Varicose veins worsening

[Roamer]

I had to go visit my doctor today when a varicose vein on my scrotum began to bleed heavily. She asked if I did any straining and when I said I strength train(Baker HLM) she asked if I did the Valsalva maneuver. When I said I did she told me that this could be causing these to be worse.

I have had varicose veins on my scrotum for several years but I noticed today that they are much worse. So I asked if a could still weight train and she said if used weights that did not cause me to strain and said that the bench press and overhead press would not be as harmful to my condition. If these continue to get worse I am looking at surgery to remove the veins. Ouch!

Anyone else have this issue?

[Cheesepuff]

Good luck. No experience, could find nothing worthwhile on line.

[Kevin.Imel]

Not really sure there is any medical/scientific basis behind your doctor's assumption of the causal link between weight training, the valsalva maneuver and vericose veins. AFAIK, the most strong link is to genetics with secondary links to sedentary lifestyle and general poor health such as chronic high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and so on.

Generally, in my experience, vericose vein bleeding can be controlled with the application of pressure. Most people fail the pressure thing because they keep looking at it to see if it has stopped yet. Hold pressure for several minutes (several being a number larger than three, the more the better to some extent). If you are on blood thinners (e.g. Coumadin) or have reduced capacity for blood clotting for any number of other reasons then you may need additional time/measures to get the bleeding to stop. Given a day or so for normal healing processes to take place and you should be good to go. If they get so thin that they rupture too easily then surgery is the way to go, I am told.

My grandfather had bad vericose veins for much of his adult life and it would appear that I inherited part of that legacy. Yay. Thankfully, mine are not nearly as severe has his were, yet. He had several removed surgically. He was very fit and very active for his entire life but you don't get to out run genetics.

[Roamer]

Not really sure there is any medical/scientific basis behind your doctor's assumption of the causal link between weight training, the valsalva maneuver and vericose veins. AFAIK, the most strong link is to genetics with secondary links to sedentary lifestyle and general poor health such as chronic high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and so on.

Generally, in my experience, vericose vein bleeding can be controlled with the application of pressure. Most people fail the pressure thing because they keep looking at it to see if it has stopped yet. Hold pressure for several minutes (several being a number larger than three, the more the better to some extent). If you are on blood thinners (e.g. Coumadin) or have reduced capacity for blood clotting for any number of other reasons then you may need additional time/measures to get the bleeding to stop. Given a day or so for normal healing processes to take place and you should be good to go. If they get so thin that they rupture too easily then surgery is the way to go, I am told.

My grandfather had bad vericose veins for much of his adult life and it would appear that I inherited part of that legacy. Yay. Thankfully, mine are not nearly as severe has his were, yet. He had several removed surgically. He was very fit and very active for his entire life but you don't get to out run genetics.

I do not have any of the mentioned malodies or take any perscription drugs. I just like you mentioned am predisposed genetically to varicose veins. I have had a credit card sized area on one leg for years. I am 58 yo. What made this one bleed was washing too vigously with a wash cloth. I will not do that again. I am looking to change my workout.