Some alternative names for varicose veins are leg veins, varicosities, and spider veins. They cause a small bulge on your legs and are easily visible on the skin. They appear blue and purplish, and cause some discomfort too. A major reason for their occurrence is too much blood flowing through the veins.
Normally, the way your veins function is that they have one-way valves to keep the blood flowing towards your heart. However, if the valves incur damage or become weak, the blood can come back and overfill your veins. This, in turn, causes the veins to swell, which then leads to varicose veins.
Varicose Vein Symptoms
Oftentimes, varicose veins can be painful. Even though they usually occur on the legs and feet, they can also appear in other areas of the body sometimes. Symptoms of this illness are very apparent i.e. you will see large veins just under the surface of your skin. You will also notice some swelling on the affected area. Moreover, the affected area can also feel heavy with sensations of throbbing or cramping.
If the affected area is either your lower leg or ankle, they might feel itchy. This can lead to an incorrect diagnosis of dry skin at times. You might also see a slight discoloration on the affected area. In some cases, the veins can burst and start bleeding; this can result in ulceration. However, it only occurs in very severe cases of Varicose veins.
Who Is More at Risk?
- Pregnant Women: What happens is that there is a lot of pressure on the mother’s legs due to increased weight. Varicose veins that occur during pregnancy take about 3 to 12 months to heal.
- Obesity: When you are either overweight or obese, it can put extra pressure onto your veins, which can lead to obesity.
- Gender: Women are at a higher risk of developing Varicose veins in comparison to men because of the hormonal changes they go through during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. It can lead to them developing Varicose veins.
- Leg Trauma: There is also a higher risk of developing it if you have had any previous damage or blood clot in the valves. Such conditions weaken the ability of the veins to move blood back to the heart.
Vascular Treatments
There are multiple treatments available for Varicose veins; you can find options ranging from at home treatments to treatments at the hospitals.
Here are some treatments you can do at home:
- Exercise: For better blood circulation in the leg, you need to exercise at least a minimum of 25 minutes every day. This helps circulate the blood that has stagnated into the veins. Exercise also helps in regulating a person’s blood pressure, which can also be the cause of Varicose veins. Exercise can include walking, cycling, swimming, and running.
- Compression Stockings: They are available at almost any pharmacy. They help the muscle and veins to move the blood along.
- Dietary Changes: You need to minimize water retention in the body, which you can attain by cutting down the intake of foods that are high in sodium. An increased intake of Flavonoids such as garlic, cocoa, citrus foods and spinach can help shrink Varicose veins.
Some treatments you can get at the hospital are:
- Laser Treatments: New laser technology can help slowly fade the veins by sending a burst of light.
- Sclerotherapy: Includes injecting of foam gets into the Varicose veins, which helps close them. After this treatment, they should fade in a couple of weeks.
- Ambulatory phlebectomy: The doctor will make tiny punctures into the affected area, and the then remove the smaller Varicose veins; the scarring is minimal.
Final Thoughts
If you see more than three symptoms from the list above, you should book an appointment with Norman Chideckel, MD as soon as possible. We provide excellent and reliable treatments that you deserve.