Millions of Americans suffer from varicose veins. Varicose veins are enlarged veins that bulge out of your skin. Most of the time, varicose veins are found in the legs and feet. However, varicose veins can occur anywhere in the body. I would like to go over varicose vein symptoms, varicose vein risk factors, and varicose vein treatments.
Varicose Vein Symptoms
Varicose Vein Symptoms include the appearance of darken veins or veins that pop out of the skin. Varicose vein symptoms don’t necessarily include pain. However, painful varicose vein symptoms include achy, burning, throbbing muscle cramping, and swelling in your lower legs. In extreme cases, varicose vein symptoms could include skin ulcers near your ankle. According to the Mayo Clinic, this “can mean you have a severe form of vascular disease that requires medical attention.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Blood flow through your legs has to work against gravity. It takes a lot of effort for muscles in your legs to help pump blood from your legs back up to your heart. Over time, your veins lose elasticity and stretch and could become weaker. Blood pools in these stretched out veins and you get the bulge associated with varicose veins.
Pregnant women can get varicose veins due to the fact that more blood is in your body during pregnancy but less blood flow goes from your legs to your pelvis due to the developing fetus.
Varicose vein risk factors include: age, gender, genetics, weight, and standing for long periods of time. Older people are more prone to varicose veins, as are women and those who have a family history of varicose veins. Furthermore, those who stand for long periods of time could suffer from varicose veins because blood doesn’t flow as well if you’re in the same position for long periods of time.
Varicose Vein Treatments include both self treatments and medical treatments. Self varicose vein treatments include living a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and exercise. Good varicose vein treatments include eating plenty of fiber and limiting your intake of salt.
In addition, self varicose vein treatments that are relatively easy to perform are to wear lower heeled shoes, and avoid wearing tight clothes around or below your waist. In addition, you can elevate your legs above heart level as effective varicose vein treatments.
Medical varicose vein treatments include wearing compression stockings which help improve the flow of blood in your legs. This is the easiest and least invasive of all varicose vein treatments. In addition, medical varicose vein treatments include sclerotherapy where a doctor injects a solution that scars and closes off the varicose vein. This varicose vein treatment can be performed in your doctor’s office.
Other varicose vein treatments that are more invasive include laser surgery, catheter assisted procedures, vein stripping, ambulatory plebectomy (surgical removal of the vein), and endoscopic vein surgery. Only your medical practitioner can inform you which of the varicose vein treatments is right for you.
For the most part, varicose veins are not that serious. However, due to cosmetic reasons or the experience of pain some individuals may wish to seek varicose vein treatments that reduce or remove their varicose veins. If you have any of the varicose vein risk factors, you can minimize your risk of developing varicose veins by taking care of yourself and being mindful of your circulation. In many cases, patients cannot help the fact that they developed varicose veins.
