Understanding Varicose Veins & Different Treatment Options

24 Sep, 2021 12:28 IST|Sakshi Post

Varicose veins is a medical problem in which superficial veins are twisted, enlarged and swollen, They are reddish blue or dark purple coloured veins that appear just beneath the skin. Varicose is formed whenever blood pressure increases inside the veins, it may weaken or damage vein valves. Varicose occurs because of decreased blood flow from lower limbs to the heart. Mostly varicose happens in legs, feet and calves area. Varicose complications can include bleeding. Many times varicose veins can cause severe pain and discomfort. Sometimes this varicose can lead to more-serious problems. They become more common with advancing age. Women develop varicose veins about twice as compared to men. Dr. Bhavesh Arun Popat who provides varicose veins treatment in Mumbai explains in detail about the causes, the signs & symptoms and different treatment options for Varicose Veins.

Causes of Varicose Veins

Overweight: Obesity or excess of weight puts pressure and load on veins. It may lead to rupture or damage those causing varicose veins.

Age Factor: The valves in the veins of a person may weaken with the advancing of age.

Family History: A person is more likely to get varicose veins if one of his/her immediate family members has been diagnosed with it.

They also develop more commonly during pregnancy. It has been seen in smokers, those who have chronic constipation, and in people with occupations which necessitate long periods of standing.

Signs and symptoms of Varicose Veins

  • Uncomfortable or heavy feelings, burning sensation and pain in the legs.
  • Twisted and bulging veins, just like a cord.
  • Discolouration of skin (dark purple or blue) in veins.
  • Redness, dryness, and itchiness of areas of skin, termed as venous eczema.
  • Feeling of burn or throbbing sensation in the legs.

Complications of Varicose

Most of the time varicose veins are reasonably benign, but at times it can lead to severe and major complications, this is due to the poor circulation through the affected limb. Its complications are noted below;

  • Heaviness, pain, inability to stand or walk for a long period.
  • Venous ulcers or skin ulcers near the ankle.
  • Bleeding even from minor trauma.
  • Predispose skin loss.
  • Fat necrosis at the ankle especially of overweight people with varicose veins.

Diagnosis

In order to diagnose varicose veins, your physical examination will be conducted by a doctor, which includes looking at your legs while you're standing to ascertain for swelling, pain and aching in your legs. An ultrasound test may be conducted to see if the valves in your veins are functioning normally or if there's any evidence of a blood clot.

Self-care

If the Varicose is benign, self-care such as regular exercising, shedding extra weight, wearing loose and comfortable clothes, elevating your legs, and avoiding long periods of standing or sitting — can ease pain and prevent varicose veins from getting worse.

Varicose Veins Treatment

Fortunately, in order to get rid of the varicose veins; today there are many successful treatment options available.

VenaSeal Closure System:  This is the latest and the new system for the treatment of varicose veins. In this procedure a small amount of a specially formulated medical adhesive to close the diseased vein, making the blood flow to the nearby healthy vein, which provides relief from the symptom. Amongst the many techniques of varicose veins treatment, venaseal closure system is the latest. The venaseal closure system is a non-surgical outpatient procedure. It is a USFDA approved treatment method for varicose veins. After the trail of over 5 years in US and Europe, it is recorded that the success of venaseal is up to 98.9 percent with very fewer complications compared to other modes of varicose veins treatment. 

Endovenous Laser Ablation: 

Endovenous laser ablation procedure doesn’t require a hospital stay. It may be done in your healthcare provider’s clinic. The Endovenous laser procedure usually takes less than an hour. In Endovenous laser treatment, patient can go home the same day. It is a process, which uses laser to reduce swelling and bulging of veins. Laser surgery shrinks and closes the varicose vein and seals off the vein making blood flow through other nearby veins.

Surgery:  Surgery for the removal of varicose is usually carried out under general anaesthetic and requires hospitalisation. This is also called ligation and stripping. This procedure is done for the most serious varicose cases. Here the patient is given general anaesthesia. Doctor will make cuts in the skin, tie off the diseased veins, and will remove them. Patient might go home the same day of the surgery. The doctor may wrap operated leg in elastic bandages after the procedure and ask the patient to wear compression stockings for a certain amount of time. Recovery time ranges from 1 to 4 weeks.

Sclerotherapy: Sclerotherapy is one of the proven procedures to treat varicose or spider veins that has been in use since the 1930s. Sclerotherapy involves an injection of a salt solution directed into the affected vein. The solution then irritates the lining of the vein’s blood vessel, thereby causing it to collapse and stick together. Over time, the blood vessel turns into scar tissue and fades from view. Before undergoing this procedure, your doctor will examine you to decide if you are a good candidate for this procedure.

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