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Varicose Veins are swollen blood vessels
that appear on the skin as clusters of blue or purple veins.
They're sometimes surrounded by Spider Veins,
a group of small blood vessels
located near the surface of the skin.
Veins have one-way valves that help keep blood
flowing toward your heart.
If these valves are weak or damaged,
blood can backup and pool in your veins.
This causes the veins to swell and leads to varicose veins.
Varicose veins can appear anywhere,
but they often appear on the legs
and in the pelvic area.
Most varicose veins develop near the surface of the skin.
Deeper varicose veins cannot be seen,
but they may cause the skin above to swell,
become darker or hardened.
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Symptoms of varicose veins usually appear
before the age of 40 and include swollen,
twisted clusters of purple or blue veins,
swollen legs, ankles and feet,
muscle cramps, throbbing, soreness, or aching in the legs,
legs that feel heavy,
soreness behind the knee,
itching around the veins,
leg muscles that tire easily,
brown discoloration of the skin,
and skin ulcers.
These factors can increase the risk for varicose veins.
Varicose veins are four times more common
in women than in men.
As you get older,
there is more wear and tear on the valves in the veins.
More weight in the legs increases pressure in the veins.
You have a greater chance of developing varicose veins
if your parents or other family members had them.
Blood does not flow as well in the veins
if the person does not get much exercise.
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Depending on their size and location,
varicose and spider veins can be treated with injections
known as sclerotherapy or with surgery
including laser surgery.
Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical treatment,
in which a chemical solution is injected into the veins
to make them collapse and disappear.
Sclerotherapy takes several sessions.
One to three injections are usually required
to effectively treat any vein.
10 to 40 veins may be treated in one session.
You will not need anesthesia for sclerotherapy.
You will feel no pain during the treatment,
though you will feel discomfort from the needle sticks.
Temporary reactions to the sclerotherapy
might include slight swelling in the leg or foot,
and minor bruising, itching, redness or soreness.
For two to four weeks after treatment,
you will wear medical grade support stockings.
Walking and moderate exercise can help speed recovery.
Once treated, the veins disappear over a period
of six months and do not come back,
however, sclerotherapy cannot stop new varicose
or spider veins from developing.
These are the laser and surgery treatment options
for varicose veins.
Photoderm therapy is an intense pulsing light
for treating small spider veins,
certain sizes of varicose veins, and vascular birthmarks.
Laser therapy heats the blood vessels
and makes the vein fade away.
Surgical ligation or stripping is surgery
in which the dilated vein is removed or tied off
to a small incision in the skin.
Endovenous ablation therapy
uses lasers or radio waves delivered through a catheter
to create heat to close off a varicose vein.
For endoscopic vein surgery,
the doctor uses a catheter with a tiny camera
and a surgical device at the end of the camera
to close the vein.
Your doctor will discuss these options with you.
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Varicose and spider veins
might not always need to be treated,
however, if varicose veins make walking or standing painful,
you should call your doctor for advice.
You should also call your doctor if a sore develops on
or near a varicose vein or if your feet or ankle swell.
In some cases, varicose veins can be harmful to your health
because they might lead to dangerous conditions including
venous stasis ulcers.
These ulcers result when the enlarged vein
does not provide enough drainage of fluid from the skin
and the skin does not receive enough oxygen.
Phlebitis or inflammation of the vein.
Thrombosis are blood clots that form in the dilated vein.
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Here are some ways to keep varicose veins
from getting worse or coming back.
Try to exercise regularly.
Stand only when necessary.
Elevate your legs while sitting or sleeping.
When you need to stand for long periods of time,
take frequent breaks to sit down and elevate your feet,
and finally, wear special elastic support stockings
for extra support and to relieve aching sore legs.
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