Bleeding into the skin happens when small blood vessels burst just below your skin's surface. These broken blood vessels may look like small red dots. Or they may be larger purple, blue or black patches.
If a varicose vein ruptures, but the skin is not broken, you will experience bruising. Internal bleeding from any source can cause dizziness or fainting if enough blood is lost. If you have any of these symptoms, visit your vein care specialist or nearest emergency room to avoid too much blood loss or complications.
A varicose vein can burst from increased pressure within the veins. This build-up of pressure causes the walls of the vein to stretch, making it weak and prone to sudden rupture. A ruptured varicose vein can bleed into tissues and through the skin's surface, especially if the skin is thin.
The blown vein itself is harmless if not too severe. They will usually heal on their own within 10 to 12 days. Several factors can contribute to having a blown vein.
Most of the time, a blown vein is a minor injury, not a serious problem. But it's important that the vein not be used again until it's healed. Sometimes, a blown vein can collapse and prevent blood from flowing. Collapsed veins can heal, but some never bounce back.
A ruptured varicose vein may not stop bleeding, and without medical attention may result in a serious amount of blood loss. Excessive blood loss can, of course, be a very serious problem that can even lead to death.
The good news is that yes, veins can heal themselves, however, only to a certain degree. When veins are damaged they can take years to repair. Even when this occurs, healed veins never recover completely. At most, a damaged vein will only ever regain a portion of its previous blood-circulating capabilities.
Cramping. Throbbing or burning sensation in the legs. Leg or ankle swelling. Dry or discolored skin.
Most of the time, a collapsed vein will heal over time as well. But in some cases, they do not recover, which can cause problems with circulation. However, this is not common. In most instances, a blown vein heals without severe consequences.
Since veins do sometimes burst, this is considered a relatively common condition. It can happen from trauma, and everyone will experience it at some point in their life when they have a bruise. But what isn't common is veins that burst with minimal trauma or seemingly on their own.
Blown veins require medical treatment, but they do not usually result in long-term damage to the vein and generally heal in 10–12 days. However, a blown vein can sometimes complicate medical treatment.
Typically, this skin discoloration is a mixed shade of red, blue, black, and purple. On dark skin, it may appear dark purple, brown, or black. The number and type of blood vessels that rupture will affect the size and appearance of the skin discoloration and the extent of the bleeding.
When your veins are damaged, the valves don't work properly, causing blood to flow backward and pool in your legs. Damaged veins can cause swelling, pain, and unsightly legs. They can severely impact your quality of life and put you at greater risk for developing dangerous blood clots.
Again, not necessarily, but if the injury hits a deep-seated vein's wall just right, a clot could form. Therefore, it's important patients see a vein specialist about their bruise if the area where it's located becomes painful and/or swells.
What Does a Blood Clot Look Like?: Blood clots can form anywhere in the body, such as the leg, lung, brain, heart, and stomach or intestines. Blood clots may look red and swollen, or like a reddish or bluish skin discoloration. Other blood clots may not be visible in the skin.
Both bruises and blood clots stem from problems with blood vessels and both can cause skin discoloration. Bruises usually happen when a physical trauma causes blood to leak into surrounding tissues. A blood clot is a collection of blood within a vessel. A bruise is more likely to show visible signs than a blood clot.
Symptoms of a blood clot include: throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm. sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.
And while it may sound severe, blown veins do not usually result in further health complications. When a vein is blown, it may develop into a collapsed vein, which can be more serious. But a blown vein will typically heal on its own and can be treated relatively easily.
The good news is that yes, veins can heal themselves, however, only to a certain degree. When veins are damaged they can take years to repair. Even when this occurs, healed veins never recover completely. At most, a damaged vein will only ever regain a portion of its previous blood-circulating capabilities.
Blown veins leak blood, which makes them unusable for medical needs. With rest, healthy people typically recover from blown veins. Blown veins result from using too much force, the wrong angle or the wrong needle size in many cases.