Varicose Veins An Overview

Arteries carry blood from your heart to the rest of your tissues. Veins return blood from the rest of your body to your heart, so the blood can be recirculated. Sometimes, in this quiet and efficient system, there may be a vein that has become stretched and twisted over time. Then a condition may occur, in the legs most likely, when veins lose their elasticity and widen, causing edges of the valves to separate. These veins are unable to return blood to the heart, which causes pooling of the veins, widening them further. Often visible because the veins lie directly below the skin, and blue-colored because of the unoxidized blood still in the vein; someone has just noticed their first varicose vein.

The varicose vein can range from merely unsightly to painful. A little education on the varicose vein will help to make informed decisions in the future.

Some people inherit a tendency to develop troubles with varicose veins. Others develop them when they are pregnant and the condition rights itself within three months of the baby’s birth. Those whose job requires standing in place for long periods of time and those who have had a weight gain are candidates for varicose veins.

Varicose veins will often announce their presence with an itching or slight pain, usually on the back of a calf on the inside of the leg, somewhere between the ankle and the groin. You’ll notice that varicose veins appear bluish and swollen; more prominent during and following long periods of standing. Your leg may feel achy and tired.

The doctor will detect varicose veins during the physical. The patient will stand while the doctor applies an elastic tourniquet to determine the exact location of the veins.

The physician may recommend elastic support stockings to help raise the circulation in the affected leg. The patient will be instructed on the proper way to put on the stockings. The stockings are put on while the patient is still in bed in the morning. Some may find the stockings uncomfortable, especially through the hot summer months. .

It may be recommended that the patient sit or lie down with the legs elevated to above chest level; it helps the blood to flow back toward the heart from the ankles and feet. Changes in diet and exercise may also be prescribed.

If these measures haven’t been unsuccessful, the Doctor may recommend one of several procedures to relieve the condition. Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a solution that will scar and close the varicose veins. Smaller veins will take up the circulation and grow to the size needed. Vein stripping is the burning and removing of the varicose vein. The result will be the same as the sclerotherapy. These procedures are usually done on an out patient basis, and if needed, a local anesthetic may be applied.

This is the usual course of successful treatment of varicose veins. The Doctor and patient, working together, will determine the correct course of treatment.

Recommended Reading

1. What You Need To Know About Varicose Veins
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2. Your Questions Answered About Varicose Veins
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3. Treatment For Varicose Veins
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4. Treatment Options For Varicose Veins
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5. Preventing And Improving Varicose Veins
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