Varicose veins are bulging blue veins on the legs that can cause leg swelling, skin blackening and even open wounds called ulcers. It is commonly seen in people aged 35 and above who have to stand a lot. Here are a few tips to prevent these:

1. Avoid standing for long periods: standing for long periods of time causes blood to pool in your leg veins and they begin to bulge out like a balloon. Avoid standing desks at your work. If you have to stand, take a 5-minute break every hour and walk around or sit down.

2. Keep weight in check: overweight people have a higher incidence of varicose veins. Keeping your weight in check would also prevent varicose veins.

3. Exercise 30 minutes a day: exercise, especially brisk walking or jogging, will get the blood in your leg veins to circulate and thus prevent varicose veins.

4. Take the stairs: this simple exercise activates your calf muscles and gets blood to circulate in your veins.

5. Be vigilant: calf cramps, swelling, change in colour of skin over foot and open wounds over the feet are a few signs that you need to look out for. Seek medical help to prevent worsening of this disease.

Follow these simple steps and you would be able to prevent varicose veins and have healthy feet.


5 Tips To Prevent Varicose Veins and Varicose Ulcers

What are varicose veins? 
Varicose veins are enlarged veins that typically develop in the legs and the feet. This condition is triggered when there is something wrong with the valves of the veins. When the valves do not function properly, blood flow to all parts of the body is disrupted. Since the legs are the farthest part of the body from the heart, gravity makes it difficult for blood to flow up to the heart. It is a common affliction and affects nearly 25% of the adult population all across the world and 10 million people in India are diagnosed with it every year. The raised veins just under the top layer of the skin appear to be purplish-blue.

Varicose veins are common in people who are -
  Above 50 years of age
  Long stretch sitting
  Pregnant
  Menopausal
  Obese
If someone in your family has a history of varicose veins, you are quite likely to get it too.

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?
Varicose veins are characterized by the following symptoms -
  The most obvious symptom is the large twisty veins
  Pain all down the length of your legs
  Discoloration of the skin of the legs and feet

Diagnosis of varicose veins -
The doctor usually diagnoses varicose veins by a physical examination. An ultrasound may determine if your flow of blood is affected. It is a non-invasive procedure and is done with the help of high-frequency sound waves.
You may even have to undergo a venogram. The doctor injects a colored dye into your veins and X-rays them. The dye gives an indication of how well your blood is flowing through the veins.

Treatment of varicose veins -
There are several treatment options for varicose veins-

Vascular surgery - When the other methods do not work, doctors prescribe vascular surgery.
Ligation and stripping - through this surgery, the surgeon ties up the vein to prevent pooling of blood in the veins and sometimes the vein itself is removed.
Sclerotherapy - the doctor injects a chemical right into the varicose vein which closes it.
Radiofrequency ablation - the doctor uses radiofrequency to heat the varicose vein up, which makes the walls collapse
Varicose veins are a painful condition that can be avoided if you implemented a few changes to how you live your life and even if you do get them, there are ways to cure them.

In Detail About Varicose Vein & Its Treatment!

Varicose Veins is a condition in which an individual s veins become swollen and warped or twisted, which is visible on the skin. This condition most often is prevalent in the legs but can occur in any part of the body. Varicose Veins is a common medical condition with a few symptoms and signs. It affects the skin tone and texture for which some people undergo a treatment.  

These symptoms might not affect the person seriously, but they can get severe depending upon different conditions. Usually, Varicose Veins does not require medical treatment, but if it gets severe, then one needs to see the doctor or undergo surgery, which happens rarely. This condition can be easily diagnosed through physical examinations, but one might need to undergo some medical tests depending upon the severity of the condition.

Problems Related to Varicose Veins:

Some of the most common problems related to Varicose Veins are:

Telangiectasias: In this condition, blood vessels form a cluster, mostly on the upper body and face. They appear red and can be caused by many reasons such as genetic disarray, liver problems, pregnancy, or viral diseases. Although this is not something to worry about, one should consult the doctor if other symptoms accompany it too.

Spider Veins: This condition of Spider Veins is concerned with the smallest blood vessels called Capillaries. They are called spider veins because they develop mostly on legs and face and appear like a spider web. They are a moderate form of telangiectasias and hence does not really need medical treatment.

Varicoceles: Varicoceles appears in the scrotum region of the male body or over the testicle skin. This condition might result in infertility in males. A doctor should be immediately consulted if such a condition is seen.

Symptoms:

The Varicose Veins is not a serious medical problem unless the patient is going through severe pain and significantly manifested symptoms. There are many symptoms to identify the condition.

A visible cluster of blue or purple looking veins.

Frequent leg cramps.

Shrinking of skin of the ankle as a result of Lipodermatosclerosis (hardening of fat under the ankle skin).

Veins become tumefy or swollen and warped or twisted.

Ankles become swollen.

Throbbing legs.

Blood clots.

An unusual amount of bleeding in the affected part with a small injury.

Restless leg syndrome.

Scars like white, irregular patches on the ankle (Atrophie Blanche).

Redness, itchiness, and dryness on the affected area (stasis dermatitis or venous eczema).

Skin Discoloration.

Skin ulcers.

Precautions:

There are some precautions that one can take to relieve the pain caused by Varicose Veins.

Avoid standing for a longer period of time.

Maintain a healthy and balanced weight.

Sitting with legs straight and uncrossed.

Exercising.

Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes.

Elevating legs while relaxing.

Take away:

Varicose Veins is a condition in which blood vessels get clustered in a part of the body under the skin. The veins appear blue or purple and become swollen and twisted. This condition is often not a serious medical problem, but in some cases, it might need surgery to avoid any serious issue. This can be treated by precautions and medications, but one can undergo surgery to get rid of the texture and view of the clustered veins. The recovery of Varicose Veins is quicker.

Varicose Veins - What You Must Be Aware About?

Varicose veins are enlarged and gnarly veins and they commonly appear in the feet and legs. They occur when veins get filled with blood and they are often red or bluish purple in color.

The main cause of varicose veins is the when the vein dysfunctions. Veins have valves in them that are supposed to keep the blood flowing forward, but if they fail to do so, blood in the vein starts to collect rather than continue towards the heart. Since the legs are furthest from the heart, varicose veins mostly affect the legs. Gravity, too, is a contributing factor as it makes it hard for the blood to flow up the vein.
Out of all the treatments available for varicose veins, sclerotherapy is the most effective.

What is sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a form of injection therapy that is designed to improve the way the varicose veins appear on your legs.

The Procedure
During the procedure, a solution called sclerosant is injected in the veins that scars and destroys the vein's internal lining which causes the blood to clot. After the solution is injected, pressure over the veins is applied to prevent the return of the blood as you stand up. Compression stockings are worn for maintaining the pressure.

After the Procedure
There is no prolonged recovery time for sclerotherapy. You can move around immediately after the procedure, but do not strain yourself too much. However, bed rest is not recommended as it might stress the vein. You probably have to keep wearing the compression stockings for a few days more.

Reasons for Choosing Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is best for treating the following problems-
1. Small veins and spider veins that do not cause severe damages
2. Smaller varicose veins that might return even after vein stripping surgery (the surgical removal of the superficial saphenous vein with minimal incisions to treat varicose veins).
3. Larger varicose veins
4. Follow up to any other surgery to treat varicose veins

Risks involved
Sclerotherapy, like any other treatment, has certain risks. The risks include-
1. Skin discoloration
2. The varicose veins can still return after the treatment
3. Bruising, itching, blistering and pain in the treated area
4. Mild or severe allergic reaction to the solution (sclerosant) used
5. Blood clots in the deep vein system.

Varicose Veins: Using Sclerotherapy to Get Rid of It

Varicose veins is a medical condition where the veins become large and swollen and begin to appear so especially on the legs and feet though any vein can become varicose. This happens when the valves do not function properly and allow the blood to flow in the opposite direction or to pool. Due to this, the veins enlarge, and they begin to appear blue or dark purple on the skin. Legs and feet are the most commonly affected areas because standing or walking increases the pressure on the veins in the lower part of the body.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins
Apart from the twisted and bulging appearance like cords in blue and dark purple, varicose veins may include other painful symptoms as well such as-

Throbbing feeling and aching, heavy feeling in the legs.
Muscle cramping and swelling in the legs.
Severe pain after sitting or standing for a long period of time.
Bleeding varicose pains.
Treatment for Varicose Veins
In severe cases, varicose veins may rupture and form varicose ulcers on the skin. To avoid complications, it is best to get varicose veins treated before it worsens. Varicose veins can be treated in two ways- either by surgeries or by non-surgical methods, that is, by home remedies, medicines or non-invasive methods.

Surgical methods to treat Varicose Veins
Vein Stripping - Under general anesthesia, two cuts are made one below the groin and one behind the knee joint. The affected vein is then tied or clamped off at the top incision using a technique called vein ligation
Phlebotomy is another method where smaller incisions are made along the vein and using surgical instruments, the vein is pulled out.
Though treating varicose veins by surgeries is the most effective method, it involves several risks. Patients take a longer time to recover from surgeries than non-surgical methods. The sedation may cause complications. Chances of nerve injuries cannot be negated which may lead to fatal conditions such as deep vein thrombosis.

Non-surgical methods to treat Varicose Veins

Radiofrequency ablation is a method in which heat generated electromagnetic waves are used to close off the veins.
Endogenous laser ablation- in this case, lasers are used to close off veins.
Sclerotherapy is another method where a liquid or foam is injected into the affected vein to close it off.
Although big veins cannot be treated by these methods or additional treatments may be required, these methods are not only effective but also free from cuts and stitches or anesthesia. Performance of these treatments need not always take place in hospitals, special clinics can cure varicose veins using these methods. It is always advisable to consult doctors for treating varicose veins who can suggest the best treatment needed to cure varicose veins.


Surgical & Non-Surgical Treatment Options For Varicose Veins - Which Is Better?

Varicose veins are a condition marked by enlarged or gnarled veins. This typically affects the veins in the feet and legs. In most cases, varicose veins are a mere cosmetic concern but in some cases, it can be quite uncomfortable and painful. If left untreated, it can also lead to further complications.

Varicose veins may be caused by a lack of elasticity in the veins causing blood to pool in them and flow backwards. This blood is deoxygenated and hence the veins appear blue. Women have a higher risk of suffering from varicose veins as compared to men. This risk also increases with age and weight. Pregnancy can also cause varicose veins. 

The most common symptoms of this condition are:

Visible veins just under the surface of the skin
Veins that appear blue and gnarled
A dull ache in the legs
Throbbing or burning sensation in the calves
Pain in the legs that worsens after standing or sitting in the same position for a long time
Itching around the veins
Bleeding veins
Inflammation of the skin or ulcers around the ankles
Red or blue spider veins
What steps to maintain once you have undergone the sugery

Keeping the legs raised or wear compression stockings can relieve the pain associated with varicose veins and prevent the condition from worsening. 
Exercise can also help improve blood circulation. If these home remedies are not effective, the patient may need to consult a doctor.
Women with a family history of varicose veins should also avoid wearing high heels and tight stockings.
Complications caused by varicose veins are rare. However, some people may experience bleeding on the surface of the skin. There are chances that the veins deep inside the muscle may get twisted which may lead to the swelling of the calf muscles. Varicose veins may also cause painful ulcers around the ankles and is a result of the buildup of fluid around the ankles.

All the complication must be reported to the doctor at the earliest to prevent the condition from worsening.

Varicose Veins - Know The Signs Of The Condition!

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