Varicose Veins · Best Rated Vein Doctors & Specialists · Vein Treatments Center

The Science of Varicose Veins

All the veins in your body have valves that keep deoxygenated blood flowing back toward your heart. The veins in your legs have to work against gravity to do this. Damaged or weak valves and vein walls cause blood to pool. As a result, your veins swell and become even weaker. And that leads to varicose veins.

Although varicose veins aren’t completely predictable, some risk factors are under your control. When you know how to prevent varicose veins, you’ll pay attention if you fall into one of these groups:

• Older age
• Being female
• Being pregnant
• Family history with the condition
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Increased time on your feet (walking or standing)
• Smoking
• Trauma
• Underlying circulatory conditions

What You May Experience

Symptoms of varicose veins can range from no discomfort to varicose vein pain. Milder variations that are much smaller, called spider veins, may just be unsightly with no symptoms. But symptoms of varicose veins in your lower limbs include:

• Dark blue, bulging veins
• An achy or heavy feeling in your legs
• Burning, throbbing and cramping
• Swelling of your ankles or feet
• Hardening of varicose veins
• Varicose vein pain
• Bleeding from or rupture of a vein
• Skin ulcer

Some symptoms are indicative of complications and should be addressed immediately by your NYC vein specialist. The more dangerous complications include thrombophlebitis and deep vein thrombosis. Both can be fatal if untreated. Varicose vein pain can be a sign of phlebitis. Skin ulcers point toward stasis dermatitis, which is skin involvement due to the stagnation of blood.

How to Prevent Varicose Veins

While you can’t fully prevent varicose veins, some lifestyle guidelines to reduce the risk include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Developing good muscle tone
• Avoiding cigarettes
• Eating a high-fiber, low-sodium diet
• Staying off high heels
• Wearing loose clothing
• Being active during the day
• Avoiding long periods of time on your feet
• Elevating your lower limbs often, if necessary

Varicose vein treatment goals are to relieve your symptoms, like pain and swelling, as well as to prevent dangerous complications. Purely cosmetic treatment, which is available when your condition doesn’t jeopardize your health, may not be covered by your insurance, but most of these varicose vein treatment options revolve around lifestyle changes.

But First, a Diagnosis

Because superficial varicose veins are visible on your skin and your doctor knows what causes varicose veins, a complete medical history and a physical examination usually point to a diagnosis. If your Manhattan vein doctor wants to find the extent of the disease or rule out underlying conditions, she may ask for additional tests like an ultrasound.

If you have varicose veins, treatment varies, depending on the progression of the disease. Your New York City vein doctor knows best how to get rid of varicose veins. So, if you need treatment for varicose veins, like varicose vein removal or varicose vein surgery, you can get the best care at Manhattan Vein Specialists of NYC.

Varicose Veins Treatment

A large selection of varicose vein treatment modalities exists because of the range of symptoms. If you have no symptoms and aren’t bothered by the cosmetic aspect, simple lifestyle modification can help. Try managing your weight, changing your diet and increasing your activity levels. Compression stockings are the mainstay of therapy, and you can get them over the counter at most pharmacies.

Most of the surgical options for varicose vein removal are done on an outpatient basis. Options include:

• Sclerotherapy
• Laser surgery
• Ambulatory phlebotomy