Why You Might Be Experiencing Skin Discoloration on Your Leg

It is normal to observe some color changes in your skin. Several factors, including some allergies, may contribute to your condition. However, some cases may be as a result of vascular complications that require expert care. That is why you should not wait on your situation to fade away on its own. Instead, you should seek expert care from medical experts such as Atur Kasha, DO, dealing with skin discoloration in El Paso at Desert West Vein and Surgery Center. Dr. Kasha can diagnose your condition and help you understand why you are experiencing the disorder. Here are some of the reasons.

Venous Insufficiency Concerning Skin Discoloration

When one vein in your circulatory system breaks or weakens and cannot push blood back to the heart adequately, you suffer a condition known as venous insufficiency. The veins experience increased pressure causing further weakening throughout the legs and feet. You may experience several complications and symptoms such as skin discoloration where your skin turns brown, purple, or red.

Several Ways Venous Insufficiency Causes Skin Discoloration

Generally, the pooling and leaking of blood and fluids when a valve in your circulation system breaks is the ultimate cause of skin discoloration. However, this can happen in several ways. These include:

• When blood collects in the veins and does not flow back to the heart, the veins get under much pressure causing them to break and cause a leak. The unwelcomed fluids inflame and irritate the surrounding tissue causing discolored, painful, and severe skin complications.
• Blood is meant to be a continuous flow in your body. Therefore, it can only cause complications when it pools in some parts of your body for a while. Iron will collect in the skin, and while it is broken down, it will cause your skin color to change to black or brown.
• When the blood pools, it can also inflame and cause your skin to be chronically swollen, leading to scar tissue development. This will change the texture of the skin from flexible and supple to hard and thick. This will also change your skin’s appearance in the affected area from the rest of your body.

Discoloring Complications as a Result of Venous Insufficiency

As mentioned earlier, pooling of blood and stagnation of fluids can cause other complications, affecting your skin’s color. They include:

Varicose veins: When blood collects in your veins, it causes the veins to bulge and appear like twisted ropes. The veins mainly appear purple and like enlarged worms and may cause further discoloration if the blood seeps into the surrounding tissue.

Spider Veins: These are more related to the varicose veins only that they appear small and closer to the skin surface. They can be blue, purple, or red, branching out like a lightning strike. Although the veins may be painless, they are highly noticeable and significantly discolor your skin.

Venous Stasis Dermatitis: This condition mainly affects your lower legs and involves the buildup of blood and pressure when the diseased veins cannot circulate blood efficiently. The increased pressure may cause blood to leak into the skin, making it extremely dry, itchy, irritated, red, or inflamed.

If you have skin discoloration, please do not wait any longer to seek expert medical help. You might be having a venous insufficiency complication requiring urgent care. Contact Dr. Kasha to learn more, including how you can manage your condition.