Vein Care Getting Rid Of Varicose Veins

A varicose vein is a twisted, enlarged blood vessel near the surface of the skin that is blue or purple in color. Varicose veins are not a serious medical condition, but they can cause discomfort and be embarrassing.

Center For Advanced Vein Care is available from dermatologists, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons in hospitals or at specialized vein treatment centers. It’s important to choose a physician with experience in vein procedures. It’s also a good idea to ask the doctor about his or her credentials and training.

The walls of a varicose vein become weaker and stretchy over time, causing the vein to get bigger. The one-way valves that keep blood moving in one direction don’t work like they should, and sluggish blood backs up or pools inside the weakened vein. Over time, the vein stretches and bulges out from under the surface of the skin.

Many things can contribute to the development of varicose veins, including age, being female and having a family history of this condition. A person’s lifestyle can also increase the risk of developing varicose veins. People who stand or sit for long periods of time each day, or wear tight-fitting clothing, may have a higher risk of developing them. Women who have a baby or go through menopause also have an increased risk of getting varicose veins because of hormone changes.

Over-the-counter medicines and vein treatments can help reduce pain and discomfort from varicose veins. However, these treatments can’t get rid of existing varicose and spider veins.

Those with more severe symptoms can have advanced vein care to prevent the condition from worsening or to treat existing veins that are leaking or painful.

Treatments for varicose and spider veins may include sclerotherapy, which involves injecting medication into the problem veins. The medication causes the vein to collapse and be absorbed into the body. This procedure is usually performed in a health care provider’s office and does not require anesthesia.

Another vein treatment is Center For Advanced Vein Care. During this minimally invasive procedure, a health care provider inserts a thin tube into an enlarged varicose vein. The tube delivers heat into the wall of the varicose vein, destroying it. The weakened vein closes and the blood is rerouted to healthy veins.

Surgical procedures to remove varicose and spider veins are now rarely used. Instead, health care providers offer less invasive procedures that are quicker and more comfortable.

Ambulatory phlebectomy is an outpatient procedure that’s done in the doctor’s office under local anesthesia. The doctor makes tiny incisions in your leg and pulls out the affected veins using a small hook tool. Recovery can take a few weeks and there’s no need for stitches. Some bruising and swelling is normal after this procedure. The injected medicine can cause itching, but this usually goes away within a few months. For larger varicose veins, a doctor can use a catheter-based procedure that uses radiofrequency or laser energy to destroy them. The vein is numbed before the procedure and the catheter, which has a tip that’s heated with either radio wave or laser energy, is inserted into the enlarged varicose vein.