What are Varicose Veins?
Healthy Veins
These veins return blood to the heart through one-way valves. These valves allow blood to travel through the heart and stop blood from flowing in the opposite directions.
Diseased Veins
These veins have weakened valves allowing blood to flow backward and pool inside the veins. The result is a high pressure build-up inside the veins leading to venous disease.
Who has varicose veins?
- Up to 60% of men and women over the age of 60 suffer from varicose veins.
- 1 in 3 Americans have venous disease.
- Varicose veins occur more frequently in women than men.
What are the symptoms?
- Aching
- Swelling
- Itching
- Heaviness
- Restless Legs
- Visible Veins
- What are the causes?
- Heredity
- Age & Time
- Trauma
- Prolonged Sitting / Standing
- Wearing tight constricting clothing
- Wearing high heels
- Oral estrogen or birth control
- Pregnanacy
- Constipation
Over 50% of people with a family history of varicose veins will develop vein disease.
What are the treatment options?
Treatments either close or eliminate culprit veins, allowing blood to divert through healthy veins with normal functioning valves to improve circulation. There are several procedures that can be used alone or in combination to treat varicose veins.
Treatments are in-office procedures that take between 15-30 minutes. You will wear graduated compressions stockings for 7 days after treatment but may resume regular activities immediately.
Possible Treatments Include
Sclerotherapy
- Requires no pain mediaction
- With or without ultrasound guidance, sclerosing solution is injected into the problem veins.
- Over time treated veins fade from view
- May require multiple treatment sessions
Endovenous Thermal Abalation
- Local anesthesia and relaxing medication
- Laser or radio frequency generate heat to permanently close diseased veins
- Minimal or no scarring
- Greater than 95% success
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
- Local anesthesia
- Treats bulging varicose veins
- Disease veins are removed through tiny incisions
- Minimal or no scarring
Treatment Tips
- Use Ibuprofen for mild post-procedure pain and inflammation
- Walk to speed healing and to reduce the risk of complications
- Wear graduated compression stockings as directed
How is quality of life improved after treatment?
- Improved activity
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Improved appearance
Varicose Veins vs Spider Veins
Varicose veins are large, twisted and dilated.
Spider veins are small superficial veins that appear close to the surface of the skin. Spider veins are fed by larger reticular veins.
Varicose Vein Myths:
- Myth: Pregnancy causes varicose veins.
- Fact: Pregnancy may aggravate
- Myth: Crossing legs causes varicose veins.
- Fact: Crossing legs may aggravate, but not cause varicose veins
- Myth: Varicose veins may go away on their own over time.
- Fact: Untreated veins generally get worse
- Myth: Varicose veins only occur in the legs.
- Fact: Varicose veins occur in other locations, including the pelvis
