Varicose veins are swollen, twisted blood vessels that bulge just below the surface of your skin. These blue or purple bumps usually appear on the legs, feet and ankles. They may be painful or itchy. Spider veins that can surround varicose veins are smaller red or purple lines that appear near the surface of your skin.
Varicose veins occur when the walls of your veins weaken. As the blood pressure in your vein increases, the weakened walls allow your vein to enlarge. As your vein stretches, the valves that keep the blood in your vein moving in one direction can’t work as well as they should. Slow blood pools or pools in your veins, causing your vein to swell, bulge, and twist.
Vein walls and valves can weaken for several reasons, including:
- Hormones.
- The aging process.
- Overweight.
- Restrictive clothing.
- Pressure inside the vein from prolonged standing.
Muscle contractions in the lower legs act as pumps, and elastic vein walls help return blood to the heart. Tiny valves in the veins open as blood flows toward the heart and then close to stop blood from flowing back. If these valves are weak or damaged, blood can flow back and pool in the veins, causing the veins to stretch or twist.
Although they can be unsightly and uncomfortable, varicose veins are not dangerous for most people. But in some cases varicose veins lead to serious health problems like blood clots. Most varicose vein symptoms can be relieved at home, or your healthcare provider can treat them with injections, laser therapy, or surgery. Varicose veins are very common. About 1/3 of all adults have varicose veins.
How to diagnosed Varicose veins and treat them
Varicose veins are close to the surface of your skin and are easy to see. Health care providers can diagnose the condition during a physical exam. They will feel your veins and examine them while you sit and stand. An ultrasound will be recommend by your doctor to see exact condition of your veins and complications. This safe, minimal discomfort test uses sound waves to create images of tissues inside your body. An ultrasound can show blood clots and how your valves are working.
Injection therapy (sclerotherapy):
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that removes damaged, unsightly veins. During the procedure, a sclerosing solution is injected into the defective veins, the concentration of which changes with the size of the treated varicose veins.
A sclerosing agent helps form clots in damaged veins and seals them. This forces blood to be redirected to healthier veins and encourages the growth of new veins. Collapsed veins are naturally absorbed into the body over time, eliminating their appearance. Eventually, your vein will turn into a scar and disappear.
Laser therapy:
A laser is a device that emits a thin beam of radiation in the form of light. Endovenous laser varicose vein surgery is a procedure that uses heat from a laser to reduce varicose veins.
Laser surgery closes and shrinks
varicose veins in sydney and causes a scar in the vessel. This seals the vein. Instead of that treated veins, blood flows through other nearby veins.
This procedure does not require a hospital stay. Laser therapy can be done in your healthcare provider’s office which usually takes less than an hour. You can probably go home the same day. Bring loose clothing to wear immediately after surgery.
Vein surgery:
Vein stripping and ligation is usually only done in severe cases of varicose veins. The procedure involves ligation and removal of veins through small incisions in the skin. You will be given medication to temporarily put you to sleep so that you do not feel any pain during the procedure. Vein stripping and ligation is usually performed on an outpatient basis. The recovery time after the procedure is about 1 to 4 weeks
You cannot prevent the formation of varicose veins. However, you can prevent the ones you have from getting worse. You can also take steps to delay the formation of other varicose veins
