Fortunately, treatment of varicose veins doesn’t include a hospital stay or a long, painful recovery. There are many routines you can add to your day that will help reduce the appearance of varicose veins and prevent new veins from surfacing. For those veins that are beyond your control or may be causing pain or restless legs, there are safe ways to eliminate these veins safely. There are several minimally invasive procedures for varicose veins that can be treated on a routine doctor’s visit.
A Few Things You Can Do On Your Own
Practice healthier behavior by adding exercise to your week. Movement will help your muscles do their job in contracting to assist your veins in blood flow. Exercise helps improve circulation and breaks the cycle of standing or sitting for long periods of time. If you are a smoker, you may want to consider quitting. Smoking has negative effects of your blood circulation. This could help to prevent future veins popping up.
Avoid tight fitted clothing that hinders your movement. If your jeans are too tight, they may actually be adding to harmful pressure on your veins, causing varicose veins. While some tight clothing can make veins worse, compression stockings are options to improve the look of your legs. Wearing compression stockings all day is usually the first treatment method to try before moving on to other options. They progressively squeeze your legs just enough to help the veins transport your blood more efficiently.
Medical Treatments
If your body is not responding to the self-care methods, or your condition is more severe, you have several options of varicose vein treatment that can be done in the doctor’s office. These are all common and safe procedures to choose from when wanting to get rid of your visible unattractive veins.
Sclerotherapy is a procedure in less than an hour in your doctor’s office. It is a common and safe procedure that does not require anesthesia. The vein doctor injects a solution into the smaller varicose veins, just under the surface of the skin. That injected solution scars the vein and it closes. The vein will not be functional for blood flow since it is sealed shut, though your blood will be rerouted to healthier veins. You will see results from Sclerotherapy within weeks as the vein fades from visibility.
Doctors use laser treatments to close off smaller varicose veins and spider veins. Endovenous laser treatment is an outpatient procedure that uses light energy to zap your vein closed. Your doctor inserts a thin fiber with a laser into the vein and the heat from the laser then destroys the vein. Results will be seen within a few weeks as the vein is absorbed by surrounding tissue.
Ambulatory phlebectomy is when your doctor removes the smaller varicose veins through a sequence of tiny skin punctures. The parts of your leg that will be receiving these tiny punctures will be numbed in this outpatient procedure. Scarring is usually minimal.
If you would like to learn more about your treatment options, contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Norman Chideckel for the treatment of varicose veins.