Varicose Veins: What You Should Know

1. Varicose Veins: What You Should Know

2. Have you ever looked at a person and wondered why they have green streaks up and down their legs? Well those streaks and squiggles are the signs of varicose veins. • Sometimes they are not very noticeable, but they can be very disfiguring and be uncomfortable at times. They are most commonly seen in the legs but can occur in other parts of the body as well. Varicose veins are veins that have become swollen due to some type of weakness or damage.

3. To understand what causes this condition, you need a little background about veins in general. Veins have many valves that keep blood flowing in the right direction. • It's easy to think of these valves as little blockades that keep the blood from backing up once it has passed through. If these valves get damaged, blood will pool inside the vein and cause varicose veins. Also Read: - Varicose Vein Disease • The reason that varicose veins show up on the legs and ankles is because these are the body parts farthest away from the heart. Over time these veins wear out more easily and are usually the first to become swollen and backed up.

4. Symptoms of varicose veins include swelling in the feet and ankles, a heavy feeling in the legs, tiredness and aching after sitting or standing for long periods of time, itching in one particular area, and changes in the colour of the skin around the affected area usually a greenish gray or brown colour. • To find out if a person has varicose veins is fairly easy. A doctor can do a simply test where the patient is on their back, and raises their leg in the air until it is at a forty-five degree angle until the veins are emptied, and then immediately lowered. If a person has varicose veins then they will show up as soon as the blood returns to that area.

5. There are many treatments for varicose veins. The treatment that will be discussed here is the closure treatment. In this particular treatment a small catheter is inserted into the damaged vein through a small skin puncture. Also Read: - Sclerotherapy For Varicose Veins • The Closure catheter delivers radiofrequency energy to the vein wall, which causes the vein to shrink and seal shut. Once this vein is closed, neighbouring healthy veins restore normal flow of venous blood from the legs. As normal blood flow returns, symptoms typically are reduced.

6. At Sound Vascular & Vein, patients receive the most advanced vascular and vein care from skilled and dedicated vascular specialists. Our physicians are board-certified in multiple vascular fields including vascular surgery, phlebology, and interventional nephrology. We provide ultrasound, consult, diagnostic, and treatment services all in one location. To know more about peripheral arterial disease diabetes, Contact us now!