Have you ever noticed long visible darkish blue or purple colored veins, especially on the legs? That is varicose veins. Varicose veins are usually enlarged veins which are twisted. It can happen to any superficial veins but usually on the legs. Spider veins are mild variations of the varicose veins. Varicose veins can cause extreme pain and discomfort. Legs are the most vulnerable place for varicose veins due to long hours of standing and walking upright can cause varicose veins.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins:
Varicose veins do not cause pain in most of the individuals. The affected veins can turn dark blue or purple and they look twisted and bulged which look like cords in your leg. In most of the cases home remedies and treatment tend to cure varicose veins. Painful symptoms include feeling of heaviness and ache in the legs, severe pain after sitting or standing for longer hours, throbbing, muscle cramp, and swelling in the legs, discoloration of skin around the veins, itching around your veins (venous eczema), swollen ankles, restless leg syndrome, atrophie blanche which are irregular whitish patches on the ankle, and any minor injury on the affected area can result in longer bleeding. Lipodermatosclerosis is when fat under the skin near the ankle turns hard. When these symptoms tend to appear, visit your doctor for varicose veins pain relief.
Causes:
Veins contain one-way valves. Valves can carry only in one direction. When the veins become weak and stretched the veins become weak. This makes the blood flow backwards. When the flow is backward the veins become enlarged and swollen. The blood accumulates in this region. Usually the veins which are furthest tend to be affected which are the legs. The gravity worsens the condition. The health condition that puts pressure on the abdomen like pregnancy and constipation.
There are some potential risk factors why you can get affected by varicose veins like menopause and pregnancy. Apart from them
Age: People above the age of 50 can get affected by varicose veins. Aging can cause the veins to wear and tear resulting in the valves to get weaker.
Sex: Reasearch shows that women tend to develop veins when compared to men. This is due to the hormonal changes they undergo during the pregnancy and the menopause period.
Pregnancy: During the pregnancy the volume of your blood is doubled. This may help the fetus to grow but can cause some adverse side effects in your body by enlarging your veins. Hormonal changes also come into action during this phase.
Obesity: People with heavy weight put a lot of pressure on the veins which results in the formation of varicose veins.
Family history: Varicose veins can be hereditary and can be passed on to generations after generations.
Sitting or Standing: Long hours of sitting or standing tends to cause varicose veins.
If painful varicose veins is left untreated, they cause severe complications like
Ulcers: They cause painful ulcers in the affected region, specially near the ankle area. Consult Vascular Surgeons in Coimbatore as you notice a discoloration as this is the indication of formation of ulcer.
Blood Clots: The blood does not flow smoothly in the varicose veins, they tend to become swollen and painful. This can lead to severe blood clots. The condition is called thrombophlebitis.
Bleeding: Bleeding is usually observed in the condition where the affected veins are close to the skin they tend to get swollen and burst, this causes minor bleeding consult a Vein Specialist to get immediate relief.
Treatment:
You can always get varicose veins treatment in most of the hospitals. The treatment of the veins begins with the examination of the veins which include tests like
Doppler test: where an ultrasound is performed to determine the direction of the blood flow.
Color Duplex Ultrasound: This ultrasound is performed and produces color images of the affected vein.
Once the Vein Specialist diagnoses you with veins you may be asked to undergo surgery if needed.
Endothermal ablation: In this procedure, the beam of laser or radiofrequency waves are applied on the affected area that helps to seal off the affected vein.
Radiofrequency Ablation: In this procedure, a small incision is made above the vein or knee. A narrow catheter is sent through the vein and radio frequency waves are applied through the catheter. This helps the veins to collapse. Once the vein is collapsed or shut the blood flows normally to the legs. This process requires local anesthesia.
Endovenous Laser Treatment: Similar to radiofrequency ablation endovenous laser treatment a small incision is made and a narrow catheter is introduced. Through which the laser is passed, this helps the vein to close entirely. You may experience bruises and pain after the procedure. This is temporary. This procedure also involves anesthesia.
Ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy: This procedure requires local anesthetic and an injection filled with special foam is injected into the veins. This foam seals the affected veins. Multiple veins can be treated at the same time through this procedure. After a couple of weeks the affected veins tend to fade and new healthy veins take the place.
Compression Stocking: To avoid surgery, doctors may recommend wearing compression stockings, as they give relief to the pain and swelling. They squeeze your leg to provide circulation. Though they are not the most comfortable thing to wear, yet they can provide a lot of relief with consistent usage.
Prevention: There is no specific way to prevent the veins. The best way to prevent them is to provide good blood circulation to your body. Consistent exercise, maintaining healthy weight, consuming high-fiber food, reducing salt intake, avoiding heels, and changing your position when sitting or standing. These really help you in preventing varicose veins. Choose a healthy life to avoid any complications.