Itchy Legs Your Best Guide

Surprisingly itchy legs though seemingly inconsequential best reveal your chances for future problems. With varicose veins.

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If you had to decide whether to get something done about your veins this is the sign you should pay attention to.

Obviously there are multiple reasons your legs can itch. Brushing against irritant foliage, mosquito and sand hopper bites, not to mention sea fleas, all will make your legs itch. Usually with an obvious rash too.

Some people cannot tolerate certain soaps, fabric dressings, detergents and softeners. They may have allergies to various agents.

Vein Related Itchy Legs

But what I am talking about here is itching associated with your varicose veins. That is itchy varicose veins. They do not need to be big as I covered before. There can be a lot going on below the surface.

Itchy legs indicating veins that need treatment

When it occurs most people are aware the problem is worst in areas that have obvious veins. Just where they show especially on the surface.  

But it can be just an increasing itching sensation in the far lower legs nearer the ankle. In other words, more a wider area than a specific point.

Associated Rashes

There can be rashes associated with it as well.

This can be just a dry, scaling maybe sightly pink to red flat rash. At this point you are advancing from pure simple itching on to eczema, which I will discuss more elsewhere.

At other times there can be a red spotty rash that may be slightly raw or bleeding. More a response to scratching.  It can be quite severe and unless the scratching ceases will get worse.

That is often the problem as frequently you are unconsciously scratching in your sleep. Using suitable covering clothing reducing the chance to scratch your skin directly would be your best defence.

Why Do Varicose Veins Itch?

Especially when itchy veins indicate your skin health is not good.

Even small amounts of damage can take a long time to heal and can even get worse.

This is the reason itchy legs have been selected as the best treatment benefit predictor.

It is those people with itchy skin associated with their varicose veins who are the most likely to go on to increasingly severe varicose eczema. Even to ulcers.

With ulcers in the presence of varicose veins being notoriously difficult to heal this is one problem you want to avoid.

Many times people can go for years with an ulcer to get it healed. Even when it does heal you are much more likely to get another.

They can start, as I explain elsewhere, with some minor problem. Their inconvenience and ongoing cost can mount to huge levels.

Why does your skin get itchy with varicose veins?

Dry Skin

At its core itchy legs arise from skin that has become drier. It is less well nourished and renewed less efficiently.

Obvious dry skin showing

Why?

That is the underlying problem …..

There is poor return of blood from the lower leg back to your heart. Returning venous blood is removing waste products and toxins from the tissues.

This can be as simple as carbon dioxide from your cells’ metabolism. But other wastes like lactic acid and other breakdown products also get removed to be be filtered and treated more centrally in your body.

Poor Nutrition

As these wastes build up normal cell functions become compromised. Including renewal and repair.

The higher pressure in your veins with varicose vein disease contributes to the imbalance.

Because repair and maintenance is less efficient the remaining cells are ageing and are not replaced as frequently.

Other tissue fluid functions are less effective resulting in a not so stable shield in your body’s first line of defence.

The wastes products, older cells and less renewing circulation create that discomfort your body interprets as itchy legs.

Even before you can see obvious skin changes it is giving you a timely warning.

Delayed Action

Often by the time I see people with this symptom there are already further changes evident.

Varicose veins do not declare themselves like appendicitis. They slowly get worse, creeping up on you. Lulling you into a worsening situation.

Obviously there is some leeway in timing treatment as the process is gradual.

But once you notice your itchy legs it is time you decided to start making decisions about when you are going to get them fixed. ...In the near future.