Varicose Veins

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are blue, purple, or red veins that often swell and twist under your skin. You can get varicose veins anywhere, but they’re most common in the legs. They appear when blood pools in the veins due to chronic venous insufficiency.

Venous insufficiency or reflux develops when valves in your veins are too weak to perform their job. Valves should stop blood from going back down your leg veins when it’s supposed to be traveling to your heart for processing.

If the valves don’t form a seal after each pulse of blood, some of the blood leaks back down. Tension builds as the blood pools and varicose veins form.

Are varicose veins dangerous?

Varicose veins are often more of a cosmetic concern in the early stages. However, as they’re a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency, it’s wise to visit Cardiovascular Wellness Center’s vein specialists for an evaluation. You should also go for an assessment if you start experiencing symptoms like:

• Leg pain
• Leg swelling
• Itchy veins
• Skin discoloration
• Leg cramps at night

Treating varicose veins early prevents them from worsening and leading to complications. For example, untreated varicose veins with underlying chronic venous insufficiency could cause non-healing wounds (venous ulcers). Leg ulcers are a serious condition that could result in infection and, in the worst cases, lead to amputation.

When you visit Cardiovascular Wellness Center, they perform tests to evaluate vein health. These include detailed lower extremity venous ultrasound to see what’s going on inside your veins.

How are varicose veins treated?

You can help prevent varicose veins from worsening by avoiding standing for long periods, keeping your feet raised when sitting, and exercising regularly. Weight loss and quitting smoking can also help. Wearing compression stockings supports the valves, so blood returns to your heart instead of pooling in your legs.

Cardiovascular Wellness Center offers several highly effective, minimally invasive treatments for varicose veins. These include sclerotherapy and Venefit endovenous radiofrequency ablation, which destroy the diseased veins without damaging other tissues. Another option is phlebectomy to remove more prominent varicose veins.

Following varicose vein treatment, wearing compression stockings is a good idea to help the veins heal and prevent further varicose veins from developing.

To schedule a varicose vein evaluation at Cardiovascular Wellness Center, call the office or book an appointment online today.