What Are the Main Causes of Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins can develop at any age and are annoying, unsightly, and at times, painful. Unfortunately, varicose vein disease is generally regarded as an inherited disorder and therefore will never actually go away on its own without proper treatment. In fact, varicose vein disease is considered a “progressive disease” which means that it will get worse over time, leading to more varicose veins than you may already have and the symptoms that result from their eventual impact on the person’s venous circulation.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Chronic venous insufficiency is a medical term for varicose veins and all the symptoms and manifestations associated with it. Your veins function by way of one-way valves which allow venous blood to return from the extremities back up to the heart against gravity. In some people, however, these valves do not work properly, allowing blood to flow backwards in the vein. When the person is standing, blood ultimately pools within these defective veins resulting in an ever increasing pressure and congestion in and around the varicose vein. Over time, this pressure and congestion will start to increasingly dilate the faulty vein in addition to secondarily impacting the blood flow in and around the vein. This is why varicose veins not only start to look more prominent on the skin with its color and lumpiness, but also start to impact the circulation in and around the faulty veins.
Will Varicose Veins Go Away?
Because this is a chronic condition, meaning it is always there, and probably has been for some time without your knowledge, varicose veins get progressively worse, not better. The only way to get rid of them is to see a vein specialist to have them treated.
Although a cure for varicose vein disease is not possible and prevention is never guaranteed, there are things you can do to decrease your risk of developing varicose and spider veins:
- Drink plenty of water
- Exercise regularly
- Don’t sit in one place for too long, get up and move around as often as possible
- Eat a healthy diet
Despite following these recommendations, varicose veins will still be an issue if you are genetically inclined. But thankfully, there are treatments available.
How to Get Rid of Varicose Veins
The only proven varicose vein treatment methods are those available through a physician who specializes in vascular disease. At the Sheen Vein Institute, we use state-of-the-art equipment and technology to make varicose veins disappear. We offer sclerotherapy and endovenous ablation laser therapy (ELT) for varicose veins.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a liquid or foam solution into the varicose veins, causing them to shutdown. This forces the blood to be rerouted through other veins that are healthier. The body then reabsorbs the treated veins over time until the treated veins shrivel up and disappear. Ultrasound to visualize the deeper vein(s) that need to be treated, making sclerotherapy much more accurate and effective.
Endovenous ablation laser therapy involves the use of a laser to get rid of varicose veins. The procedure involves the placement of a fiber optic laser fiber into the desired vein with the help of ultrasound guidance. After the application of numbing medicine, the laser is fired, delivering heat energy thru the laser fiber into the lumen of the treatment vein. The heat from the laser causes the treated vein to shut down and eventually go away permanently.
If you are suffering from varicose or spider veins or would like to be evaluated for venous disease, you need a knowledgeable and experienced venous specialist. Dr. Sheen will discuss all of your options for varicose vein treatment and will work with you to develop the right treatment plan for you that gets you the results you want. Contact the Sheen Vein and Cosmetics to schedule your appointment today.
