Monmouth County Vein Expert: Vein Disease and Aging

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If you ask most people to describe what comes to mind when they hear the phrase "vein disease," they'll answer "varicose veins." Ask them to expand upon this and most of them will say, "You know…that old folks' disease."

The last comment is not completely true, because varicose veins can occur at any age, even in children and teenagers. But as a Monmouth County vein expert would tell you, the reason people believe it is true is because there really IS a link between aging and vein disease.

Your circulatory system has been working since the day you were born, without either rest or pauses for "preventive maintenance"

Your veins are part of a complex system that has been pumping 5 liters of blood per minute through 60,000 miles of blood vessels 24 hours a day for your whole life. Although your blood pressure does decrease a little while you sleep, your veins never get to stop pumping blood, and unlike arteries, your veins don't even have any internal muscles with which to pump blood. The venous system relies on the contraction of nearby muscles in your extremities to provide the pumping action that returns blood to the heart and lungs for renewal. What makes your circulation work properly are a series of tiny, fragile, one-way valves that open to allow blood to flow through on the way to the heart, and then – at least in a healthy circulatory system – close again so blood doesn't flow backwards.

The natural process of aging produces "wear and tear" on these tiny valves, and causes them to become weak and "leaky." This causes a condition called chronic venous insufficiency or CVI, which allows blood to flow back into the veins and pool there, causing them to swell and take on the bluish color of deoxygenated blood and voilà – the result is varicose veins.

MOST vein problems are caused by aging

Yes, there are other factors that cause vein disease, such as heredity (if one or more parents had varicose veins, chances are you'll get them, too), obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking. But the primary reason most vein disease occurs is because of aging. Your risk of developing varicose veins at age 60 is several times higher than your risk of developing them at age 40.

So…we can't stop aging…how do we protect ourselves against vein disease?

The most important thing you can do to fight vein disease and stay healthy is to get a venous health screening at your local Monmouth County vein clinic. In less than an hour – and as the result of a painless, non-invasive checkup – its expert Jersey Shore vein doctors can tell you whether or not you have vein disease. If you don't, they can tell you how to prevent it; if you do, they can tell you how to eliminate it, using minimally-invasive procedures that are almost as fast and painless as those used in the screening. So call us today at 732-403-3899 and set up an appointment for your own screening. You'll be glad you did.

Author Bio: Dr. Owano Pennycooke, noted Monmouth County Vascular Doctor, discusses aging and its relationship to vein disease.