Treatments for Varicose Veins

Summer is approaching and soon women will be wearing less clothing. Going to the beach or just out for walk, women will be wearing their bathing suits or shorts. Some women suffer from varicose veins which will keep them from being comfortable wearing sexy clothes; swim suits, shorts, and skirts. They can also take away a woman's self-confidence. These varicose veins, spider veins, and venous leg veins can be embarrassing for a woman and painful.

A varicose vein is a broken vein that has refluxing or stagnant contents. Normal veins will return blood to the heart after arteries have carried it away. Veins have valves that direct their blood flow. When valves fail then blood accumulates under pressure, distorting and engorging these blood vessels. When varicose veins appear they can be bulging and rope-like or small and thread-like.

The risk factors for varicose veins are people who stand or sit for long periods of time. Prolonged standing weakens the walls of the veins and sitting can aggravate inflamed veins. Also people with a family history of varicose veins can be at risk for them. Being overweight can also cause varicose veins. The excess weight puts pressure on surface veins, which then causes the veins to weaken. Women are at greater risk for varicose veins because the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone cause blood vessels to relax, which separates the valves so that they don't meet to block the back flow of blood.

For most people varicose veins cause no symptoms, as others may have symptoms which include changes in skin color over the affected area, aches in the affected areas, itching over the affected area, a feeling of heaviness, aching, or tiredness, swelling of the feet and ankles, which is due to the fluid from stagnant blood leaking through the walls of the veins into surrounding tissues. These veins are often progressive as the symptoms may worsen over time.

Treatments for varicose veins include surgical vein stripping, minimally invasive catheter-assisted procedures, laser surgery, ambulatory phlebectomy, and endoscopic vein surgery. Surgical vein stripping is a procedure that involves removing a long vein through small incisions. This procedure is an outpatient procedure and many patients are able to resume normal activities within two weeks. Catheter-assisted procedures is a newer treatment, this procedure is done on people who have longer varicose veins. After surgery these patients are able to go home and resume normal activities within one day. Laser surgery is done by sending strong bursts of light into the vein and makes the vein slowly fade and disappear. Local anesthesia is used for this procedure and the patient goes home the same day. Endoscopic vein surgery is used only when the patient has leg ulcers. The doctor will make a small incision and insert a thin video camera to visualize and close the varicose veins.

People with varicose veins may reduce this problem by losing weight if they are overweight. Elevate legs above the heart for ten to fifteen minutes, three to four times a day, which will drain pooled blood from the legs. Wear elastic support stockings. This will allow blood to flow from the legs to the heart. Exercise by swimming, walking, or dancing this will stimulate good blood flow in the veins and strengthen the cardiovascular system. Avoid sitting with your legs crossed as this will cut off the blood flow through your legs.

Most health plans do not cover varicose vein procedures but may cover treatment if there are signs or symptoms such as bleeding and swelling. Anyone planning on having one of these procedures done must understand the risk and side effects, although current treatments are highly successful.