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Do I Have Vein Disease?

Learn the Signs, Symptoms, and When to Seek Treatment

Many people assume vein disease is only a cosmetic issue. In reality, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a progressive medical condition that often begins with subtle symptoms long before large varicose veins appear.
Many people assume vein disease is only a cosmetic issue. In reality, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a progressive medical condition that often begins with subtle symptoms long before large varicose veins appear.
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If you've been wondering, "Do I have vein disease?", the answer may not be visible on the surface. Many patients experience aching, heaviness, swelling, or restless legs for years before realizing these symptoms are caused by poor circulation.
At La Jolla Vein & Vascular, we specialize exclusively in diagnosing and treating vein disease using advanced duplex ultrasound and minimally invasive procedures.
If you've been wondering, "Do I have vein disease?", the answer may not be visible on the surface. Many patients experience aching, heaviness, swelling, or restless legs for years before realizing these symptoms are caused by poor circulation.
At La Jolla Vein & Vascular, we specialize exclusively in diagnosing and treating vein disease using advanced duplex ultrasound and minimally invasive procedures.
Schedule Your Vein Consultation →

What Is Vein Disease?

Healthy leg veins contain one-way valves that keep blood flowing back toward the heart.
When these valves weaken or fail, blood begins to flow backward (venous reflux) and pools in the legs.
 
This increased pressure can lead to:
  • Varicose veins
  • Spider veins
  • Leg pain
  • Swelling
  • Skin discoloration
  • Venous ulcers
Without treatment, vein disease typically worsens over time.

Common Symptoms of Vein Disease

You may have underlying vein disease even if you don't see bulging veins.
Heavy or Tired Legs
Do your legs feel exhausted by the end of the day? Many patients describe a sensation of heaviness that improves after elevating their legs.
Aching or Throbbing
Persistent aching, burning, or throbbing in the legs is one of the most common signs of venous insufficiency.
Leg Swelling
Swelling around the ankles or lower legs—especially after standing or sitting for long periods—may indicate poor venous circulation.
Restless Legs
Some patients diagnosed with vein disease experience nighttime restlessness or an uncontrollable urge to move their legs.
Leg Cramps
Frequent nighttime leg cramps can sometimes be associated with chronic venous insufficiency.
Itching Around the Ankles
Persistent itching may be caused by inflammation from chronic vein disease rather than dry skin.
Skin Changes
Advanced vein disease may cause:
  • Brown discoloration near the ankles
  • Thickened skin
  • Dry, irritated skin
  • Venous eczema
  • Open sores (venous ulcers)

Visible Signs of Vein Disease

Some people notice visible vein changes before symptoms develop.

Common visible signs include:

  • Bulging varicose veins
  • Spider veins
  • Rope-like veins
  • Twisted blue veins
  • Prominent leg veins
  • Veins that worsen after pregnancy

While spider veins are often cosmetic, they can sometimes indicate underlying vein disease that should be evaluated.

Who Is at Risk?

Several factors increase your likelihood of developing vein disease:
  • Family history of varicose veins
  • Pregnancy
  • Standing or sitting for long periods
  • Aging
  • Obesity
  • Previous blood clots (DVT)
  • Prior leg injury
  • Hormonal changes
  • Multiple pregnancies

Even active, healthy individuals and athletes can develop vein disease.

When Should You See a Vein Specialist?

You should schedule an evaluation if you have:
  • Leg pain that occurs regularly
  • Swelling that worsens throughout the day
  • Varicose veins
  • Skin discoloration
  • Bleeding veins
  • Non-healing leg wounds
  • Symptoms that interfere with walking or exercise
  • Persistent symptoms despite wearing compression stockings

Early diagnosis can help prevent progression and often leads to simpler treatment options.

How Is Vein Disease Diagnosed?

The gold standard for diagnosing vein disease is a venous duplex ultrasound.
Unlike cosmetic consultations that rely only on appearance, ultrasound allows us to evaluate:
  • Blood flow
  • Valve function
  • Venous reflux
  • Blood clots (DVT)
  • Vein anatomy

At La Jolla Vein & Vascular, every evaluation begins with a comprehensive ultrasound performed in our IAC-accredited vascular laboratory, ensuring an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan

Vein Disease Is Treatable

The good news is that modern vein treatments are minimally invasive and require little downtime.

Depending on your condition, treatment options may include:

  • Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
  • Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA)
  • VenaSeal™
  • ClariVein®
  • Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy
  • Microphlebectomy
  • Cosmetic Spider Vein Treatment

Most procedures are performed in the office using local anesthesia, allowing patients to walk immediately afterward and return to normal activities quickly.

Why Choose La Jolla Vein & Vascular?

Choosing an experienced vein specialist matters.

Patients throughout San Diego choose La Jolla Vein & Vascular because we offer:

  • Dedicated vein specialists
  • 10,000+ legs treated
  • 500+ five-star patient reviews
  • IAC-accredited vascular laboratory
  • ABVLM-certified physicians
  • Comprehensive ultrasound evaluation
  • Every major minimally invasive vein treatment option
  • Insurance accepted for medically necessary vein treatment
  • Convenient locations in La Jolla and Vista

We focus exclusively on vein disease, providing expert diagnosis and personalized care for every patient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Many patients have chronic venous insufficiency before visible veins develop. Symptoms such as heaviness, aching, swelling, or restless legs may be the earliest signs.

Sometimes. Spider veins can be purely cosmetic, but in some patients they are associated with underlying venous reflux. An ultrasound evaluation can determine whether treatment of deeper veins is recommended first.

Most cases are not life-threatening, but untreated vein disease can progress and lead to skin damage, bleeding, or venous leg ulcers. Early evaluation helps prevent complications.

Compression stockings may help relieve symptoms, but they do not repair damaged vein valves or eliminate venous reflux.

Many medically necessary vein treatments are covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans when medical criteria are met. Cosmetic spider vein treatments are generally not covered.

Schedule Your Vein Consultation Today
Your legs may be telling you something long before large veins appear.
If you're experiencing leg heaviness, swelling, aching, restless legs, or visible varicose veins, an evaluation by a vein specialist can provide answers and help you find lasting relief.
Don't Ignore the Signs
Discover whether your symptoms are caused by vein disease and learn about personalized treatment options.

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Laser Vein Treatment

Laser Vein Pre-Treatment Instructions
laser treatment for spider veins
1. Discontinue medications or supplements that may thin your blood one week prior to vein treatments to minimize bruising and improve the success of your treatment. This includes fish oil, flax seed oil, Vitamin E, ginkgo blob, anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve), and red wine. If you are taking aspirin electively and not upon the advice of your physician, then you may stop it for 48 hours prior to your treatment. Do not stop aspirin if prescribed or recommended by your physician.

2. You may wish to bring a pair of shorts to wear during your treatment if you are having your legs treated.

3. If facial veins are being treated, there may be minor bruising and/or swelling following treatment. This can typically be covered using make-up. Plan accordingly since your face may show slight evidence of the laser treatment for a week or more.

4. If leg veins are being treated, there may be minor bruising, discoloration, and welting over treatment sites. Larger leg veins may appear bruised for a period of time after treatment. Full results can take weeks or months to be realized. Plan and schedule treatments accordingly, allowing for healing time and time for your treatment results to evolve to completion. The best time to treat leg veins are in fall, winter and spring when you are less inclined to wear shorts or be exposed to sun.

5. Plan treatments allowing for a period of no sun exposure, vigorous activity or useof hot tubs, saunas or spas for 48 hours after treatment.
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VARITHENA® CHEMICAL ABLATION

illustration of varithena foam injection
Varithena® may be recommended based on your vein location, size, anatomy and vein tortuosity.
Varithena® is:
• Effective to treat veins of different sizes above and below the knee
• Requires no incisions, sedation or general anesthesia
• Does not require a wire to be inserted along the length of your vein
• Does not use heat, eliminating the risk of thermal injury
WHAT IS VARITHENA®?
Varithena® is a "microfoam" formulation of polidocanol (sclerosing agent) and CO2. The result is a microfoam that has an appearance and consistency similar to white, foamy shave cream.
Ultrasound guidance is used to inject Varithena® microfoam into the vein. The microfoam fills the lumen for circumferential contact where it's designed to displace blood and destroy the endothelial lining efficiently.
cross section of Illustration of a vein with foam sclerotherapy injection
Video below shows the proceedure.
How many treatments will I need?
The number and frequency of treatments depends on a patient's anatomy, how quickly the veins respond, and the patient's treatment goals. There is a limit on the amount of medication we can give you each day to avoid causing side effects. Some larger or resistant veins may require two treatments to respond completely but most veins respond to Varithena® after one treatment.
What should I expect on my treatment days?
You will sign your consent form then change into shorts provided by the office. We will clean your skin with alcohol, then use ultrasound to localize the veins. The foam medication will then be injected into your veins with a fine needle. The foam fills and treats the desired section of the vein. The diseased vein collapses and the foam is deactivated. Your legs will be elevated on a comfortable wedge pillow for approximately 15 minutes. After your treatment, we will help you into your compression stockings, then you will walk for 30 minutes prior to getting in your car.

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¿Puedo obtener cobertura de seguro para mi tratamiento de venas?
Dependiendo de su plan de seguro, es posible que tenga o no gastos de bolsillo. Trabajamos con sus aseguradoras para maximizar su cobertura y brindarle un resumen completo del costo de su tratamiento. Creemos en la transparencia de costos y le proporcionaremos un estimado de cualquier gasto de bolsillo previsto. El costo es importante. ¡Podemos colaborar con su seguro para obtener esta información hoy mismo!
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Dr. Amanda Steinberger is a Harvard-trained, board-certified vascular interventional radiologist. She specializes in a broad range of superficial vein disease including varicose veins, spider veins, venous leg ulcers, lymphedema and cosmetic laser vein treatments. Dr. Steinberger sees patients in our La Jolla Office.

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Can I get insurance coverage for my vein treatment?
Depending on your insurance plan, you may or may not have out of pocket expenses. We work with your insurance providers to maximize your insurance coverage and provide a complete overview of your treatment cost. We believe in cost transparency and will provide a cost estimate of any anticipated out of pocket expenses. Cost is important. We can work with your insurance to find out this information today!
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Can I get insurance coverage for my vein treatment?
With Molina insurance plans, most patients should not have out of pocket expenses. We work with Molina to maximize your insurance coverage and provide a complete overview of your treatment cost. We believe in cost transparency and will provide a cost estimate of any anticipated out of pocket expenses. Cost is important. We can work with your insurance to find out this information today!