Navigating Healthcare: A Guide to Modern Medicine and Wellness

Common Questions About Varicose Veins

About Varicose VeinsCosmetic issues always seem to be an issue in our social environment these days.  You have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, weigh a certain weight, etc.  But, what about people that just can’t help it or they have things about themselves such as varicose veins that they are embarrassed by or ashamed of?  Honestly varicose veins are nothing to joke about nor are they just cosmetic.  In fact, these little veins that can sometimes look like they are bulging out of a person’s leg and are blue or green in color, can become quite serious if they are not looked at by a professional.  These veins are beneath the skin, but they tend to jut outwards looking like a tangled pile of twisted cords.  These do tend to appear on the legs and nowhere else. 

Usually varicose veins happen when the veins in your legs, the ones that regulate blood flow, become corrupt or non-functioning, the greenish blue tint to them is something like a contusion; a pool of blood that sits at the site and tends to move because of the injury to the veins.  While most people will agree that this is a cosmetic condition, it can also become something so much more.  One of the other conditions that this can lead into if not taken care of is CVI or Chronic Venous Insufficiency.  If a condition like CVI is not treated properly, it can actually cause the blood vessels (capillaries) in the legs to burst open.  This makes the skin where the CVI site is, very tender, swollen and sensitive which can lead to the skin breaking open if touched or bumped.  This causes internal tissue damage and this, at its worst, can cause all sorts of nasty things like leg ulcers and open sores.  So as you can see, this is definitely not something you should ignore – either CVI or Varicose veins.

 

Causes of Varicose Veins

When it comes to these types of vein conditions, it’s usually because of a family history, or genetics.  Some people say that you can get these by standing too long or by crossing your legs but that’s just a myth.  And while standing too long, crossing your legs or obesity does not directly cause varicose veins, it can make your symptoms worse.  If you are starting to see little changes, such as color changes in your veins, it might be time to start speaking to a doctor about varicose vein treatment in NJ.

 

Treatments of Varicose Veins

For something like varicose veins, there are quite a few different options for varicose vein treatment , it’s all going to depend on you (your age, weight, history, etc.), how bad your varicose veins are, if they hurt, if it’s turned into CVI, etc.  However, if you are curious about a few of the treatments available, continue reading below for more information on the types of treatments available:

In the case of having very minimal or small varicose veins, your doctor may suggest doing little things like keeping your legs elevated while you sleep.  You can do this quite easily by placing a pillow underneath your lower back or under your feet or knees to keep them propped up.  Your doctor may also suggest compression stockings.  These are, let’s be honest, not the most comfortable thing in the world, but they do tend to help people with varicose veins.  Compression stockings have been around for a really long time, but doctors are just starting to realize over the past several years, that they work quite well with people that have varicose veins as well as other leg issues.  These are stockings, they come in various colors and patterns, but they tend to be tighter and thinner than regular socks.  They also usually go up to just under your knee.  WebMD explains it the best: “Due to their maximum compression in specific areas of your legs and ankles, women’s compression stockings can help improve circulation and provide your tired and aching legs with an energizing feeling. This same technology in compression stockings has also proven to help reduce swelling and relieve symptoms of sometimes painful varicose veins.”

 

Sclerotherapy Treatment

–          This is one of the more common options that your doctor may suggest to you, it works a little bit better than something like compression stockings.  Not to say that compression stockings don’t work, because they certainly do, and every little bit helps!  Sclerotherapy Treatment is when your doctor injects a liquid or foam into the veins which helps to form a clot.  This liquid along with the clot will help destroy the blood vessel and will essentially get rid of varicose veins.  It can be a semi-painful or uncomfortable experience, but somewhere around 65% of patients that have gotten Sclerotherapy Treatment have said that it was worth it and that it did indeed work for them.  This is not a surgery mind you.  You go in, get the Sclerotherapy Treatment, wait awhile until the liquid starts to work, and then you leave – no overnight hospital stays unless there are complications or your veins are really bad.

 

Removal of Varicose Veins

One of the things you really need to understand about varicose veins is that the removal or stripping of them of them doesn’t mean you will be any unhealthier than you are now.  Do veins grow back?  No.  But, unhealthy ones can harm your way of living and in some cases they can cause bad complications.  Getting rid of varicose veins just means that you will see benefits such as improved blood flow.  When a doctor goes in and removes the bad veins, they keep the good ones safeguarded by way of an ultrasound so they can see which ones are good (and leave those ones alone) and get rid of only the bad ones.

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