your specific vein issue. Most of the time, the treatment required for a vein issue can be performed quickly, with a majority of patients able to return to work the same day.
If you are interested in vein treatment, reach out to us via our contact form — we’ll work with you to find a solution to your specific vein issue.