When a person has varicose veins, their veins have dilated to the point that they can no longer pump blood back to the heart. The valves that keep blood from back-flowing fail, and the blood pools. This results in veins that appear as blue or red and ropey beneath the skin. Varicose veins can be found all over the body, but they are more in the legs or ankles. This is because, the legs are under pressure from standing up for long periods, pregnancy, obesity, heredity, advanced age,or a sedentary lifestyle. Varicose veins are usually superficial veins that lie just beneath the skin. This is why they can be easily seen when they become distended.
People can also get varicose veins in their face, especially on the nose and the cheek. These veins are called telangiectasia, or spider veins because they resemble the tiny legs or webs of spiders.
Symptoms
Sometimes the appearance of varicose veins are the only symptoms. Some people with varicose veins feel aches, cramps or pain in their legs when they stand while others complain that their legs feel heavy and tired. Their feet or ankles may be slightly swollen, and their legs or ankles may itch. Some people believe this itching is due to dry skin when it is in fact due to varicose veins. The skin around the damaged vein may be discolored.
More serious complications of untreated varicose veins are phlebitis, which is an inflammation in a vein. Another complication may be a condition called superficial thrombophlebitis which is a blood clot in the vein. If this happens, the person will feel tenderness and pain in the area, and the skin there will be red. The symptoms usually appear gradually. The affected vein will be hard yet tender.
Treatment
There are several ways to treat varicose veins. Larger veins can be stripped, or simply pulled out of the body and tied off. Other veins can be corrected with a solution or a foam that scars them and causes them to shut down. Some doctors insert a laser fiber into the vein. When the laser is turned on, its heat destroys the vein as the fiber is pulled out. In the case of telangiectasia, dermatologists might use lasers to destroy them or use microsclerotherapy where the doctor uses a very fine needle to inject sclerotizing agent into the vein to destroy it.
Contact Us
If you are in the Cincinnati or Kenwood area, and you believe you have varicose veins and want to get them treated, don’t hesitate to contact the vein specialists here at Rejuveination. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
