Varicose Veins Specialist

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are enlarged and discolored veins that you can see through your skin. This common condition happens when the walls or valves in the vein become weak or damaged.  

Your veins don’t have the help of your heart to pump blood like arteries do, so they rely on muscle contractions to return blood to the heart. Veins in your legs must work against gravity. 

A healthy vein contains tiny valves that prevent blood from flowing backward. But if these valves fail, blood can flow backward and pool in the vein, causing it to become varicose. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but they affect smaller blood vessels and have a web-like appearance.

Who is at risk of getting varicose veins?

Varicose veins affect more women than men. This may be because female hormones can relax vein walls. Taking hormonal medications, such as birth control pills, may also put you at a higher risk of developing varicose veins. Other factors that increase your risk of varicose veins include:

• Increasing age
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Family history of varicose veins
  
  

Standing or sitting for long periods of time or having a generally sedentary lifestyle also increases your risk of varicose veins. 

What are the signs and symptoms of varicose veins?

The most obvious sign of varicose veins is the appearance of a twisted, bulging vein that’s blue or dark purple. Some people also experience uncomfortable symptoms, such as:

• Heaviness or aching in your legs and feet
• Changes in skin color
• Nighttime leg cramps
• Itching or burning around the vein
  
  

These symptoms may worsen when you stand for a long period of time and get better when you rest with your feet up. 

How are varicose veins diagnosed and treated?

Your provider at Premier Cardiovascular Consultants can diagnose varicose veins based on a physical exam and review of your symptoms. They may also take an ultrasound to check your blood flow. 

Then, they develop an individualized treatment plan that may include:

• Lifestyle changes like losing weight and exercising
• Wearing compression stockings
• Medical procedures like endovenous ablation or sclerotherapy
• Surgery to remove the vein
  
  

To find relief from bothersome varicose veins, call Premier Cardiovascular Consultants or request an appointment online today.