What is the difference between varicose veins and DVT, and how do I know which I have?
Varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis are both conditions affecting the venous system of the leg, but they are entirely different in their nature, their urgency, and their clinical implications. Varicose veins are caused by failure of the valves in the superficial veins of the leg, the veins that run just beneath the skin. When these valves fail, blood flows backward under gravity and pools in the lower leg, causing the veins to enlarge and become visible as twisted, bulging cords beneath the skin surface. Varicose veins develop gradually over months to years. They produce symptoms including heaviness, aching, itching, night cramps, and swelling that tend to worsen through the day and improve overnight with leg elevation. They are not a medical emergency, though they are not a cosmetic problem to be dismissed: untreated varicose veins cause progressive skin damage over years that becomes irreversible. DVT is the formation of a blood clot inside the deep veins of the leg, the large veins that run through the muscle of the calf or thigh. DVT typically presents differently from varicose veins: the onset is usually over hours to a few days, not gradual; the leg swells significantly and is often warm and tender to touch in the calf or thigh; and the swelling is typically of one leg, not both. DVT does not produce visible veins on the surface. The critical difference is urgency: DVT is a medical emergency because the clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism, which is life-threatening. Any patient who develops sudden onset swelling of one leg, particularly with warmth or calf tenderness, should seek same-day assessment. At Sparsh Hospital, Hennur, a duplex ultrasound performed the same day confirms or excludes DVT, and treatment begins immediately when confirmed.
Related reading:
When Your Legs Are Telling You Something: A Complete Guide to Vascular Disease, Symptoms, and When to See a Vascular Surgeon
Peripheral Arterial Disease: Why Leg Pain on Walking Is Never Just About Age
Varicose Veins: When Cosmetic Concern Becomes a Vascular Problem
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Written by Dr. Abhilash V, MBBS, MS General Surgery, DrNB Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (National Board of Examinations, New Delhi), Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Sparsh Hospital Hennur, Chinmaya Mission Hospital Indiranagar, and Sparsh Hospital Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Phone: +91 76766 84611.