13 Jun

How to Lose Your Veins in Ten Days

You’re so “vein,” I bet you think this blog is about you… and it is.

For many, varicose veins are an issue of cosmetics. Most are not aware these prominent sinewy (a favorite word of mine) vessels can cause pain, swelling and ultimately skin breakdown and ulceration. Many may experience leg heaviness and tightness.

And by the way, it is not just women. Men are equally as affected.

The Cause of Varicose Veins:

So how does one end up with this vascular problem? For one, blame your genes. You are more likely to develop varicose veins if your parents had them…and we are not just talking about mom. Another risk factor is trauma which destroys the native valves which live in your veins which are responsible for moving blood back to your heart. When they malfunction, blood moves in the wrong direction, causing the veins to dilate and become snakelike.

Obesity is another cause. Excess weight caused by the pressure of your belly pushes blood flow backwards and blows out those necessary valves.

The Old Guard Treatment for Varicose Veins:

Conservative measures such as compression stockings have been the mainstay of treatment for decades. Although these elastic hosiery may take care of the symptoms of varicose veins, improve circulation, prevent them from getting worse and even hide them, their constricting existence during the hot months makes them an unwelcome and annoying presence.

There is a supplement which may help improve your venous tone, horse chestnut extract, while use may be helpful, it is not curative. In days of yore, surgical options such as vein stripping were used to remove them. The treatment, albeit effective, was quite barbaric as it required a number of incisions along the length of the vein and after it was tied off, the vein would be removed segment by segment, pulling it out of the leg. Recovery was brutal.

The New Guard Treatment for Varicose Veins:

More recently advances in catheter technology have allowed doctors to laser, burn out or glue these veins shut. Such procedures are less invasive, less painful, and allow for a quicker recovery time. One or two veins at a time in 30-45 minutes session and most people go back to their normal activities thereafter. Most patients do fine long term so if you are plagued by varicose veins, see a specialized health care provider trained to identify and treat these conditions which are diagnosed by a non-invasive ultrasound.

“My legs have always been unsightly and having babies made the veins even more pronounced. I hesitated to do the surgery but I after my last baby, I opted for this newer treatment and I am thrilled. I even started wearing shorts.”

Christina R, Age 35, Davie Florida

To schedule a vein consultation, please call 954-980-0361. Your legs will thank you!