Information about Varicose Veins

Many theories exist for why varicose veins occur, but the consensus is that defective/damaged valves within the veins are to blame. Valves in our body prevent backward flow of blood within the vein, they keep blood in the vein moving towards the heart. Why the valves stop working is up for debate. The best way to describe varicose veins is to say that the veins are enlarged and twisted, so close to the surface of the skin, that bulge enough to be very visible and ugly.

Varicose veins can be visible on the front or back of the leg, thighs and lower legs, pelvis and on other parts of the body.

There are two types of veins, the superficial veins and the deep veins. The superficial veins are found about an inch beneath the skin and are often visible to the naked eye. Deep veins are below the superficial veins and only viisble with the aid of ultra sound ,MRI or other diagnostics.

Varicose veins if left untreated, can lead to skin changes in the lower legs and can be seen as discoloration such as red or bruised looking area usually from the lower calf to the foot. The skin can become thick and tight.

Here are some factors that cause and aggravtate varicose veins:

• Pregnancy is associated with an increase in blood volume. Also, added pressure on the veins in the legs by the weight of the growing uterus and the relaxation effects of the hormones estrogen and progesterone on the vein walls contribute to the development of varicose veins during pregnancy.
• Prolonged standing
• Obesity or distended belly
• Straining: Chronic constipation, urinary retention from an enlarged prostate, chronic cough, or any other conditions that cause you to strain for prolonged periods of time.
• Prior surgery or trauma to the leg: These conditions interrupt the normal blood flow channels.

Varicose veins are often painful, they often itch and scratching them can cause ulcers which will become a problem. They can be blue or purplish in color and can cause some uncomfortable symptoms such as:

• *ankle swelling
• *leg heaviness and aching
• *fatigue
• *leg cramps
• *skin discoloration (brownshih blue shiny skin around the vein)
• *bleeding

*ulceration

*dermatitis skin condition

*ulcers

Non-Surgical Treatments:

Some recommend treatments that are non-surgical treatments and less painful but time consuming are as follows:

Elevate the legs whenever possible

Regular exercise daily

Wearing compression stockings with a presssure of 30-40 mmHg. These can be purchased from a Medical Supply store.

Anti-inglammatory medical such as ibuprofen or aspirins

Dietary supplements can be helpful and can be purchase from a health food store. It will not cure the problem but will help long term as a preventive solution.

Use Vitamin A cream or serum or Aloe K Plus Accelerator daily

Surgical Treatments:

Endovenous laser and radio frequency ablation require specialized training for doctors and expensive equipment. Doctors must use ultrasound during the procedure to see what they are doing. Follow-up treatment to smaller branch varicose veins is often needed in the weeks after the initial procedure. Some practitioners also perform traditional surgery at the time of endovenous treatment. This treatment usually requires some down time.