Get Varicose Vein Treatment Before The Damage is Too Great

, , , , , Vein Treatment

Think varicose veins will go away on their own? They won’t. In fact, they’ll get worse and could put your health at risk.

Going without varicose vein treatment could lead to hyperpigmentation and ulcers, as well as an increased risk of dangerous blood clots in your legs.

Many people think vein treatment requires surgery when in actuality, most can be treated at a vein clinic. Read on to learn why varicose veins occur and to discover your treatment options.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

The condition is quite common among people as they age. According to womenshealth.gov, about half of Americans over the age of 50 have varicose veins. However, the condition can occur in younger people, too.

Varicose veins are caused by weak or damaged valves in your veins. The damage is due to a variety of factors.

1. Aging. The valves in your veins stop working as well as you get older.

2. Heredity. Genetics plays a role in your risk of developing varicose veins. If a close relative has them, there’s a greater chance you will, too.

3. Weight. Excess weight adds stress to your veins leading to damage and varicose veins.

4. Sedentary lifestyle. Sitting or standing for long periods means your body’s circulatory system has to work haqrder to move blood to and from your extremities. The added effort causes vein valves to break down quicker.

5. Hormones. Fluctuations in your levels of estrogen or progesterone can lead to varicose veins. Puberty, menopause and taking birth control pills can causes these hormone levels to change.

6. Pregnancy. Pregnant women have a greater volume of blood in their bodies. Added to that, the growing fetus puts extra pressure on the mother’s veins. The combination of these factors can cause varicose veins during pregnancy. The condition will often improve after delivery.

What are My Varicose Vein Treatment Options?

Sclerotherapy is the preferred method vein doctors use to combat most varicose veins. It’s noninvasive, requires little down time and is highly effective. A sclerosing substance is injected into the problem vein. The solution causes the varicose vein to collapse and the blood that was flowing through the vein to clot. The varicose vein disappears, helping your legs to be healthier and more attractive. Sclerotherapy also works well for spider veins.

If you have varicose veins, schedule a consultation with vascular surgeons to determine a treatment plan. An ultrasound of your legs will likely be ordered so your vein doctor can have a more accurate assessment of your circulatory system.

To schedule a consultation, please call (314) 272-4150.

Understanding the Dangers of Deep Vein Thrombosis

, , , , , Blog Post

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a serious condition that affects millions of people each year. Fortunately, with the proper vein treatment, complications of DVT can be prevented.

What is DVT?

DVT occurs when a blood clot develops within a vein located deep inside the body, obstructing the flow of blood. This condition can occur anywhere in the body, but it is most common in the leg. If DVT isn’t properly treated, pulmonary embolism can occur. With pulmonary embolism, the blood clot breaks free, travels through the veins and blocks blood flow in the lungs. This condition can be fatal.

The symptoms of DVT may vary. However, some of the most common symptoms include aching, swelling, cramps and tenderness. In some cases, DVT can occur without producing any symptoms. If DVT is left untreated for a significant amount of time, another complication known as “post-thrombotic syndrome” can occur. This condition is characterized by pain, itching, heaviness, tingling, ulcer, discoloration, varicose veins and swelling.

Treatment for DVT

When vein doctors discover DVT, they can treat it using a technique known as “thrombolytic therapy.” This treatment utilizes an injection of clot-dissolving medication, which breaks down the clot and restores the healthy flow of blood. This medication may flow through the blood vessels, or vascular surgeons may deliver the medication directly to the clot using a catheter. Some catheters used for this purpose also include attachments that help to break up the clot mechanically.

If DVT progresses to post-thrombotic syndrome, additional treatments may be necessary. For example, if the clot leads to the development of varicose veins, varicose vein treatment may be used to alleviate the symptoms.

What Should I Do if I Have DVT?

If you have been experiencing the symptoms of DVT, or if you have other reasons to believe that you may have a blood clot deep in your veins, you need to seek treatment from a vein clinic immediately. Please contact St. Louis Vein & Endovascular to make an appointment with an experienced vein doctor.

Exploring Your Available Vein Treatment Options

, , , , Blog Post

If you are suffering from spider veins or varicose veins, you may feel both embarrassed and frustrated. Fortunately, you don’t have to let your abnormal veins continue to impact your life. Below is some information about the vein treatment options available from your local vein clinic.

Conservative Treatment

If your condition is mild, you may need only conservative treatment. Conservative treatment for abnormal veins typically consists of wearing compression stockings, elevating your affected limbs, losing excess weight and/or engaging in regular exercise.

Sclerotherapy

One of the most common vein treatment procedures performed by vein doctors is sclerotherapy. This treatment is appropriate for both spider veins and varicose veins. During the procedure, a special medication is injected directly into the affected veins. This medication causes the vein to collapse and be reabsorbed by the body. Sclerotherapy may be performed with or without ultrasound guidance.

Radiofrequency Closure

Radiofrequency closure is a varicose vein treatment options that works by introducing radiofrequency energy into a diseased vein. This energy heats the walls of the vein, forcing it to seal off. Blood is then redirected to healthier veins.

Endovenous Laser Ablation

Endovenous laser ablation is similar to radiofrequency closure in that it uses a catheter to deliver energy into the interior of a diseased vein. However, this procedure uses laser energy instead of radiofrequency energy.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

For varicose veins located near the surface of the skin, ambulatory phlebectomy may be the best choice. During this procedure, vascular surgeons remove the diseased vein from the body entirely through small incisions or punctures. This procedure results in an immediate relief from all associated symptoms.

Each of the procedures above offers different advantages for patients with abnormal veins. In order to determine which procedure is right for you, you must first visit an experienced vein doctor. Your vein doctor will be able to provide you with an accurate diagnosis, as well as valuable insight you can use to make the right decision. Contact St. Louis Vein & Endovascular to learn more.

What’s the Best Varicose Vein Treatment for You?

, , , , , Vein Doctor

When you visit a vein clinic, your vein doctor will discuss a wide range of varicose vein treatment options with you. The number of different treatments available can seem overwhelming. But, there’s a reason there are so many different options. Some treatments are better suited for certain types of vein problems than others. One of the responsibilities of vascular surgeons is to help you understand the differences between each treatment and to help you pick the best one.

Your Varicose Vein Treatment Options:

If You’re Not Sure if You’re Ready for Treatment

Not every patient is ready for a medical vein treatment just yet. There are cases where vein doctors will recommend what’s know as conservative treatments, or self-care measures, to keep varicose veins from getting worse. These treatments won’t necessarily reverse your vein problems, but they can help slow down the progression of the varicose veins.

Conservative treatment options include wearing compression stockings, losing weight if you are overweight, and getting more exercise or physical activity.

If You Have Smaller Veins

Some vein treatments are more effective on smaller varicose veins or on spider veins. These treatments include sclerotherapy. During sclerotherapy, the vein doctor injects the spider or small varicose veins with a special chemical solution. The solution destroys the veins, so that they collapse and ultimately fade from view. The blood that was flowing through those veins is simply redirected to different veins in the legs.

You might need several treatment sessions with sclerotherapy before you see the full results from treatment. There’s also a version of the treatment that uses foam to collapse the veins and that might be more effective for treating larger veins.

If Your Veins Are Deeper

Some varicose veins are located deeper in the legs, which makes treating them with surface treatments a bit trickier. Ultrasound guided treatments can be an effective option if your veins are difficult to see on the surface. During ultrasound guided sclerotherapy, the vascular surgeon uses ultrasound imaging to find his or her way to the right vein, before injecting it.

Endovenous vein ablation can also be an effective treatment for deeper veins and for larger veins.

If Your Veins are Causing You Discomfort

Larger varicose veins often cause discomfort as well as make you feel self conscious. If your veins are causing throbbing, aches or other discomfort, treatment such as endovenous vein ablation or radiofrequency closure. Both methods use a catheter to seal off and destroy larger, bulky veins.

Another treatment for painful veins is ambulatory phlebectomy. It’s a minimally invasive procedure best suited for veins close to the surface of the skin. During the treatment, your vein surgeon will make small incisions near the affected veins, then carefully remove those veins from your legs.

Deciding to treat your varicose veins is just the first step. Discuss your vein treatment options with a vascular surgeon today, so that you’re able to make the choice that’s best for you.

The Symptoms and Causes of Venous Disease

, , , , , Blog Post

Approximately 25 million US citizens currently suffer from venous disease. Otherwise known as venous insufficiency, venous disease is a condition that arises when the flow of blood through the veins is weak or otherwise inadequate. As a result, gravity causes blood to pool in the lower extremities, typically causing unsightly and potentially painful and harmful varicose veins.

 

These varicose veins (or “spider veins”) have weakened or damaged tissue walls that cannot effectively pump blood upward. While a normal vein includes a number of one-way valves that close to prevent blood from falling downward, a varicose vein contains valves that refuse to close completely. This condition severely limits the flow of blood back to the heart.

 

While mild forms of venous insufficiency present only cosmetic issues and/or mild discomfort, serious cases can be extremely painful and dangerous. In very extreme cases, venous disease can lead to limb loss or even death.

 

Venous Insufficiency Symptoms

 

In short, venous insufficiency is a serious condition that should be addressed by the vein doctors and/or vascular surgeons at a specialized vein clinic or an equivalent medical setting. Seek vein treatment immediately if you experience one or more of the following symptoms:

 

•          Leg heaviness and/or fatigue

•           Pain or tenderness (particularly along the course of a vein)

•          Itching, burning, and/or throbbing

•          Swelling and/or water retention

•          Restless legs syndrome

•          Bight cramps

•          Restless legs

•          Paresthesia (a tingling, prickling, or “pins and needles” sensation)

•          Intolerance to exercise

 

Venous Insufficiency Causes

 

Individuals who are currently suffering from or have previously suffered from blood clots and varicose veins are at the highest risk of venous insufficiency. Blood clots cause venous insufficiency because they make it more difficult for blood to flow forward. They can also cause damage that can further restrict this flow. As previously stated, the weak walls and missing/impaired valves in varicose veins will cause blood to leak backwards and begin to pool in the legs.

 

Other factors and conditions that commonly contribute to venous insufficiency include:

 

•          Obesity

•          Smoking

•          Muscle weakness and/or inactivity

•          Leg injury/trauma

•          Cancer

•          Phlebitis (vein inflammation)

•          Pregnancy

 

Because susceptibility to venous insufficiency is passed down from generation to generation, a family history of the condition also places patients at a significantly higher risk.

 

What to Do

 

Individuals who suffer from venous insufficiency should seek the help of a skilled and knowledgeable medical professional as soon as possible. Varicose vein treatment from a specialized clinic such as the St. Louis Vein & Endovascular can not only improve the appearance of your legs but prevent a range of dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions.





Copyright © 2023 St. Louis Vein & Endovascular. All rights reserved.