What You Need to Know About Varicose Veins

When your vein valves become weak or damaged, they affect blood flow, causing it to pool up. As a result, your veins enlarge, get swollen, and appear twisted above your skin surface, thus causing varicose veins on your legs. If you do not seek treatment, the varicose vein can cause severe complications such as venous ulcers. If you are struggling with varicose veins, your vein specialist in Davenport, Fl, at Vein & Cardiovascular Center can offer help.

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?

When you have varicose veins, you will experience continuous itching around the affected veins. Your legs will feel heavy, dull, and achy. You will experience mild swelling on your feet and ankles.

Your skin color around the affected area will change and you will experience throbbing in your legs. You will experience soreness and pain in your legs and see enlarged veins protruding above your skin surface. If you stand or sit for a long time, your pain may worsen.

What causes varicose veins?

You can inherit varicose veins from your family whereby you are born with weak vein walls, faulty valves, or develop them as you age.

If you are a woman, you might develop a varicose vein during your pregnancy. After delivery, they might disappear totally, or their appearance will be minor.

Varicose vein diagnosis

Your doctor will conduct an in-depth examination by reviewing your medical and family history, talking over your symptoms, and running a physical exam.

The physical exam will include checking your legs for the appearance of enlarged veins, swellings, and color change around the affected area.

To examine how your valves are functioning and determine any presence of blood clots, your doctor will recommend you have an ultrasound test.

Varicose vein treatment

There are various options for varicose vein treatment. Your doctor will recommend treatment depending on your condition. These include:

Sclerotherapy

Your doctor will recommend sclerotherapy to seal your veins using a chemical solution for safe treatment and give you outstanding results. During the treatment, your doctor will inject your affected varicose veins with a chemical that aggravates your vein’s wall and then place a compression stocking on each leg.

You will be required to rest for some time as your doctor observes you before you are released to go home. Your doctor will encourage you to do some daily walking to prevent any side effects and wear compression socks for two to three weeks. After the treatment, you will resume work and perform most activities the following day.

VenaSeal

Your doctor will use VenaSeal treatment, a minimally invasive procedure to physically shut down and seal your defective central vein through the use of medical adhesive.

During the procedure, your doctor will place a minimal amount of VenaSeal vein glue into your vein through a small catheter to close the affected vein. After your vein is closed, your blood will be re-routed to your other healthy veins in your legs.

This procedure does not have risks of skin burn or damage to your nerves and you do not need to wear compression stocking or take post-treatment pain medication. You can resume work right after you are through with your treatment.

It is time you stopped struggling with varicose veins. Call or book an appointment online with Vein & Cardiovascular Center to get help.