Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are enlarged twisted veins at the skin surface primarily in the legs. They indicate that the valves of the veins are not functioning appropriately causing chronic venous insufficiency. If you have unsightly varicose veins or painful swollen legs, there are many treatments available for this. If symptoms are present and reflux of the veins are found on ultrasound examination, these medical indications mean it will likely be covered by your insurance.
The term varicose means “twisted.” Veins that are bulging, cord -like, twisted, blue to purple swelling in the legs. People with varicose veins often feel:
Burning
Throbbing
Muscle cramps/restless leg syndrome
Swelling
Achy or heavy feelings in the legs
They occurred due to poor functioning of the valves in our veins called chronic venous insufficiency. The damage valves make it difficult for blood to return to the heart as in healthy circulation systems. This results in pooling of the blood and swelling in the legs. The increased pressure causes things to enlarge and develop into varicose veins.
Those Affected
Chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins are one of the most under diagnosed in treated conditions in the United States. Approximately 60% of Americans will develop varicose veins. This number is even higher in women. Risk factors for them include:
Age over 50
Females
Family history of varicose veins
History of pregnancy
Standing for long period of time
Obesity
This very common condition can result in painful swollen legs impacting people’s quality of life and self-esteem from unsightly appearance. When symptoms are present and an ultrasound identifies damaged valves in the veins via reflux, this is considered a medical condition with a variety of minimally invasive, high effective treatment options available.
Treatment Options
Fortunately, there are a variety of highly effective minimally invasive techniques for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. The first step is increasing exercise and wearing compression socks. These compression socks must be at least 20 to 30 mm Hg to be effective. This helps to return blood flow to the heart and give extra support to be damaged veins.
When conservative therapy doesn’t work, it’s time to make an appointment with a vein specialist. The first step is performing a complete physical examination as well as obtaining a detailed, painless ultrasound. The ultrasound imaging is able to identify damage veins by the presence of inappropriate blood flow (reflux). We are then also able to make an accurate map of where the damaged things are and to what extent the damage is.
Once the damage veins have been accurately found, and we are able to suggest a variety of treatments including laser ablation and foam sclerotherapy. These minimally invasive, highly effective treatments are covered by insurance plans and have virtually no downtime.