Varicose Veins
More than 30 million people experience the discomfort and swelling of varicose veins and this is due to the veins no longer functioning efficiently.
What causes varicose veins?
Sometimes blood flow pressure can damage or strain the valves in the veins which should only let the blood flow one way – towards the heart. This means blood can collect in pools in the veins.
Varicose veins are made worse by standing for long periods, by being constipated or overweight and by pregnancy. Women tend to suffer from varicose veins more than men!
What are the symptoms?
You will usually see varicose veins before you get any other problems from them. They appear as wiggly raised lines above the surface of the skin on the legs. You may find that they start to ache as the day goes on. You may also notice that your feet and ankles swell towards the end of the day, especially in hot weather. If varicose veins are left untreated they can become inflamed or even ulcerated.
What are my options for treatment?
A surgical and non-surgical treatment is available to treat this condition. Dependent on the severity of varicose vein, the surgical method usually involves a procedure to strip the non-functional vein from the affected area. The non-surgical method called 'sclerotherapy' usually involves an injection of special fluid to close the vein down.
Next step
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