Varicose veins are a common problem affecting one in three adults, but that doesn’t make them any less embarrassing.
Unfortunately, people notice the bluish-purple, twisty, bulging veins, making them a distressing cosmetic concern that motivates many to seek treatment. Your appearance is important, but it’s only one of several reasons to eliminate varicose veins.
At Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. Laura Fernandes offers today’s most advanced diagnostics and nonsurgical treatments, no matter why you decide it’s time to stop living with varicose veins.
Why should you seek treatment for varicose veins? Here are four crucial reasons:
Varicose veins have such a negative effect on your appearance that they may bring down your confidence and self-esteem. You may dread comments from others and limit your wardrobe to clothes that cover your legs.
Beyond their appearance, varicose veins may affect daily activities and disrupt sleep. For example, leg vein problems are associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS), which causes uncomfortable sensations and the need to move your legs when you lie down to sleep.
You may also find that varicose vein symptoms limit your activities or make it hard to stand for an extended time, which leads to problems if your job requires standing.
You may have varicose veins and never experience symptoms. If so, you’re one of the lucky ones. Many people with bulging veins struggle with mild to severe symptoms (other than RLS).
Leg pain, muscle cramps, and heavy-feeling legs are among the most common symptoms. You may also experience itchy skin or burning sensations.
Many people develop swelling in their lower legs and ankles. This swelling (edema) occurs as fluids leak from the blood vessels and accumulate under your skin.
After we remove your varicose veins, you can enjoy life, as your leg symptoms and the discomfort they cause disappear.
Varicose veins are more than an unsightly and uncomfortable problem. They’re the earliest sign of an underlying venous disease called chronic venous insufficiency.
Chronic venous insufficiency begins when one-way valves in your leg veins stop working, letting some blood flow down your leg instead of going up toward your heart. The refluxing blood accumulates in the vein, resulting in bulging varicose veins.
However, chronic venous insufficiency causes other serious problems. Impaired circulation and blood accumulation raise the venous pressure in the lower leg, and that leads to complications.
The longer your varicose veins go untreated, the more your lower leg vein pressure increases. The good news is that eliminating your varicose veins removes the faulty valves, treats chronic venous insufficiency, and restores healthy circulation.
Without treatment, the high pressure may result in complications like skin conditions and deep vein thrombosis.
When fluids leave your blood vessels and infuses the surrounding tissues, several skin conditions may develop, including:
Venous ulcers develop when the leaking fluids break down your skin, creating a painless, shallow, and sometimes oozing wound. These wounds don’t heal; they keep enlarging around the edges.
Without specialized wound care to promote healing, venous ulcers are dangerous because they lead to skin and bone infections.
Chronic venous insufficiency slows blood flow, thickening blood and potentially leading to a blood clot called a DVT. If the clot breaks free, it can travel to the lungs, get stuck in the blood vessels, and cause an emergency, potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.
Even if you’re not ready to get your varicose veins treated, you may want to schedule a consultation. With a quick, painless venous ultrasound, we can determine the severity of the underlying disease and recommend steps you can take to improve circulation and prevent complications.
When you decide to remove your varicose veins, we specialize in several nonsurgical treatments that permanently eliminate the existing veins and restore healthy leg circulation.
Call Woodland Heart and Vascular Institute today or book online to learn about your treatment choices for varicose veins.
