Varicose Veins
Your overall health is determined by countless factors, many of which lie right beneath the skin. Your veins operate within the circulatory system to transport blood back to the heart. When veins and valves do not function properly, the blood stops and builds up in the lower legs. This condition can cause varicose veins, known for their enlarged size and purple color.
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What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are caused by a medical condition called venous insufficiency. This condition is an overarching term for when blood pools in the legs instead of traveling upward. Patients experience varicose veins after the blood collects for long enough to enlarge the area. Though varicose veins are not always an immediate health concern, many cases can lead to ulcers, blood clots or chronic venous issues.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
Varicose veins tend to appear near the surface of your skin around the knee, calf and ankle areas. Varicose veins are characterized by a dark blue or purple color and bulging appearance. Sometimes these veins can look twisted or rope-like due to their internal swelling.
Other varicose vein symptoms include the following:
- Aching muscles
- Burning or itching sensation
- Leg cramps
- Pain from sitting or standing
- Skin color or texture changes
Causes of Varicose Veins
The primary cause of varicose veins is damaged vein or valve function. What creates this improper vein function differs between patients. Varicose veins can be a symptom of other venous diseases, such as chronic venous insufficiency. At the same time, varicose veins are an issue by themselves.
Below are the most common causes of varicose veins:
- Pregnancy
- Age
- Obesity
- Genetics
- Menopause
- Long periods of standing or sitting
Vein Treatment Options
Our providers offer safe, simple, and quick spider vein treatment with sclerotherapy. This procedure uses a small needle to inject an FDA approved sclerosing agent that closes the vein and redirects the blood.
Instead of using heat to seal the veins, VenaSeal injects a small amount of FDA-approved medical glue. This minimally invasive treatment collapses diseased veins, which signals the blood to reroute.
Also known as RFA, radiofrequency ablation uses a catheter to seal diseased veins. RFA uses radiofrequency energy instead of laser energy to heat the vein until it closes.
Microphlebectomy is a minimally invasive procedure in which the diseased veins are physically removed.